The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1920-09-24
OIL MOUNTAINS ARE TO
SOLVE MOST ACUTE
PROBLEM
EASTERN UTAH sHALBs COME
INTO LIMELIGHT.
Enough In This Section Of the State
and Western Colorado to Supply
Gasoline For Generations to Come
Government Expert Gives Out
Some Most Amazing Figures.

WASHINGTON, d. c.. Sept. 10
Petroleum may he u wasting asset for
the United States, ~ far ~ free oil
pumped or flowing from nature s
underground reservoirs is concerned,
but we have right here in the United
States a source of petroleum greater
than - perhaps double - the total
crude oil remaining underground in
the whole world. The result of a de-
cline in natural petroleum produc-
ton 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 world 5
oil fields. Instead, il only means the
beginning in this country Of new in
dustry that will give employment to
thousands; the building Of new towns
IN regions now sparsely settled; the
erection of great plants and the de-
volopment OF industrial activities in
areas far removed from present CEN
tiers eft industry The answer to de-
creasing production of natural oil is
the increased production of shale oil.
Ia Northwestern Colorado, In North.
western Utah. in Southwestern Wyo-
ming aud in Northern Nc"adi he
enormous mountains of shnlrs hold
ing. as blotter holds ink, more pc
trolcum than nature stored away in
oil pools in the whole world.
To lesser extent Pennsylvania,
Indiana. Kentucky, Texas, Wiscon,
sin. Michigan aud West Virginia hold
deposits of I'll shalcs. oil shulcs cor-
-ist largely of fossil organic debris
and the decomposition of plant and
animals. largely aquatic. These tus-
sil organic deposits are high IN by
drcun content aud, when subjected to
heat. Weld large proportions Of VIOLA.
Tile matter which may be- condensed
ns oil That the production of oil
from shalc Is practicable has been
proven in Scotland, where the annual
production from Scotch shalos has,
for several years, been around two
million barrels annually. The aver
age Yield of Scotch shalc IL twenty
two gallons of petroleum per ton of
shalc treated. ID. T.. Winchester, who
has mapped most of Uncle Sans de-
posts for the government, reports
that IN Colorado and Utah alone there
is enough shalc capable of yielding
twenty-five gallons or better per ton
to provide minimum of forty billion
barrels ot crude petroleum, contain
ing five billion barrels of gasoline
other regions, he MISC estimates, would
make the total petroleum uynilnbl,
from American shales between eighty
and q hundred billion barrels.
Just what this means may be- under.
stood by recalling that 10 date all pc
troleum produced IN the United State,
h less than six billion barrels, aud
that the total estimated free petro.
leum in the world is between forty
and tifty-three billion bartcls A
soon ms the price of natural crude
crosses the line where petroleum from
shale can be- produced at u profit
these vast new reserves will begin Ia
flow into the market as a slablilinp
factor just what that price line
would bee, officials now are unable "a
state. Scotland, az before war wage
scales, was able 10 compete with inn
purtations of American petroleum
with her shale oil,
One test plant for experimentation
in shale oil distillution is now being
built in Colorado by the department
az interior A number of private com,
anies have been formed in Colorado
and IN Utah. The likelihoo o, that
within five years a mammoth indus
Try for converting our mountains int
oil may be under way, We have, then
IN our mountains, literally "moun-
tain of strength" with which to com,
bat any attempted throttling of Am,
erican development through outside
control of the worlds hre petroleum
reserves.
"These form" says David White
chief geologist for the government
Fan enduring asset, sufficient 10 sus-
tain an enormous ultimate load for
an indefinite period.