Maximizing Value Of Precious Metals From Spent Hydrocarbon

Activities in the Asian hydrocarbon/petrochemical markets have been growing rapidly in the past decade, particularly in China during the past few years. Last year alone, China's oil imports totaled 70 million metric tons, a 15% increase from the prior year, China imported about 28% (about 60 million metric tons) of its total oil demands in 2001, for example, and about 70 million metric tons in the prior year.

The country also has tremendous oil reserves, totaling approximately 23 billion metric tons, and an annual refined product output that reached 167 million metric tons last year. The numbers for China alone are staggering, with consumption expected to surpass 300 million metric tons by 2010, and energy demands to equal 2 billion metric tons of oil by 2020.