Hi, I'm new to HotCopper (joined today). I hold ESMCA (& ECM). I had a good run out of them ~ 15 yrs back - when the "Rundle Twins" (Central Pacific / Southern Pacific?) had their day. But this was 'not oil shale's time' / retorting not the way to go as retorting (Fischer Process) is high energy input for low yield & "heavy oil" not suitable as refinery feed (& high level of "messy" residues / CO2 emissions). With oil prices now (stably) high & with GRV / ESM now having signed up [1] for the "super-critical solvent extraction / product hydrogenation" route to create a high yield of "sweet oil" suitable as existing oil refinery feed & [2] rights to the Idaho / Mobotec process for the addition of 15% (ground) shale oil to brown coal power station feed for Aust, NZ, Japan, India, with significant reduction of N2, Hg, S (Cd?) (though unfortunately nil reduction of CO2) - then White's holding on to the Lownmead / Nagoorin / Alpha deposits for 25 yrs should now pay off. Alpha is the richest (though not yet tested by SCS Extn) - but should produce a good 700 L sweet oil / (dry) tonne. Ie 5 barrels oil / dry tonne (139 L = 1 barrel). Alpha is small in comparison to Lownmead & Nagoorin, but GRV's 1982 drilling program of Alpha was not exhaustive - Alpha will be bigger than the stated 104 Mt. Exploited at the suggested rate of 50,000 tonnes/day = 18M tpa = 12 yrs mining if Alpha just twice as large as currently. 18M tpa could equate to 100M barrels oil pa! @ say, A$25 / barrel profit = A$2.5Bn (gross) profit pa. [ultimately, 5 bn tonnes oil shale = xxx bn $ !!!] ESMCA & GRV own 50% each of Alpha. Ie 100% of Alpha (not 75% as with Lownmead & Nagoorin). I'd assume that developing the richest of the 3 deposits first makes sense & developing the deposit that is 100% owned rather than 75% owned makes sense (?) 6 or 12 yrs of mine life for Alpha is a good start, then find more at Alpha or move to the other deposits ....... Thus, my reasoning for owning ESMCA! Though, if a "major" were to "take these deposits away from White", then GRV owns the greater value. Anyone like to comment?
GRV Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
