• Zenergy’s products and services can help reduce a client’s utility costs by up to 60 percent
• Through Zenergy’s Zero Cost Program, upgraded retrofit conservation and efficiency equipment is provided and installed at no out-of-pocket cost to the customer
• More than one million gallons of water have been conserved and more than 13 million pounds of CO2 emissions prevented through the Zero Cost Program

Money talks, and, for most businesses, the bottom line is the top consideration. One groundbreaking energy and technology company is appealing to the pocketbooks of businesses throughout the United States by helping them save substantially on their utility costs, and, as these companies save money, they are also positively impacting the environment.

The motto of Zenergy Brands, Inc. (OTC: ZNGY) is “Enriching businesses through responsible energy use and management,” and the company is accomplishing just that with its cutting-edge services and products. Operating in the smart energy, conservation and utility industries, Zenergy offers retail energy, energy conservation and efficiency-based products targeted at residential, industrial and municipal end-use customers.

One of Zenergy’s foundational specialties is reducing utility consumption, including electricity, natural gas and water. Through its smart controls and other conservation- and efficiency-based products, the company can help decrease utility consumption by as much as 60 percent for its clients, which is music to the ears of any business – whether or not they equally value the resulting environmental benefits.

Another attractive benefit that Zenergy offers in delivering these considerable utility savings is that the customer does not have to pay anything out of pocket to utilize Zenergy’s products, as the company provides the efficiency upgrades through its popular Zero Cost Program. This unique financing mechanism offers ‘Sustainability as a Service,’ giving businesses access to Zenergy’s top-of-the-line upgraded retrofit equipment, which includes smart controls, LED lighting solutions, efficient water systems, building automation, refrigeration optimization and much more, all with no upfront cost to the customer.

Zenergy delivers this unique value via a Managed Energy Services Agreement (“MESA”), through which the company finances the equipment and, in exchange, keeps a portion of the client’s resultant utility savings over the course of a repayment period. When the repayment period concludes, 100 percent of the cost and energy savings then belong to the customer.

Zenergy truly delivers a win-win through its Zero Cost Program, helping customers save money and also positively impact the environment. To date, Zenergy estimates that it has helped prevent more than 13 million pounds of CO2 emissions, conserve over one million gallons of water, prevent the use of more than six million pounds of coal and conserve more than 700,000 gallons of gas. For perspective, in terms of carbon successfully sequestered through this program, Zenergy estimates that it is equal to the carbon reduction that would result from about 161,269 tree seedlings being grown over a 10-year period.

Through its pioneering efforts and offerings, Zenergy is successfully helping reduce the carbon footprint and the demands on the energy grid and water supply in America, per the company’s mission. Simultaneously, the company is helping businesses use and manage energy more responsibly while increasing their enterprise value and enhancing their bottom lines. Zenergy continues building a portfolio of dedicated clients through its impactful Zero Cost Program.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ZenergyBrands.com

• Independent evaluation calculates net present value of company’s reserves in Chaveroo and Milnesand fields in New Mexico
• Hunter Oil Corp. plans to commence development in the third quarter of 2018
• Results of the evaluation of company’s oil and gas reserves show that its holdings in these two fields in the Permian Basin are 40.3 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE)
• Company added 376 acres to its holdings in 2017, increasing its total position to more than 23,000 essentially contiguous acres in New Mexico

Hunter Oil Corp. (OTCQX: HOILF) (TSX.V: HOC) increased its position to 23,133 gross acres in the historic Chaveroo and Milnesand Fields in the Permian Basin of New Mexico in 2017, an independent evaluation reported (http://ibn.fm/UXAHr). Net present value of its reserves in these fields, discounted at 10 percent, is estimated at $829.7 million.

Hunter Oil plans to unlock the value in these resource-rich fields by leveraging existing infrastructure, increasing efficiency of operations and lowering operating costs (http://ibn.fm/dXZAA).

The company plans to commence development and drilling in these two fields in the third quarter of 2018 with a combination of horizontal wells. Hunter Oil noted that independent reservoir engineers have certified its fields as capable of producing 16.6 million barrels of oil equivalent with the development of 91 horizontal wells. An infill horizontal development is planned using the latest drilling and completion techniques.

Houston, Texas-based Hunter Oil owns and operates these two large and proven oil fields in New Mexico. Historically, they were first developed in the 1950s and 1960s with vertical well production technology — leaving significant recoverable reserves behind, according to the company. Together, these fields have recorded production of 40 million barrels, which represents less than 10 percent recovery of the oil in place.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.HunterOil.com

• The privately owned company currently has its sights set on beachfront properties in the small European nation of Montenegro
• Montenegro, set to join the European Union, experienced a 4.3 percent GDP increase last year and has a very attractive real estate market with relatively accessible prices
• American-Swiss Capital negotiating purchase of an apartment complex valued at $4.5 million in the southwest coastal town of Tivat, a popular tourist destination

Established with the main goal of becoming a conduit between the U.S. equity markets and prominent enterprises in Switzerland and Northern Europe, private company American-Swiss Capital, Inc. is well positioned for growth and success by focusing on quality, undervalued real estate opportunities that could generate a high return on investment. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, the development-stage company is currently targeting real estate developments in the small European nation of Montenegro – a country with a fast-growing economy, a booming tourism industry and a very attractive real estate market.

Leveraging the experience and skill of its management team, which is comprised of investment industry experts capable of researching and identifying the most profitable opportunities, American-Swiss Capital has found a number of properties in Montenegro that hold the promise of high ROI. More specifically, the company is targeting developments in the southwest coastal town of Tivat, a major tourist destination and home to Porto Montenegro.

One of these developments is an attractive 18-unit beachfront apartment property in Tivat’s Boka Bay community. Built in 2012 but never occupied, the apartment complex was valued at $4.5 million. American-Swiss Capital is currently in negotiations to purchase the property for roughly $2 million. Apartments range in size from 60 to 160 square meters, with access to a private beach and fixed pontoon boat berths. The property’s beachfront location and its vicinity to the Porto Montenegro marina make it very attractive for potential buyers.

Another Tivat-based real estate project on the radar of American-Swiss Capital is yet in its design stage: a gated community consisting of 30 villas of 360 square meters each. The company is considering the acquisition of a 36,000 square meter plot of land located in Boka Bay’s Kotor area, a UNESCO Heritage site located about 6.2 kilometers from Porto Montenegro, for the development. The total costs of the project could amount to $9.3 million, which American-Swiss Capital would raise via presales and debt financing.

The company’s interest in the Montenegrin market is proof of its management’s savvy, as the European Union-bound nation boasts one of the fastest growing economies on the continent, with a flourishing tourism industry and a very attractive real estate sector. The country reported a 4.3 percent rise in GDP in 2017, bolstered primarily by the tourism market (http://ibn.fm/6718W). Montenegro is a popular destination for Russian tourists, but there has been growing interest from tourists and developers from Turkey, various Arab nations and EU countries. This has led to strong property demand and an increase in volume of real estate transactions, especially in the residential sector. Foreign property demand has also been growing steadily, driven by modest prices and the multiple investment opportunities available on a yet little-known market (http://ibn.fm/e4OLK).

As an early-mover investor in the Montenegrin real estate market, American-Swiss Capital is uniquely positioned to capitalize on a rapidly expanding industry in a booming economy, as well as future ROI-generating opportunities that will emerge once the country joins the European Union.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AS-Capital.com

• Global cobalt market set for CAGR of 11.6 percent
• Global supply shortage on the horizon as EV production accelerates
• First Cobalt controls claims stretching over 10,000 hectares (39 square miles)

With global demand for cobalt now exceeding 100,000 tonnes per annum, a supply shortfall for the metal seems imminent. Over the next 10 years, the cobalt market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6 percent (http://ibn.fm/4ge1N). More than half of world supply is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), some of it by thousands of “creuseurs” (diggers), who work at great risk to their health and safety. The industry has been accused of widespread abuse, in particular, the employment of child labor, with a report by Amnesty International and African Resources Watch proclaiming that it is ‘time to recharge corporate action and inaction to tackle abuses in the cobalt supply chain in DRC.’ Such alarms are raising the prospect that battery manufacturers, who use about 42 percent of global production, will turn to alternative sources, like those operated by First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF). The company, which controls 50 historic mining operations across the Cobalt Camp, is extending its muckpile sampling program. “Success with this program could warrant reactivating the mill and potentially the First Cobalt Refinery to produce battery materials”, Trent Mell, president and CEO of First Cobalt, stated in a news release.

Cobalt, for cathodes, is an essential component in a number of lithium battery technologies. The metal comprises about 10 percent of lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum-oxide (NCA) batteries, 15 percent of lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide batteries (NMC) and 55 percent of lithium-cobalt-oxide (LCO), according to Statista (http://ibn.fm/bZNlp). About 60 percent of global supply originates in the DRC and about one-fifth of that is mined by artisanal miners or creuseurs. They mine by hand outside the authorized mining zones using the most basic tools to dig out rocks from tunnels deep underground. Generally lacking basic protective or safety equipment, such as respirators, gloves or masks, creusseurs do not enjoy legal protections since they are essentially operating illegally. Their numbers are substantial, estimated at between 110,000 and 150,000, creating a crisis that is causing users of cobalt to look elsewhere for supplies.

They may soon be turning to First Cobalt. The company is the largest landowner in the Cobalt Camp in Ontario, Canada, a region that includes the historically significant Keeley-Frontier mine and the Kerr Lake mine. First Cobalt controls over 10,000 hectares of prospective land and 50 historic mines, as well as a mill and the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials. It holds a unique position as a pure play cobalt exploration company. Most of the world’s cobalt is a byproduct of mining some other metal. In 2017, about 69 percent of the world’s cobalt resulted from copper mining, while about 29 percent was a byproduct of nickel mining (http://ibn.fm/FQ5jP).

First Cobalt recently announced an expansion of its Cobalt Camp muckpile sampling program to the Drummond Mine and Kerr Lake Area in Cobalt North in order to test a different style of mineralization (http://ibn.fm/rTlTy). This extensive sampling program is intended to provide insight into the distribution of cobalt, silver, nickel and copper from underground waste material brought to surface by historic mining operations. The new sampling program adds three muckpiles in Cobalt North, in addition to the locations in Cobalt South already sampled. Previous grab samples at the Drummond mine included grades of up to 0.65 percent cobalt, 1.79 percent copper and 4,990 g/t silver, prompting inclusion of Drummond and the Kerr Lake Area in an expanded sampling program of waste rock material for disseminated minerals. So far, 343 samples have been collected from 11 muckpiles in Cobalt South, with analysis to begin shortly. Three one-tonne samples have also been collected for ore-sorting technology test-work.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/FTSSF

• Aftermaster Pro delivers state-of-the-art clarity in televisions
• Company providing aid to hearing-impaired clients through Advantego partnership
• Professional studio, online apps, adoptable software and algorithm provide flexible portfolio for consumers

A line of products and services aimed at making the world sound better is making its way to consumers, as well as professional artists, thanks to revolutionary post-production technology developed by Aftermaster, Inc. (OTCQB: AFTM). While audio enhancement technologies have been growing in sophistication for decades, Aftermaster’s products are improving on the standard processes of exciting high-end frequencies and widening the audio spectrum — legacy processes that, in reality, reduce the frequency range, change the audio balance and degrade the artistic integrity of a recording. Aftermaster’s state-of-the-art intuitive response mechanisms bring greater clarity, depth and amplitude to the elements of a recording to preserve the original intent of the artists.

What sets Aftermaster apart from other audio technology companies is the fact that its team consists of an elite group of music and audio professionals that have produced, engineered and mastered more hit records than any audio company in the world. They know what sounds right.

The company’s products enjoy a wide range of application — from making it easier to understand what the characters are saying in a movie to giving an independent artist’s music a professionally mastered quality. Aftermaster’s proprietary consumer TV audio product, a small iPhone-like device called Aftermaster Pro that can be plugged into any TV for real-time application, will be marketed to thousands of professional clinics serving hearing-impaired clients as part of a strategic partnership agreement with Advantego Corporation (OTC: ADGO) announced this month (http://ibn.fm/3Gzoa).

“We have found that our Aftermaster Pro is especially coveted by the hearing impaired for watching TV. Our device doesn’t just boost the dialogue portion, it delivers unparalleled clarity, depth, fullness and volume throughout the entire frequency range without any compromises,” Aftermaster Audio Labs, Inc. CEO Larry Ryckman stated in the news release about the agreement.

The company’s intuitive audio enhancement products improve on previously blanket-mastered recordings, which can end up with a thinned-out dynamic range, bass response, drum character and vocal dimension. Aftermaster’s chip technology was developed through a multimillion-dollar partnership with ON Semiconductor, and it can be used in smartphones and headphones, as well as TV sound bar products. The Aftermaster Pro recently gained added exposure thanks to the Kim Komando website (http://ibn.fm/jaxSv), the Home Shopping Network (http://ibn.fm/DISL0) and its www.AftermasterPro.com website.

The company’s audio technology can also be packaged into other companies’ hardware products and streaming media applications, expanding its potential as a revenue generator for film remasters and other uses. The proprietary algorithm is also available as a software product and an online service usable by existing microprocessors and apps. The company also operates Aftermaster Recording and Mastering Studios in Hollywood, California, as state-of-the-art professional recording and mastering studios.

Personal media consumption, whether through a home theater or a mobile phone on the go, has become a multi-billion-dollar lifestyle market that’s integral to all generations in North America. Aftermaster’s products have the capacity to give those lifestyle choices next-level quality, both for the artist and the consumer, maintaining fidelity to the original ambient condition and purpose.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Aftermaster.com

• Elevacity, SHRV’s new health-and-wellness division, features numerous products, including skincare for men and women and a proprietary blend of smart coffee
• Global direct sales market is expected to reach $163.1 billion by 2020 with a CAGR of 4.9 percent
• SHRV is pursuing international expansion, entering a joint venture agreement to market its Elepreneur brand and products in Asia

Sharing Services, Inc. (OTC: SHRV) has announced a $2.4 million record in gross sales for the month of March, doubling its total sales in February (http://ibn.fm/L9HlE). The revenue was driven by the execution of its go-to-market strategy and the debut of its Elevacity health-and-wellness division.

Elevacity focuses on life changing wellness products integrated with a rewards program. Products include the Timeless line of skincare for men and women, vitamin patches that are designed to generate energy and anti-aging Elier Mud.

SHRV is a Plano, Texas-based diversified holding company that owns, operates or controls a variety of companies engaged in direct selling through independent sales representatives. It also offers services in energy, technology and insurance markets. The company is taking steps to expand direct selling internationally. Earlier this year, it finalized a joint venture with Hong Kong-based Health Wealth & Happiness Ltd. (“HWH”) to expand the Elepreneur Brand and sell its products throughout Asia (http://ibn.fm/PJYDF).

Worldwide, direct selling is projected to reach retail sales of $163.1 billion by 2020, with a CAGR of 4.9 percent, according to an article by FinancialBuzz.com, quoting from a report by Euromonitor International Ltd. (http://ibn.fm/g5n51).

In a recent news release, Robert Oblon, chairman of SHRV, said, “We have exceeded our goals as we continue our record-breaking pace within direct selling, but our best-in-class products and services are proving the concept on our very unique Blue Ocean Strategy.” That is defined as a method of selling in an uncontested market space employing a number of other strategies to gain success.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.SharingServicesInc.com

• CEO and co-founder William Waldrop attended several events, detailed his company’s operations and growth plans in the context of a rapidly expanding cannabis market with its associated auxiliary services
• Special Cannabis Investing Event was included in The MoneyShow Las Vegas schedule, with prominent industry speakers in attendance
• Topics of discussion revolved around medical and recreational marijuana, ancillary services, investment opportunities, leading companies and more

The rapid expansion of the cannabis industry over the last couple of years took center stage at The MoneyShow Las Vegas on May 14-16, with multiple workshops, meetings and panels organized as part of a special Cannabis Investing Event. With the cannabis industry rapidly growing, it is garnering the attention and interest of many investors. Prominent industry speakers from multiple cannabis-related sectors attended the event, taking the opportunity to tackle a wide range of relevant topics and important trends that cannabis investors need to know. The list of speakers included William Waldrop, CEO of EVIO, Inc. (OTCQB: EVIO), a leading provider of cannabis analytical testing and research services for the regulated industry (http://ibn.fm/6yclN).

Waldrop had multiple speaking engagements during the Las Vegas event, starting with a special session tackling cannabis testing, organized on Tuesday, May 15. The speaking session, called “Intro to EVIO and Cannabis Testing,” (http://ibn.fm/0hSKo) focused on the growing need and demand for reliable cannabis testing in the context of a rapidly expanding market in which quality control assurances are paramount, as the use of cannabis and cannabinoids, especially for medical purposes, continues to grow. Talks also touched on the latest regulations and standards in the industry, but mostly focused on EVIO and its EVIO Labs division, which provides coast-to-coast accredited cannabis testing services via 11 testing facilities.

An established national leader in cannabis testing and verification, along with detection of possible harmful components that can compromise product quality and consumer health, EVIO also provides consulting services to cannabis producers and growers in an effort to help them meet quality goals, optimize their growing process and achieve regulatory compliance.

The EVIO CEO was also one of the guest speakers at the Cannabis Investing Event’s panel on “Recreational Marijuana: A Major Opportunity for Investors,” on May 15 (http://ibn.fm/tq53Q). Speakers at the panel discussed the significant opportunities associated with the recreational marijuana market, both for investors and for companies already active in the niche, from Canada (set to legalize recreational use this summer) to California (which voted to legalize the drug in a statewide poll in November 2016). Canada and California are currently the largest cannabis markets in the world, a fact that came into focus at The MoneyShow Las Vegas, with special sessions dedicated to the introduction of cannabis experts capitalizing on these two markets.

Another major speaking engagement for EVIO was “Taking the Guesswork out of Cannabis,” organized on Wednesday, May 16 (http://ibn.fm/cfiuL). The main topic of discussion during this workshop was how companies can “profit from the plant without touching the plant,” and it provided an extensive overview of the cannabis market’s ancillary services sector and the alternative investment opportunities that it presents. Discussion topics included the need for testing labs and how these facilities serve as gatekeepers, monitoring the safety and quality of cannabis before it is marketed to consumers. Auxiliary services include, among others, laboratory testing, consulting, compliance, extraction equipment, packaging, software development, staffing, security, media and publishing.

Founded in 1981, MoneyShow’s annual live and online events tackling major investment and trading topics have attracted tens of thousands of investors, advisors, traders and market experts. MoneyShow began covering the legal cannabis industry in February 2015, with this year’s event focusing on several key themes for 2018, such as biotech and medical marijuana, the United States marijuana revolution and the companies at its forefront, investing in cannabis and much more.

For EVIO, the MoneyShow participation follows on the heels of its expansion into the international market with its recent 100 percent acquisition of Leaf Detective, LLC in California and it 50 percent acquisition of Keystone Labs Inc. in Canada. These strategic acquisitions position EVIO for sustained growth in the world’s largest cannabis markets, and the company is on track to have 18 of its state-of-the-art testing facilities by year-end 2018.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.EVIOLabs.com

• High-pressure lab equipment maker reports ninth consecutive quarter of revenue growth (Y/Y)
• About 92 percent of debenture debt converted to preferred stock, with aim of uplisting to national stock exchange
• Patented technologies continue to drive optimism for company’s products to enhance and improve scientific research

Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO), the maker of a patented and powerful line of pressure-based scientific laboratory tools, celebrated corporate gains on May 15 with the announcement of first quarter revenue growth and debenture conversion.

The first quarter of 2018 was the ninth consecutive quarter in which the company reported an increase in products and services revenue on a year-over-year basis and the second time during the past year in which the company reported total quarterly revenue of more than $600,000. Sales of the company’s instruments established a new quarterly record, and sales of the instruments’ consumable elements increased by 18 percent following on a 21 percent revenue increase for the final quarter of 2017.

In addition to the revenue achievements, the company reported that, operationally, it was advancing in its relationships with clients as a new cadre of sales directors began working in their assigned geographical areas.

“Perhaps most exciting was the news released just today – that a majority of our 2015/2016 Convertible Debenture Holders have agreed to convert approximately $6.39M of Debentures into Series AA Preferred Stock,” CEO and President Richard T. Schumacher stated in a news release. “This represents about 92% of all 2015/2016 Debenture debt on our balance sheet as of March 31, 2018.”

Schumacher reported that discussions are ongoing with other debt holders about converting their notes into equity, which would give the company a “materially stronger” balance sheet at the end of the second quarter.

“We believe that such a change would have a significant, positive effect on the growth of PBI going forward, and would materially enhance our stated objective of up-listing to a national exchange (NASDAQ, NYSE/Amex) later in 2018,” Schumacher stated.

Pressure BioSciences is focused on the development and sale of instruments and consumables that use high pressures to break open cells in a more efficient, beneficial and reproducible way than today’s standard methods, such as mechanically “beating up” cells amid research aimed at developing medicinal and therapeutic products. The high-pressure products can also be used in counter-terrorism and criminal forensics applications.

The company’s products employ the properties of both constant (static) and alternating (cycling) hydrostatic pressure. The company’s patented pressure cycling technology (PCT) uses alternating cycles between ambient and ultra-high pressures to control biomolecular interactions in a reproducible way that allows for standards compliance reporting to government agencies.

“Because it is so powerful, unique, and enabling, Pressure Cycling Technology (PCT) could play a crucial role for the new generation of discoveries yet to be made. By carefully controlling the breakage of a cell in order to safely and reproducibly release the proteins, lipids, DNA and RNA contained inside the cell, the molecules released have been reported by numerous authors to be of greater quality, which importantly could result in newer, faster, and better discoveries,” Schumacher said in a January interview (http://ibn.fm/7Jjrp).

One of Pressure BioSciences’ newest clients is a company using a patented technology platform acquired as part of Pressure BioSciences’ recent purchase of Colorado-based therapeutic drug developer BaroFold, Inc., a company Schumacher described as available at a bargain price after it “ran into some (operational) problems” that he believes Pressure BioSciences can overcome at relatively low cost. The acquisition gave Pressure BioSciences eight new pressure-related patents and extended the potential for the company’s existing patents.

This newly acquired technology platform, called PreEMT, also holds the promise that a protein drug maker might someday decide to use the company’s PreEMT technology platform in the routine manufacture of its drug to make a higher quality therapeutic, which in turn could result in the drug maker paying a hefty royalty license fee to PBI – perhaps in the millions of dollars per year. “The BaroFold technology platform offers a cutting-edge method to increase the quality and reduce the cost of manufacturing protein drugs. We’ve opened up a whole new and exciting business unit for PBI and our shareholders, one that offers the potential to generate millions of dollars in revenue, per year”, Schumacher said earlier this year.

The company also announced a co-marketing and distribution agreement with ISS, Inc., for high-pressure optical cell systems used in some lab processes. The two-year agreement will include replacing the manual pressure generator used in ISS’s product with Pressure BioSciences’ computer-controlled instruments.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PressureBioSciences.com

• Solvent mixing process extracts bitumen without creating greenhouse gases, wastes
• Petroteq to begin commercial production this year as it ramps up output
• Company’s Utah lease believed to hold 86 million barrels of extractable oil

The commercial exploration and extraction of petroleum distillates to feed the world’s fuel needs has been a vital industry for some 160 years, and it shows no sign of abating “anytime soon,” according to Raymond Gerald Bailey, president of Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF), the developer of patented technologies that facilitate the environmentally friendly extraction and processing of oil.

Petroteq’s proprietary extraction process uses solvents to produce zero greenhouse gas, zero waste and no high temperatures, unlike existing processes in use by other companies that leave vast tailing ponds that take years for land reclamation, according to the company’s website (www.Petroteq.energy). As world governments drive demand for an increase in electric vehicle production to combat global pollution, Petroteq’s concern for the ecosystem creates a rollout-ready solution.

Last year, researchers at the Freedonia Group predicted that the North American consumer market for asphalt bitumen would continue to expand in conjunction with road maintenance needs throughout the United States and neighboring countries through 2021 (http://ibn.fm/hZ2j9). Petroteq has been testing its extraction process to boost North American production on a bituminous mineral lease that covers more than 3,000 acres in Utah since 2015. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that there are more than a trillion barrels of oil locked in desert sand and shale formation in the state and neighboring Colorado and Wyoming.

Petroteq believes that its lease contains an oil sands resource base of approximately 86 million barrels of oil equivalent that can be extracted. The company recently expanded the production capacity of its Asphalt Ridge plant in Utah by 400 percent, from 250 to 1,000 barrels per day, and it has set a goal of 5,000 barrels of oil per day by next year as it ramps up commercial production. Utah contains approximately 55 percent of the total oil sands deposits in America, and the company plans to begin construction of a new plant in the state next year on its Temple Mountain lease.

The company’s patented technology utilizes a process of mixing oil sands in a bin with a solvent solution before transporting the mixture to a mill. At the mill, the ore mixture is crushed to make the oil disperse better in the solvent. It is then shaken before the fluid is then pumped out to where the mixture’s solids can be removed. The remaining fluid is then pumped out to be distilled through a heat process that separates the solvent from the oil. The oil is then stored in tanks while the evaporated solvent is reclaimed for use once again in the mixture bin.

The company is developing a proprietary PetroBLOQ supply chain management technology based on the blockchain platform, through a collaboration with First Bitcoin Capital Corp., to improve record keeping and the security of its transactional processes. While PetroBLOQ is being designed to improve cost efficiency and time management for the company, it will ultimately be usable for expansion projects or other smart contract clients in the oil and gas industry.

Petroteq also has a joint venture with Recruiter.com and Oilprice.com to provide job placement and industry career services for the increasingly specialized energy sector, and the company has a minority stake in an exploration and production project for heavy oil reserves in southwest Texas through Accord GR Energy Inc.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Petroteq.energy

• Joint venture with MCOA establishing hemp farms in U.S. and Canada
• CBD hemp propagation phase and the development of outdoor-indoor facilities to maintain year-round cycle
• Oregon farm covers 109 acres; greenhouses will add 19,296 square feet of indoor production space

Global Hemp Group, Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRANKFURT: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF), a company dedicated to building a portfolio of hemp-friendly businesses intent on producing the ancient crop renowned for its use in paper, textiles, rope and building materials, is celebrating the recent property acquisition and the advancement of its farming operations in Scio, Oregon.

“Garden operations are well underway at the farm. The initial nursery and propagation rooms for clones has recently been expanded to an additional attached greenhouse as the team continues to produce clones for planting in the current season,” the company stated in a May 15 news release (http://ibn.fm/bcQ2w). “In order to maximize planting density, an additional 20,000 high yielding CBD hemp clones are being purchased and will be delivered before the end of May to meet the targeted planting schedule of early June.”

Global Hemp Group was founded in 2014 with Canadian headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia, and additional base operations in Montreal and Los Angeles. Its hemp cultivation efforts are initially focused on the production of high quality sustainable raw materials and non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD) oil, as well as other cannabinoids, with no intoxicating effects. Global Hemp Group’s collaboration with other companies is an integral part of its aim to eventually implement its Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone (HAIZ) concept, under which it will cultivate hemp for additional value-added industrial products as it explores the profit potential of construction materials and other uses.

The Oregon farming project is taking place with the assistance of joint venture partner Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA) and involves planting of approximately 30,000 clones on 35 acres. Five additional greenhouses have been purchased in order to increase the project’s productivity through perpetual productivity indoors when the outdoor growing season wanes. Two of the greenhouses are being installed, and the remainder will begin installation before the end of May, adding 19,296 square feet of active indoor space for cultivation.

“This dual strategy will optimize revenue generation throughout the year to minimize the impact of single crop harvesting in October when most other hemp CBD farms harvest and typically drive prices down,” the news release states.

The Oregon field and greenhouse work join the partners’ traditional dense field cultivation project in New Brunswick, Canada. The lower yielding CBD cultivars there have been reintroduced to the region for the first time in 20 years as part of the companies’ plan to resume large-scale commercial hemp production and to establish a nearby processing facility. Last year’s initial cultivation research in New Brunswick will aid the company in determining the optimal yield per acre for both the United States and Canada sites.

Canada is working steadily toward fulfilling a government mandate legalizing all uses of the cannabis plant before the end of the year, which will also include cannabinoid extraction from the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. Cultivation of the industrial hemp plant in the U.S. has some form of legal recognition under a majority of the states’ legislatures. Earlier this year, there was welcomed news that the United States Congress is considering an updated Hemp Farming Act that would remove the non-psychoactive plant from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s listing of controlled substances (http://ibn.fm/YB35K).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GlobalHempGroup.com