New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-01-04

true oil shales. The desired produc
was kerosene, or coal oil" which
latter term survives since the tins
when most of the Kerosene used III
this country was really derived from
coal and the like.
Some of these companies were only
getting started when the American
petroleum industry came into being.
reducing the r-ce of kerosene to
such an extent that shale oil opera
tons became Improbable, and the
plants were abandoned or adapted
for use in refining petroleum
Interest Developed.
In 1916 there developed in the
United States remarkable interest
in oil shales and the year marked
the beginning of an attempted de-
velopment of an oil shale industry.
Since then an increasing amount OF
work has been done, but no COM
mercal operations have yet been
started and the industry does not
exist except in the literature of pro-
motion organizations
+, In this connection the bureau of
mines warns against false develop
suffered greatly from the fake pro-
moter and his companies. 1T Is
reasonable to say that over 100 COM
panies have been organized, osten-
sibly for the purpose off developing
Gil shales in some way or another,
but really for the purpose of fat
tening the pocket books of the pro-
moters," it was added.
Oil shale deposits have been
worked in a small way in the county
of Dorset, England, for centuries
Deposits of importance are found in
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
provinces, Canada and in New South
Wales and Queensland, Australian. In
the provinces of Allier and Saone ct
Loire, France, deposits have been
worked for half a century. Others
have been found in Jugu-Slavla,
Spain, Sweden, Bulgaria, Germany,
Italy. Switzerland, I1sthonia, Brazil
and elsewhere.
Location of Oil shares.
In this country the largest oil
shares are in the Rocky Mountains,
and belong to the Green River for
nation in northwestern Colorado.
southwestern Wyoming and North
eastern Utah. This formation con-
tains beds up to 40 feet in thickness
that will yield at least 30 gallons of
crude oil to the ton. More thorough
surveying and sampling is expected
TO discover thicker areas of equal or
even greater richness. A., recently
discovered 90 foot seam yielded over
so gallons of oil to the ton, by lab
ora.ory test.
In Colorado. however, the forma-
tion attains a maximum thickness OF
about $500 feet.
Some beds too thin to be worked
commercially. have yielded up TO 20
gallons Of oil to the ton in laboratory
tests. and the Green River formation
is declared to contain enough oil shale
TO Weld oil for many years to come.
These shaies will also yield per ton
upwards of 90 pounds of ammonium
sulphatt. valuable for fertilizer pur-
poses.
The Nevada shales occur mostly
near F;lko and Carlin. they differ
physically from the Green River shale
and are lighter In color for the same
yield of OIL.
There are deposits In California, but |
there were said to be hardly true oil |
shalcs as the greater part of the oil
contained can he extracted by suitable
solvents. The average yield pcr ton |
is not high. the highest being about |
90 gallons and their nitrogen content
is very low However. these deposits
are thick and accessible. so that de-