, 1923-02-11
OF POTENTIAL OUTPUT
FOR THIS State IS STAGGERING
Precious Minerals Are Also Found in Abundance
and Time Is Near When Resources VIII Be
Turned Into Dollars by Enterprise.
W. H. KITS


UA1AuB DuShuceA
Since oil and gas have been desig.
mated as being non-mineral in char.
acter by tho United t - supreme
court, we must regard coal as our
leading factor in mining. The United
States Geological Survey shows that
Wyoming has to exceed 1918, 62O, 0O0,.
600 short tons OF coal ranging from
the semi-bitumfnous, or Ignite coal,
on up to a grade of bituminous coal
that will test, in many instances,
1880 B. 7. U. or better.
The vastness of this coal supply is
beyond the comprehension of the out
slider. Dur national war debt is con-
sidered by many as being about the
largest set OF figures that one would
wish to get together. but. If this set
Of figures is supplanted with a set
that represents a royalty of two cents
PEI ton, on the known available coal
supply of Wyoming. the national war
debt would be taken care of and
enough ISL left on hand to complete
~ reimburse the Rockefeller interests
for all Of their holdings and still build
a city larger than Casper from the
remainder. e.
Fourteen Of the twenty.three coun-
ties of the state are producing coal.
eight OF them on q large commercial
scale. For the last i've years the
average annual production value of
the coal Of this state has been in
excess Of SIC, 5000. 900 per annum. II
the average production of the last five
years were to continue as the average,
It would require moro than n hun.
dred thirty-four thousand, eight hun
6red years to exhaust u present
available coal supply.
Tha present contemplated railroad
developments VIII open new markets
for our coal and will pass close to
immense coal deposits yet to be
opened This will afford a good open
ing for outside capital and would
prove to be an excellent investment
OIL Shale.
While the oil and gas production
does not come within the designation
OF mining, the production of oil shale
does Owing to the lack of data, Il is
impossible to estimate the tonnage Of
available oil shales of Wyoming and
their probable yield in crude oil.
There are several hundred square
miles of shale beds in this state tina,
are considered workable and the
4GISOI pOIllOH VI IlGSS dT0 III oNftGI-
water and Uinta counties.
The outcrops of the oil shale seams
have been examined by the United
States Geological Survey in these
counties and the results of forty
samples taken by the survey, and
analysed, show an average of 1875
gallons Of crude oil and six pounds of
ammonium sulphate per ton of shaie.
Other assays have been received by
the state biologists office. at Chey.
enne, showing yields ranging from "a
to 10 gallons per ton and the samples
were taken from beds is to GO feet
thick. In 1899 tho writer examined
. bed of oil shale In the northeastern
portion OF Sweetwater county, that
showed, IN escarpmept, to be at least
200 feet thick and showed very rich
in crude. No assay was made Of this,
but, Upon drying, this shale would
burn itself out when ignited.
The United States Geological Survey
estimates that the Green River shales
of northwestern Colorado. southwest.
ern Wyoming. and ranging into Utah
WI produce at least 90 billion barrels
Of oil. The total worlds petroleum
production up to the present time is
about z billion barrels. of which tho
United States has produced about 8
billion barrels. And the calamity
bowler is looking for some other type
Of power unit TO replace the gasoline
Ongipei
Shale oil SUBTRACTION is simply a
mining and metallurgical' proposition
and Is a matter of figuring plant and
operating costs against the market
price OF oil and by~-produots. incIud-
ing gna, which ID used as a fuel In
the retorts. There IS not the element
OF riak in this industry as In prospect.
Ing for Oh in improved fields. Given q
practicable and workable plant for
destructive distillation, one Is able 70
calculate with extreme accuracy. the
costs Of mining and treatment, added