Kazan Federal University scientists participated in the 4th International Oil Shale Conference in Jordan

The conference brought together scientists and industry representatives from eight countries working on unconventional hydrocarbon resources.

The event was organized by the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and Al-Balqa’ Applied University.

The event took place in Amman, Jordan, from October 27 to 29, 2026. The conference provided a platform for discussing oil shale production and processing technologies, as well as the production of oil shale-based products. Participants reviewed the latest advances and innovations in unconventional hydrocarbon resources, including their development, thermal processing (retorting), combustion, and waste disposal methods. Kazan Federal University was represented by Mikhail Varfolomeev, Leading Researcher and Director of the Small-Tonnage Chemical Technology; Ameen al-Muntaser, Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Generation, Storage, and Transportation of Hydrogen and Low-Carbon Energy Carriers; and Sabina Reyimkulyeva, Junior Researcher at the same laboratory.

Current oil shale development projects in Jordan and other countries were also on the event’s agenda. Leading industry experts discussed this topic in their presentations. Mikhail Varfolomeev delivered a plenary lecture on thermal methods for the in-situ conversion of oil shale into synthetic oil and gas. The current results of the Russian Science Foundation’s laboratory project were presented, including the use of catalytic systems and hydrogen donors in hydrothermal stimulation and air injection (in-situ combustion technology).

«The report also presented results not only from hydrothermal stimulation experiments but also from the development of kinetic models of these processes, which allow us to predict the application of thermal stimulation methods on shale and select optimal conditions for their further scaling,» said Varfolomeev.

The scientists also held working meetings with representatives of Al-Balqa’ Applied University and outlined plans for further collaboration in oil, gas, and chemical technologies. On the final day of the conference, participants were able to visit the unique production facility of Attarat Power Company, which includes oil shale production infrastructure and the first power plant in Jordan to generate energy by burning oil shale.