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"What about a surface chemistry breakthrough that takes 90% of the oil off of any substrate, including presently unproducible ones by present in use technology, and leaves no measurable trace of oil, allowing any ecologically beneficial use of the produced material?"

Are you writing about in situ production or recovery from tar sands / oil shales that have been mined? Also you use the phrases "90%" and "no measurable trace" in the same sentence.

I admit that I am no expert, but knowing a bit about the competitive nature of the small producers, if there is any patentable process involved, there would be little difficulty lining up test wells and eager licensees. If there is nothing that can be patented, then I am curious as to why this has not "leaked" into the public domain.

BTW, I am aware that it took a very long time for "polymer jobs" to go from the lab to general use in the field. However, this sounds too good to have that sort of a gestation period.

Well, if you want to put together a group of such competitive small producers and include yourself in, we will arrange for educational and informative talks. The deployment strategy is is not based on traditional licensing and there is a mixture of patented technology and knowhow, with some patent applications being held back temporarily for security reasons. The deployment model is the "Liberty Model" we have been developing with the Inventor Committee, under which there is protection beyond patents because of the present bias against the inventors in the patent systems, particularly in other countries, but now also, since the last bill, here. The apparent discrepancy which you point out can be explained at any conference or meeting which we arrange in conjuncction with you and your group.