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Show Tar Sands Drilling Study Approved by Mines Bureau The Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey has received re-ceived a grant of $77,200 from the U.S. Bureau of Mines to conduct informational informa-tional core drilling in five of Utah's tar sands deposits. Total cost of the program is expected to approach $til 250 with the Survey contributing contri-buting the balance of the funds. Tentative plans call for 20 shallow core holes located on known tar sand deposits in Uintah County, northeast Ut.ah. Drilling will be located locat-ed to provide the maximum amount of inbrmation useful use-ful in scientific and economic evaluation of the deposits as petroleum sources to supplement supple-ment the nation's dwindling reserves. Mapping, sampling and analytical an-alytical work of the Utah Geological Survey indicates that Utah's 50 tar sand deposits de-posits contain between 20 and 25 billion barrels of oil in place. About 90 to 95 percent of the U.S. reserve of eil contained in tar. sands. Ab- s out half of Utah's tar sand resources are in the Uintah Basin. The oil in these northeast north-east Utah deposits, contain little sulfur, a factor which makes them particularly attractive at-tractive for potential econ. omic development. The field portion ef the ( program is expected to be complete in late 1972 with final work scheduled by mid-1973. mid-1973. Principal investigator is Howard R. Ritzma, Petroleum Pet-roleum Geologist, Utah Geological Geo-logical Survey. |