However, in view of its present high price, rhenium (used in highly fuel-efficient aircraft engines) is now recovered from scrap bimetallic catalysts used in the oilrefiningindustry.
"In the 50s the oilrefiningindustry came, and now there we are in the 21st century at the start of a new era of natural gas import and processing, " he commented.
Oil companies have the ability to increase refining capacity, and industry executives are often reluctant to admit that speculation in oil commodities is part of the problem.