MGX Minerals Partners with Highbury Energy to Extract Nickel, Vanadium, and Cobalt from Petroleum Coke
January 16 2018 - 8:00AM
InvestorsHub NewsWire
MGX
Minerals Partners with Highbury Energy to Extract Nickel, Vanadium,
and Cobalt from Petroleum Coke
Vancouver, BC -- January 16, 2018 -- InvestorsHub
NewsWire -- MGX Minerals Inc. (“MGX”
or the “Company”) (CSE:
XMG / FKT:
1MG / OTC:
MGXMF) is pleased to report the Company has engaged
Highbury Energy Inc. (“Highbury”) to assist in
preparing a detailed process to extract metals such as nickel,
vanadium, and cobalt from petroleum coke (“petcoke”).
Background
Petcoke is a carbon material by-product of the oil and gas industry
that forms during the oil refining process. As refineries have
become more efficient at processing extra heavy crude oils
(bitumen) over the last two decades, output of petcoke globally has
risen significantly. Because petcoke originates from heavier
petroleum fractions, its denser impurities such as metals and
sulphur compounds are concentrate in it.
The majority of Canadian petcoke output occurs in close proximity
to oil sand producing regions, where bitumen is upgraded into
synthetic crude oil. Specifically, the Province of Alberta is known
to host vast stockpiles of petcoke. According to the Alberta Energy
Regulator, petcoke inventories are estimated to have reached 106
million tonnes in 2016(1).
Focus of Study
While concentrations of individual metals are low in raw petcoke,
Highbury is utilizing its advanced knowledge of the thermochemical
gasification process and existing large-scale pilot plant
experience to assist MGX in designing a process to generate
hydrogen gas and concentrate metals in the form of ash
byproduct. Highbury has completed a Phase I report on
potential processes and markets for primary and secondary
byproducts. A Phase II study has commenced including analyses of
locations, laboratory bench top feedstock results, advanced process
design and initial plant design parameters.
Research and Development
Development of the detailed process will be spearheaded by Dr. Paul
Watkinson, a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemical and
Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia and a
co-founder of Highbury. Dr. Watkinson is a published expert in the
field of gasification and oversaw early work on related oil sand
gasification in the early 1990’s. He is also a registered
Professional Engineer, Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada
and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Dr. Watkinson is
also an active participant in the Canadian Society for Chemical
Engineering as well as Engineering Conferences International. He
has received numerous awards for his research and has published
multiple articles in scientific journals on pilot-scale
investigations of conversion of carbonaceous solids, such as coal,
shale and biomass, into gaseous and liquid fuels.
“Similar to advancements made by the Company over the last year
in treating wastewater brine and recovering minerals, MGX and
Highbury will look to develop a process that utilizes gasification
methods to concentrate metals from petcoke,” said MGX President and
CEO Jared Lazerson. “We believe entry into an untapped market of
this magnitude aligns perfectly with our business strategy of
creating innovative processes and technology to shape the new
energy economy.”
(1) Source: Alberta Energy Industry, Alberta Mineable Oil Sands Plant
Statistics
Qualified Persons
The technical portions of this press release were reviewed by
Andris Kikauka (P. Geo.), Vice President of Exploration for MGX
Minerals. Mr. Kikauka is a non-independent Qualified Person within
the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards.
About Highbury Energy
Highbury Energy Inc. is an innovative energy company dedicated to
the development and utilization of renewable energy resources
through the procurement and conversion of biomass. Highbury has
developed a proprietary dual-bed steam gasification technology and
patented gas cleanup system that converts biomass into high-grade
synthesis or fuel gas. This robust process produces a medium
calorific value gas from most types of organic matter, such as wood
or agricultural wastes, without need of tonnage oxygen. The cleaned
synthesis gas can readily replace natural gas in industrial kilns
and furnaces in the mineral, pulp & paper, glass, and cement
industries. Alternately, the syngas can fuel an internal combustion
engine to make electricity, with waste heat used for refrigeration,
or district heating. Syngas can also be converted to high
value low carbon liquid fuels such as diesel or jet fuel, or into
chemicals such as methanol or ethanol.
About MGX Minerals
MGX Minerals is a diversified Canadian resource company with
interests in advanced material and energy assets throughout North
America. Learn more at www.mgxminerals.com.
Contact Information
Jared Lazerson
President and CEO
Telephone: 1.604.681.7735
Web: www.mgxminerals.com
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press
release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking
statements including the completion of the rights offering
(collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of
applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is
typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect",
"anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "potentially" and similar
expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future
events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking
information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future
results or performance, and that actual results may differ
materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of
various factors. The reader is referred to the Company's public
filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and
their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's
profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
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