March 21, 2011 Letter to Jeff Skipper

Text of Second Letter

Mr. Jeff Skipper

Technical Advisor

Wendy Schmidt X-Challenge

Dear Jeff,

In our original telephone discussion we were looking for clarification regarding the admissibility of our MOP technology to determine if we qualified as a participant in the X CHALLENGE.

Your response, to paraphrase, was as follows:

“We should provide a brief description of our oil retrieval methodology. You in turn would run it through your Prejudging Panel Technical Team who would look at it and be able to tell us right off whether we can or cannot enter using our technology.”

We submitted our first reply on March 11 (attached).

In my most recent telephone conversation of today March 25, as you are aware, we both revisited the above issues once again. You stated you would give me a clear determination, within two workdays into this coming week, one way or the other. You also stated you have been running into similar sorbent parameter measurement issues with others potential competitors.

MOP Maximum Oil Pickup's retrieval methodology, stated briefly:

Our MOP sorbent is deployed both above and below the oil spill to capture the oil from both above and below the waterline while being followed with a trawling net to retrieve the oil laden MOP sorbent over a height span that simultaneously covers from 2 to 3 feet below the water to 2 to 3 feet above the water thereby capturing all of the oil laden sorbent. For the OHMSETT facility we will be using an analogous approach with a vertical net for removal thereby capturing more oil per unit time. In real-life conditions this offers significant advantages of being able to function effectively, irrespective of the wave height or prevailing weather.

Our MOP sorbent captures up to 99% of the spilled oil (whether it is a thin slick or a very thick spill) and agglomerates it together at the surface. Once MOP makes contact with oil it completely neutralizes all the potential harmful effects of the oil spill and will not release the oil to the environment. Our MOP sorbent is safe to humans, aquatic life, birds, plants and wildlife. Our MOP sorbent is comprised of cellulose but unlike other cellulose sorbents it rejects water (like a duck feather on steroids, will not absorb water), our MOP sorbent only captures oil. Our MOP sorbent will not sink and is as safe to the environment as a leaf falling from a tree.

Upon retrieval even if our MOP sorbent is saturated as little as 15%, it can be squeezed to recover up to 95% of the sorbed oil, and the oil is reusable, free of water. The MOP recovered oil is as clean or cleaner than before it was spilled.

Sorbent performance measurement methodology, stated briefly:

We would calculate the Oil Recovery Rate (ORR) by dividing the volume of oil removed by the total time required for the MOP deployment and retrieval. The measured time span would commence with deployment of MOP and end with the liftoff of the oil saturated MOP from the surface of the water.

We would calculate the Oil Recovery Efficiency (ORE) by dividing the volume of the oil extracted from the sorbent by the volume of the oil and water extracted from the sorbent times 100 to yield the percentage ORE. The extraction process would be accomplished using a high-speed screw press similar to what is used to extract cottonseed oil from cottonseed or rape seed oil from rapeseed.

All other Judging Criteria would remain the same i.e. exactly as stated in section 4.2 Phase 1 of the competition guidelines.

In support of this submission we have attached with this letter the following five documents

1. EPA Certification Letter from MOP and EPA Certification qualification letter from EPA
2. MOP as a First Response: A comprehensive look at MOP sorbent as the first response to an oil spill.
3. The MOP Field Manual, from which the above two documents have been taken.
4. A copy of my letter to you of March 11, 2011 is appended below.

Thank you.

Sincerely,