What Is Gilsonite?
Gilsonite, also known as Natural Asphalt or Natural Bitumen, is a type of Bitumen-impregnated rock called Asphaltite. It is primarily found in Utah and Colorado in the United States, as well as in the Kermanshah province of Iran. This naturally occurring solid hydrocarbon bitumen has been discovered in various other regions around the world, but its large-scale production is mainly observed in Kermanshah, Iran.
Gilsonite, or Uintahite, is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon resin that possesses properties that enhance the performance of critical applications in various industries. These industries include, but are not limited to, oil and gas, ink, paint, construction, asphalt, and foundry. The mining process for Natural Bitumen involves extracting it from underground shafts, resulting in shiny black obsidian-like rocks.
It was initially discovered in the 1860s, and about twenty-five years later, in the mid-1880s, Samuel H. Gilson promoted it as a varnish, electrical insulator, and waterproofing compound. Revised: Natural Asphalt, also referred to as Natural Asphalt or Natural Bitumen, is a unique type of rock known as Asphaltite that contains Bitumen. It is primarily found in the United States, specifically in Utah and Colorado, as well as in the Kermanshah province of Iran. While natural bitumen has been discovered in other parts of the world, its large-scale production is mainly concentrated in Kermanshah, Iran.
