Show Bulletin on Shale Oil Industry I I The oil of Nevada occur mostly In the eastern district near district near neal Elko and Carlin They differ physically phy- phy phy phy- and chemically from th the of the Green river formation and are usually somewhat lighter In color for the same yield of oil The California deposits for the most part are hardly true oil oU as the greater part of the oil obtained obtain obtain- ed from them occurs as such and can be e extracted by suitable sol sol- sol sol- vents Their oil yield varies greatly but the average Is not high even even at best they do not yield much over twenty gallons to the ton and their nitrogen content Is low row In mall many pl places ces the deposits are thick and andare andare andare are accessible so notwithstanding their low yield of oil they have commercial commercial com com- mercial Near Dillon Mont there are oil aU shale beds three feet or more thick that tha t Will probably yield up to thirty ton ton- The phosphate phosphate phosphate phate beds associated with these are possibly of ot future importance im as a commercial source oC or phosphates The black or of the formation capable of yielding possibly pos pos- possibly sibly economic quantities of oil oU are known to exist In the states of or In In- diana Illinois Kentucky Ohio New NewYork NewYork NewYork York Pennsylvania West Nest Virginia and Tennessee of or the same sune formation yielding notable quantities quantIties quantities i ties of oil oU haye kayo been reported Jn in Missouri Kansas an and Oklahoma Oil on shale Is known to occur in Texas fesas also The production of oil from bituminous bituminous bitu bitu- minous materials was known at least as early as 1634 1654 when Ele Hancock and Portlock distilled from a kind of or stone from rom England As early as 1761 oils were distilled from bituminous bituminous bituminous bitu bitu- minous or oil for tor medIcInal purposes and as early as 1815 a works in England produced oil and I ammonia by the distillation of coal Scottish Industry raying The shale oil-shale Industry has been developed developed developed de de- de- de to a greater extent In Scotland Scotland Scot Scot- l land nd than in any any other part of the world The amount of capital Invested invested Invest invest- ed In leases mines works refineries and the like In Scotland is in excess of 12 In In the opinion of I the bureau of mines those who are engaged or who contemplate contemplate- InveStIng investing Investing Invest invest- ing or becoming engaged in the tIle oil oil- shale Industry In the United States will make no mistake by studying in detail the te technique or the Scotch Industry It has been In existence since 1850 and while its technique may not apply apply apply ap ap- ply In its Us entirety to American and conditions the experience e of Scotch operators and their methods of solving difficulties in commercial operations can be or of great value to our future shale oil-shale industry In 1860 there were In m the United States three fifty companies mostly In the eastern astern part or the country producing oil by the distillation of various kinds of bituminous sub sub- stances The method were crude and materials treated ranged from bituminous and cannel coal to some true oil The desired product was kerosene or coal oil which latter term survives survives survives sur sur- vives since the time when most of the kerosene used In this country countr was really derived from coal and the like Some of these companies were only Just getting started when the American petroleum Industry came into Into Int being reducing the price of kerosene kerosen-e to such an extent that shale oil operations became unprofitable and the the plants were a abandoned andon d or ir r adapted for use in refining purposes In 1916 there developed in the the United States a remarkable interest in oil an and the year marked the tile beginning of or an an- an attempted development development development de de- of an shale oil-shale industry In this country Since that year an anin in Increasing amount of work been done on oil oU shale b but t no commercial al shale oil-shale operations have been started started started start start- ed in this country and the Industry does not yet exist except In tho literature literature liter liter- of promotion organizations Many Retorts Patented Many retorts of various designs d have been proposed several patented patent patent- ed and a few rew have been erected but most of these have been so small that they must be considered as experimental experimental ex ex- or demonstration plants Many i Investigators il rs and ig iare i- i are working In good faith raith but the potential industry has suffered sufferer much harm by the fake faIre promoter and his promotion comp companies les It is reasonable reasonable reasonable reason reason- able to say that over companies have been organized ostensibly tOll for the purpose of developing oil shale In some way or another but really for the purpose of ot fattening the pocketbooks of the promoters In the neighborhood of f seventy- seventy t five proposed processes process s for the treatment of oil shale have come to the attention of the bureau of mines during the past three years Small plants mostly for experimental and demonstrative work have been erected erected erected erect erect- ed in various parts of the country Two or three are In Hoboken N. N J. J one or more In Illinois and Kentucky Kentucky Kentucky Ken Ken- tucky one In Kansas City several In n Denver DenTer Colo a 1 l. l half alf dozen or more In the region between Denver I and Salt Lake City two or three In Salt Lake City and at least two In both Nevada and California r None of these plants can be considered considered consid consid- er ered d as ever having operated commercially commercially commercially com com- in t fact ct they are not large enough to be considered commercial Installations in the sense of being able ble to produce shale oil in commercial commercial commer commer- cial qualities cial-qualities qualities and quantities Conclusions S Stated Sted ted Oil are of ot great t economic Importance and interest to the states in which they occur When the shale Industry begins to reach tho the magnitude of or the pres present nt status of petroleum production the number of miners alono alone required will be bo comparable comparable comparable com com- parable with those employed In the nations nation's coal mines an average of ot men Most or of these laborers laborers laborers labor labor- ers will be brought Into the shale districts from remote regions will live lire In the shale fields and with their families earn and spend their ther money In the same locality The Tho enormous capital to be Invested Invest invest- ed in the shale Industry will add to the wealth and taxable properties of the states in which the money Is in in- vested Tested Auxiliary Industries will develop develop de de- de- de which again will add to th population prosperity and wealth of the shale regions Detailed Information regarding the possibilities of the oil oU shale industry Indus indus- Industry try Is given In bulletin by Martin Martin Mar Mar- tin Un J. J refinery engineer of the bureau of mines which has Just been published by the tho state of Colorado as part lIart of a cooperative agreement with the bureau for tor the Investigation of ot oil les Copies or this bulletin may bo be obtained by addressing the field office of ot the United States bureau bureau bureau bu bu- bu- bu reau of ot Mines Boulder Colo |