The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-26
The Truth About Shaie
Operations

Operations
The opinion Of the best expert IL. unless
present only game FOR big interests is
undoubtedly a petroleum supply, but not
OF the near future.
BY c.. A. BANBURY.
In view OF the fact that our re-
sources. as at present known, OF
petroleum are in the neighborhood
OF 100000 barrels per day short OF
our needs, attention has been called
to the possibilities or replenishing
the supply from the huge shale de-
posts that there are in this country.
This possibility has had it's inception
In "A large manner, so to speak, from
the fact that the shales of the Mid
lothian district of Scotland had
been worked for some number of
years before the war, at certain
measure OF profit. This was largely
true, but the prewar element of n
low wage also had a lot to do with
the profits obtained by the COM
panies operating Scottish shale as an
oil supply.
AS a matter of fact an oil is drilled
from shale that is petroleum, and II
Will, after being chemically treated,
bring out mark etable commodities
contents in the shape of gasoline
and Kerosene and one OF the princi-
pal sources OF wealth that will ac-
crue from the marketing and re-
fining OF the shales under the pres
ent method. Cor until something
better is evolved) will be suiphate
of ammonia.
II is safe to say that not one In
90 ot The plants at present operating
for the production OF petroleum and
poduots fom shale deposits will pay
what can be considered a fair return
on the amount invested Many OF
them are erected and worked in n
manner that Is entirely empirical
and some of them with the idea Of
exploitation alone, for two-thirds OF
them have not the slightest idea of
the manual difficulty that there Is
| in the mining of shale, of the depth
at which IT lies, of the skilled labor
| that Is required to obtain the same.
/ that II needs specially trained men
/ TO shoot the seams, and that the
! gas after shooting has 10 be specially
treated and gotten rid Of. ana a
| hundred and one other things that
1 the tyro In his work has an idea
OF, but which call for a ,arger labor
bill at the first than they are taught
| 10 believe.
IT is true, also, that the initial
| expense OF placing and building
tproper plants for the treatment
after this commodity is mined IL very
| heavy for plant that will do
the work satisfactorily In the most
prolific shale field on his continent
cannot be built at present prices, "a
do the work as It should be done
for less than $1,000 900 for a 1900
ton plant, daily producing.
According TO Thompson, under
the general designation Of oil shales
are to be found in many countries
carbonaceous or bituminous shlles
which yield. when subjected to heat,
hydrocarbons closely resembling
those that constitute native pe.ro-
leum oil shales which do not
contain. oil or substances soluble
In OF. solvents and are COM
posed OF fine argillaceuus sediments
through which is disseminated or
ganic matter which often impHrts
to them q dark or even black
tint and reduces their specific
gravity. The petroleum is pro-
duced by the destructive disti'iatlor
OF the shale, during which operation
4 part OF the imbedded organic mat
Ter is volatized and afteIw ward con
Ldensed, except such portion Al
forms a permanent gas, for subse
ouent distillatiOn and refining. whcu
the constituent hydrocarbons suffer
further change. Good oil shniei
atilecontain 20 10 30 per cent or vol
atile matter and will yield on care
full distillation In modern stills WIZ
steam, from 20 to so gallons OF OF
per ton, leaving as residue sta'S