Show Tar Tor sands may become new asphalt source Tar sand deposits in the Asphalt Ridge area near Vernal appear competitive with crude oil as an asphalt source for use usein usein usein in highway resurfacing University of Utah scientists report Certain technological recovery problems remain to be solved but results to date are encouraging the State Board of Oil Gas and Mining was told in a written report by the College of Mines and Mineral Industries College of Engineering and the Utah Engineering Experiment Station TilE THE BOARD is funding several research projects by U scientists and engineers on the development of Utah coal tar sands and oil shale The feasibility of tar sands as asa asa asa a much needed asphalt source was contained in a first phase report to state officials The second phase will investigate the commercial potential of Utah tar sands as petrochemical Dr Alex Distinguished Professor of Metallurgy J and Fuels Fuel Engineering heads the tar sands research effort at the U. U The board was told the tar sands deposits of Utah represent a sizable energy resource for the state and the nation but commercial development will require new technology and more favorable economic factors TilE THE REPORT also estimates Utah's coal reserves at 25 billion short tons However it warns that only four percent of the states state's massive coal reserves can be mined by current technology j jU U scientists emphasized that coal recovery technology needs to be greatly improved in order to maximize Utah's coal potential as a contributor to US U.S. energy needs They told state officials the solution mining of one coal of the Us U's research efforts efforts- represents a potential breakthrough in mining technology that will greatly improve coal recovery and thus prolong the useful life of existing coal deposits Results of the U research substantiate the solution mining concept the report adds but continuing research is required to make such an undertaking undertaking undertaking un un- economically at at- A rl THIRD important phase of the U research effort deals with the yield and quality of oil shale and notes that Utah Colorado and Wyoming have the thickest and most economically attractive attractive at at- deposits The area where oil shale development is most likely to take place comprises a 1200 square mile area in the southeastern part of the Uintah Basin Work will continue through 1977 according to the U report to determine the effects of using as solvents liquids extracted from oil shale |