The daily sentinel., 1914-02-11
WILL EXTRACT oIl'FR0M
|SHALE IN GRAND VALLEY

Continued from Page IL
vey indicate an oil content of ten
to sixty-one gallons ton. with a
probable average for the better
grades of shale of a barrel to a ton
though this average may not hold
for extensive deposits of the rock.
No tonnage estimate of the bitumin-
Gus shales is attempted in a forth
coming report of the survey, but OBJ
seryations have been made of their
occurrence in various localities in
Colorado and Utah as we'll as in
Wyoming and Nevada during the last
seven or eight years of geologic field
work in these states, and it is known
that their acreage is very great and
in many places beds of generous
thickness have been found.
With only incomplete data at hand
the geological survey considers the
present cost of producing crude oil
from these bituminous shales as prob
ably above the current price of pc
troleum, even taking into considera-
ton the valuable nature of the by
products. The great latent POSSIBLE
ity of these resources, however, is
fully realized. In fact, in any Euro
pean country other than Russia or
cum lands. these large areas of btu
minous- shale would possess immedi-
ate utility. Furthermore they would
be regarded as of large Importance as
war resource for naval use.
Will Not Withdraw Lands.
Secretary Lane has, however, af-
ter careful consideration, decided not
to recommend to the President at this
time the withdrawal of these lands.
because of his belief that such ac-
ton might possibly result in retard-
ing or prejudicing the development
of a new mining industry in these
portions of Colorado and Utah, espe-
cially at this stage, when private ini-
tiative needs every inducement to
test out the real value of the resour-
ces. Although the oil shales are I'M
doubtedly valuable reserve re-
source, being capable of furnishing a
large and reliable supply both of flu
oil and of fertilizing material in the
form of ammonia salts, there would
seem to be no urgent public need for
withdrawing the land from prospect
ing and acquisition under the exist
ing laws, which are believed to be
fairly adequate to meet the present
needs of this prospective industry.
Costs $1.S5 Ton.
1t is probable, however. that the
geological survey will make more
detailed examination of the Colorado
and Utah shales and possibly the bu-
reau of mines may take up technol-
ogic studies related to their utiliza-
ton. Although, as stated, the oil
shale industry long since ceased in
the United States, it has persisted
and apparently flourished in Great
Britain and France. In 1904 the pro-
duction of oil shale in Scotland
amounted to 2,709.S40 tons. with a
content of 63,000,000 gallons of
crude oil. yielding marketable pro-
ducts of 3,51l ,296 gallons of naptha.
16,991,74S gallons of burning oil.
l3l,997 tons of gas oil, 39,4S7 tons
of lubricating oil. 22,476 tons of par
affin wax and $4,000 tons tons OF
ammonia salts. In 1913 the produc-
ton of oil shale in Scotland was g.
$50 900 tons, from which about Co.
600 900 gallons of oil were obtained
and also a large amount of ammon-
ium sulphate. This yield of twenty
gallons of oil to the ton of shale may
be contrasted with the assumed aver
age yield of forty gallons from the
Colorado and Utah shales. The cost
of mining and treating the shale in
Scotland for both oil and by-products
is said to be about S1.S5 ton.
Especial interest attaches to the
deposits of oil shale in the United
States because of the recognition by
Great Britain of the value of these
deposits, and the reported purchase
last year by the British admiralty OF
a largo tract of oil shale land in New
Brunswick, to be used exclusively as
the source of oil for the British navy.
Lord Winston Churchill estimates
that the Scottish shale deposits are
capable of an annual output of 4OO,-
600 to $780, 900 tons of fuel oil during
the next $50 years.
The report on the oil shales of Col
orado and Utah, when issued, may be
obtained from the director of the
United States geological survey,
Washington. ID. c., but 1t will not be
printed and available for three or
four months.