Japex Looking to Commercialize Shale Oil Production

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. (Japex) is looking to commercializing shale oil production in Akita Prefecture, The Nikkei said citing a company statement.

If production gets off the ground, it will be the first commercially produced shale oil in Japan.

The company started test drilling in the Ayukawa field last October using acid treatment, in which diluted hydrochloric acid is pumped into the well to melt the rock and make oil easier to extract, The Nikkei said.

Only about 6kl per day were produced the first two times, but the third yielded about seven times that amount. "Acid treatment has generated results over time," the company said.