Teenagers research a method to extract oil from tarsands (12/28/80)

Teenagers research a method to extract oil from tarsands

VANCOUVER - Two teenage inventors may have found the key that could lead to an economical way of extracting oil from the Athabasca tarsands in Alberta, potentially the largest known oil reserve in the world. Brian and Harold Yacyshyn, 18 and 17, respectively, have come up with a device which uses sonic waves reverberated through a mixture of tarsand, air and water to separate the oil from the worthless sand grains.

The Edmonton teenagers, who have won five medals at this year's Canada Wide Science Fair in Thompson, Man., have grabbed the attention of oil technology experts who have been working on the sticky problem since oil was first discovered in northern Alberta some years ago.

Although the boys' research line has been explored before by well-funded professional researchers, Ted Cyr, manager of institutional and international research for the Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority told Today, a Canadian magazine: "For these young lads this is an original invention, and therefore I consider them to be true inventors, a rare and valuable breed. People who come up with such original ideas are the ones most likely to solve Canada's energy crisis."

As to the feasibility of the mention, the Yacyshyns may have licked a problem which has plagued researchers working with a sonic generator, namely the large amount of energy needed to run the sonic generator and problems recycling the solvents used to accelerate the separation process.

According to Today, the brothers got up to 80 percent of the bitumen (tar) out of their samples. In addition, they found solvents that could be recycled with relatively little loss.

Mr. Cyr, however, remains cautious although he admits to being intrigued. He told Today: "What they have done does appear to work on a bench scale. It would be quite interesting to see what happens if it is scaled up."

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