Show Oil Shale Is Vast V Plateau Energy Source Rifle Plant Experiments Near End Industry Next RIFLE Colo The Colorado Plateaus Plateau's vast and as yet commercially commercially commercially com com- untapped shale oil oU deposits deposits deposits de de- posits cannot help but come into industrial existence according to Boyd Doyd Guthrie superintendent of the governments government's shale oil experiment experiment expert ment plant near here Guthrie whose experiments are nearing an end believes that private private private vate industry cannot help but go into the shale oil business But Dut just when private oil companies will wUl start in development of shale oil as a new source of energy is not known nor would Guthrie hazard hazard hazard haz haz- ard a guess Too there is no way now to determine production costs and Guthrie believes this one factor factor factor fac fac- tor is the chief reason private companies have not enter entered d the field Held Another reason why private oil firms firm have not entered the oil qU shale field fleM may Inay be because of the existence of the Department of Interior Interior In In- testing plant at Rifle mOe which has no secrets and which makes available all of its information concerning concerning concerning con con- processing systems and mining methods Anyone can ask for and receive the data Private industry on the other hand wants to develop its own methods of treating crude or shale oil and to keep the process secret from competitors competitors competitors com com- to protect its investment and profits The Rifle experiment station has been in actual production of oil all from shale since May of 1947 and Guthrie said that we no nON nox have havethe havethe havethe the retorting and mining methods and processes that if continued under tests for another couple of years might make it possible for us to Jay lay on the oil oU in Industry's platter platter plat plat- ter a tried and proven method of oil recovery from shale However However How lIow- ever no private industry could enter the sale shale oil business tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomor tomor- row because there Is not now any definitely established system of recovery Experiments at the Rifle plant which Guthrie believes may prove to be the best methods of oil extraction from shale require a great deal more study and testIng testing test test- In ing before they are proved Lester W. W Schramm assistant to 10 Guthrie estimated that any commercial shale oil plant must have a capacity of barrels of oil daily dally and to become profitable profitable profitable profit profit- able for delivery to the west coast first major market would require require require re re- quire a plant capable of producing producing producing ing barrels per day to tomake tomake tomake make it pay Such an installation it is estimated would cost in the neighborhood of million to erect Including mines Oil Oll shale is is' not shale nor does it contain oil That little teaser is not generally known The rock itself it itself itself it- it self is a magnesium marls marlstone maristone tone DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR Bureau of Mines oil shale experiment station between Rifle and Grand Valley Colo in the Colorado River canon where since 1947 experimentation of oil from shale taken from cliffs above the plate site rather than oil on Under the Influence of heat beat the organic matter undergoes undergoes under under- goes a chemical transformation Fes yield yielding ng a black viscous waxy oil Because of the Ule high wax content the oil all will not flow now below about 8 85 degrees fahrenheit The ledge presently being mined by the Bureau Dureau of Mines experimental experimental experimental mental station near Rifle is at an elevation of feet feet above U. U S S. S 6 24 at the bottom of the Ule can canyon on and only feet from the top of Roan Plateau above the oil shale cliffs To reach the mine yard requires a drive In a owned government-owned privately owned cars are not allowed on the property over a road literally dug out of the side of the mountains At the mine entrances there are two now a third will be opened opened opened open open- ed later all gasoline powered vehicles vehicles vehicles ve ve- are arc halted baited But Dut huge 15 ton diesel burning trucks drive Inand in inand inand and out of the foot 35 high by foot 60 wide mine From the mine the shale Is hauled hauled hauled haul haul- ed by truck to the crushers where it is reduced to the required size before it goes into the The huge hue retort looks from the outside like like a mechanical giant of some kind but the operation itself is 11 quite simple The rocky substance is poured i R wr ti s WHERE organic materials in rock ar are are transformed into oil at the Rifle oil all shale plant o operated operated op op- crated by the government This retort h has a s handled as I much as tons of shale per day recovering gallons of oil aU from that tonnage into the top of the retort and ad atla ada tl a certain l level la is subjected to a heat of degrees with proper mixtures of air andas and gas as so that the inorganic material in the rock is transformed into a mist that rises and is carried away in a large pipe to another section of the pant plant which removes unwanted materials such as nitrogen nitrogen nitrogen nit nit- rogen and sulphur As the mist cools jart part of it liquid ol oi an and is carried to storage tanks Part of it is gas and is returned to the retort t to burn in the cham cham- ber Guthrie comments that It is feasIble feasible feasible feas feas- ible to erect a privately-owned privately plant at the Rifle nine site turning out 2 per cent of the nations nation's oil oil au and such a plant would produce gas as a byproduct in sufficient quantities to generate billion kilowatts of electrical energy Seme Some shale In Colorado averages aver aver- ages about 15 gallons of oil to the tha theton theton ton and would provide about billion barrels of oil This particular lar shale has not yet been mined Other shale like that now being mined at Rifle can produce 30 gallons of oil all per ton and has hasa hasI I a reserve of billion bUllon barrels d of oil I |