Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-23
SHALE OIL MAY
HELP SOLVEU.S.
FUEL PROBLEMS

WASHINGTON Petroleum may
he a wasting asset for the United
States, so far as free oil pumped or
flowing from natures underground
reservoirs is concerned, but we nave
right. here in little old U. 5. A. a
source of petroleum greater thanD
perhaps double-the total crude OIL
remaining underground in the whole
world!
The result Of decline in natural
petroleum production in this country
then, does not mean, necessarily
that we will be at the mercy of such
outside nations as may control the
balance of the worlds oil fields.
What 1t Means
Instead, it only means the pegin-
ming in this country of new INDUS
try that will give employment TO
thousands; the building of new towns
in regions now sparsely settled; the
erection of great plants and the de-
yeIopment of Industrial actlVltleS III
areas far removed from present CEN
tiers of industry.
The answer to decreasing produc-
ton of natural oil is the Increased
product ton of shale oil. In nortn-
western Colorado, northeastern Utah'
southwestern Wyoming and In north-
ern Nevada lie enormous mountains
of shales holding, as a b1otter holds
ink more petroleum than nature
stored away in oil pools in the whoIe
world.
70 lesser extent, Pennsylvania
Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, Wisconsin;
Michigan and West Virginia ho1u
deposits of oil shales.
Oil shales consist largely Of fossil
organic debris and the decomposition
of plants and animals, Largely
aquatic. These fossil organic de-
posts are high in hydrogen content
and, when subjected to heat, ylelo
large proportions of volatile n matter
which may be condensed as OIL.
Proven Practicable
That the production of oil from
shale is, practicable, has been prov
en- in Scotland, where the annual pro
duction from Scotch shales mas, dod
several years, been around 2,OOO,Ooo
| barrels annually.
The average yield of Scotch shalt
| is twenty-five gallons Oh petroleum
! per. ton of shale treated.
D. E. Winchester. who has mapped
| most of Uncle Sans deposits fol
| the government, reports that In COL
| orado and Utah alone there
| enough shale capable of y1eldlne
twenty-five gallons or better per LoI
to provide a minimum of forty oil
| lion barrels of crude petroleum, con-
| tanning five billion barrels Of gaso
| line. Other regions, he estimates
would make the total petroleum
available from American shales be
tween eighty and 100 billion barrels
Just what this means may be un
dcrstood by recalling that TO dat'
all petroleum produced in the Unit
ed states is less than six billion bar
rels, and that the total estimates
| free petroleum in the world is pc
tween forty and fifty-three billion
barrels.
AS soon as the price of natura
crude crosses the line where petrol
cum from shale can be produced
a profit, these vast new reserves VII
begin to flow into the market as
stabilizing factor.
l. Just what that price line Would pe
officials now are unable 10 staIe
Scotland. at before-war wage sca ito
was able to compete with lmporta
tions of American petroleum VIII!
"eA ' TEST Plant Built
A test plant. for experimentation
IN shale oil distillation, IS now De
ing built in Colorado by the depar!
noent of interior. A number of prl
Jate companies have been formed
Colorado, and Utah. The HkellhooSS
is that within five years a mammotl
Industry for converting our noun
| tains into oil may be We'll under Way
We have, then, in our moullIalti1i
With which to combat any attempt
ad throttlinc of American develop
ment through outside control OF TN
worlds free petroleum reserves.
.rrhey form" says David Whlte
chief @eologist, IAN enduring asseI
| snfficient ito sustain an enormous VI
| innate load for an indefinite perlou'