SONIC heavy oil upgrader project with Mirex
02 Junio 2009 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
TSX Venture Exchange Symbol: SNV VANCOUVER, June 2
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SONIC Technology Solutions Inc. ("SONIC"
or "the Company") is pleased to announce today that it has entered
into a joint venture agreement ("JV") with Mirex Energy Inc. to
construct and operate the first PetroSonic heavy oil upgrader in
Canada. Mirex is an oil production and services company operating
in the Lloydminster region and will be the operating partner in the
JV. The project will initially be designed for a 1,000 barrels per
day (bpd) facility to be located on the Elizabeth Metis Settlement
in Alberta. The PetroSonic facility will be designed to upgrade
local heavy oil supplies to meet the minimum API requirements for
Canadian pipelines. Mirex will provide facilities for the
installation and initially manage the operating contracts. SONIC
will grant a license for its proprietary PetroSonic upgrader
technology and manage the installation and start-up. Mirex and
SONIC will be equal partners exclusive of any interest in the
project by the financing partners. Capital financing for the
project will be provided as debt and/or equity into the project.
This will be the first PetroSonic upgrader in Canada and will allow
SONIC to fully implement the process in a modular plant design
which allows the process to be run in various configurations to
allow for process optimization and data. The PetroSonic upgrader is
a low temperature and pressure process utilizing a SONIC reactor
for de-asphalting and an oxidation process to further upgrade the
oil. The economics of the project improve as the price
differentials between heavy oil and pipeline specification -
predominantly viscosity and density driven. Successful operation of
the first installation would anticipate expansion to 3,000 bpd on a
self-financed basis. The license granted to the JV is exclusive for
all Metis settlements in Canada and allows Mirex and SONIC to
expand the operations of the JV to other locations or to enter into
new agreements for each location. Heavy oil will be supplied in
part by related parties and supplemented by independent local
production. Upgraded oil will be sold into the pipeline system.
Archie Collins, Chairperson for the Elizabeth Metis Settlement,
commented "We have a very successful partnership with Mirex and
this project offers local oil producers, Metis and others alike,
the opportunity to build our local oil processing facilities. We
have plans for related oil services which may integrate very well
with the upgrading facility." Energy Invest Ltd. are reviewing the
project under their marketing and financing agreement with SONIC,
either to provide part of the financing for the project or as part
of a more comprehensive financial proposal they have recently
presented to SONIC. Local financial participation will also be
accommodated. Energy Invest have identified several projects where
they would like to utilize the PetroSonic upgrader technology.
Energy Invest is also a major shareholder and fully supports this
first project in Canada to ease the logistics of technical support.
The project will commence with detailed engineering and permitting
this summer. Preliminary engineering for the upgrader has been
completed and design data from an extensive test program on
Lloydminster oils is already available. SONIC and Mirex have made
application under the Alberta Energy Research Institute program and
the project is directly in line with recent initiatives by the
Alberta Government to encourage more processing within the
province. SONIC may also be eligible under other Canadian grants in
place to improve efficiencies in heavy oil production. About Mirex
Energy Inc. Mirex is a private company providing oil services in
the Lloydminster area. Mirex has diverse operations and interests
including oil production and oil field operations and services. The
Elizabeth Metis Settlement is a major shareholder in Mirex. About
SONIC and PetroSonic PetroSonic upgrading technology utilizes a
proprietary oxidation process and the SONIC reactor technology in a
deasphalting process developed by SONIC. The PetroSonic upgrading
process incorporates de-asphalting and oxidation stages in a low
temperature and pressure process specifically targeted to allow
smaller scale low energy upgrading for regional and independent
producers of heavy oil. About Energy Invest Group Energy Invest
Group is a private UK company that identifies cutting edge energy
and environmental technologies and deploys them in industrial scale
projects (See http://www.energyinvestgroup.com/). Energy Invest is
one of SONIC's largest shareholders and is actively planning
additional projects for SONIC. The TSX Venture Exchange has not
reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release. Statements in this release that are
forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and
uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed under the
heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's periodic
filings with Canadian securities regulators. Such information
contained herein represents management's best judgment as of the
date hereof based on information currently available. The Company
does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking
statement. DATASOURCE: Sonic Technology Solutions Inc. CONTACT:
Chief Executive Officer, Adam Ranjit Sumel at: Tel: (604) 736-2552,
Email: , , http://www.sonictsi.com/
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