http://www.wvcoal.com/Research-Development/wvu-coal-liquefaction-yields-50-oil.html WVU Coal Liquefaction Yields $50 Oil Quantex Energy; wherein we're told: "Quantex Energy Inc is developing a process which seeks to refine coal as easily and inexpensively as crude oil processing. Taking advantage of the fact that the hydrocarbon refining industry has already developed the technology for "upgrading" heavy hydrocarbons such as Venezuelan Orinoco crude, or Alberta Oil Sands crude, Quantex Energy Inc seeks to produce liquids that meet the same specifications as heavy crude. The Quantex technology involves making a partially refined synthetic crude oil from coal, which is then further refined into synthetic gasoline and diesel as well as liquid propane gas and other hydrocarbon fuel products similar to hydrocarbon fuels derived from petroleum crude oil. The Quantex process itself does not produce CO2!") “'Yes, it’s true - almost for sure,” says Eberth with a grin. “We’ve proven the technology in the lab, producing about one barrel per day. That’s a larger bench test than usual. We’re about to do the detailed engineering for a pilot plant producing up to 150 barrels per day [b/d] at Beaumont, Texas. The next move will be a series of reactors, each 1,000 b/d, which can be scaled up progressively to form a commercial plant with a capacity of 20,000 b/d or more. The commercial operation could launch as early as 2013.'” (Ironic, ain't it? The West Virginia Process for converting Coal into liquid fuels will be first reduced to practice in the state of Texas.) Quantex ranks as a micro-firm at this stage but it has at least one powerful ally. New Hope Corporation Limited is an Australian coal mining firm with a market capitalization of US$4.4 billion. A partner in Quantex, New Hope reported in 2010 that it had invested $4 million in the direct CTL process, and will inject another $35 million this year and next. http://www.cedarswv.com/