The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-01-26
VAST FIGURES OF
SHALf INDUSTRY

derful possibilities of the extraction of
oil from oil shales can be seen any day
at the back OF the University of Utah,
where William Kay. president of the
Standard Oil Shale Company, has in
stalled a plant for demonstration.
The operations at the University are
in charge of Otto Stalmann, noted
geologist and mining engineer, who
has had long and successful career.
Mr.. Stalmann was associated with
Marcus DAILY in the early days, and it
is said that il was due to his ingenuity
in discovering a process by which the
ore in the Anaconda mine could be
handled at profit that DAILY became
one of the copper kings of America.
The process is simple in the extreme,
and is based upon the system that has
been In operation in Scotland for all
OF sixty years. with few additions by
Mr.. Stalmann. The shale is poured
into a large pipe. goes to the bottom
OF retort, Is there treated to a high
degree OF heat and the gases pass
through various processes by which
first the heaviest oil Is drawn off and
then the lighter oils in succession
of pipes that then pour the oil off
into barrel. where II ranidiy solidi-
fies. This product, which resembles
a tar. Is high-grade of base para.-
I'm oil, and is said to contain 80 per
cent gasoline. or. upon refinement,
various by-proudcts. such as paraf1n
wax. axle grease, naphtha and spirits
OF ammonia are extracted.
Mr.. Kay is most enthusiastic regard
ing the outlook for the shale industry.
When seen by the editor OF the Mining
Il Oil Record. Mr.. Kay said:
The extraction OF oil from the
shales has the greatest possibilities
of any new industry that has ever
been introduced into the United States.
In my opinion. which is backed by
prominent financiers, capitalists and
oil men with whom | have talked,
there is no question but that we are
entering into a new era in the oil In
dustry. On our properties at Elko
the figures are so vast that II is al
most impossible to talk of the wonder
full money value that these oil shales
contain. When / say they amount 10
billions of dollars / think that have
said enough. Our geologists have
carefully measured all the shales over
which we have control. and the ton
mage is almost beyond belief. From
the fifty or sixty determinative tests
that have been made of our shales, ii
has been proved that they contain on
an average better than forty-five bar
rels of crude oil to the ton. as against
only twenty-seven barrels that are
extracted in Scotland.
The Scottish industry employs H.
900 men and supports $4,000 people.
/ believe that in this country the in
dustry within five years wall reach to
such an enormous extent that il will
give employment to hundreds of thou
sands of men and support millions o.
people. We are conducting an educa-
tional campaign and the expressions
from the big interests all over the
country are very gratifying to me. for
the reason that / am president of the
organization that has taken the lead
in the matter. Announcements will
be made within a few weeks OF the
rapid strides we have made. although
at the present time do not care to go
into these details"
The properties of the Standard OIL
Shale Company. of which Mr.. Kay Is
president. and John Pingree. president
of the Merchants Bank and one of
the most prominent mining capitalists
of the intermountain region, is treas
urer, are located near Elko. Nevada.
and have been passed on not only by
Dr. w. T. Day. who is government ex-
pert connected with the United States
Geological Survey. and other govern
ment geologists. but by many promi-
nent biologists and engineers who
have been employed by Mr., Kay thor
oughly to look over the field before
h. IT, Is