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Show Colony profec tfo provide work oree o 3,325 in 198 (Special to the Vernal KxpreMi) Hy Helena C. Monberg Washington-The Colony oil shale project in Garfield County, Colo., on which the Administration approved a $1.1 billion loan guarantee on Aug. 5, provides for a work force peaking at 3:125 in June of 19H4, according to a timetable filed with the Department of Energy (DOE). It also includes provision for a 7,100-unit 7,100-unit new town in Garfield County to be known as Battlement Mesa, from which the operating personnel will commute to work on the Colony complex in the county. "When completed in 1985, Colony project will be the first full commercial oil shale plant in the country," Tosco announced after the loan guaarantee for most of its share of the Colony project was approved by Energy Secretary James Edwards on Aug. 5. "It will produce 48,000 barrels per day of hydrotrealed shale oil, a premium source of transportation fuels," Tosco stated. Tosco has agreed to sell to the Defense Department 10,000 barrels of jet fuel and diesel fuel oil a day under the contract that gave Tosco its $1.1 billion loan guarantee. The Colony complex is estimated to cost $3.4 billion. Exxon Corp., the other partner in the Colony oil shale venture, will put up 60 percent of the cost, and Tosco the remaining 40 percent. The federal loan guarantee covers 75 percent of Tosco's share. Exxon will be the plant manager, but it is not involved in the loan guarantee in any way. The Colony project is expected to take five years to build. This includes the mine, a retort, processing plants to produce premium syncrude oil and other products and other facilities. "The hydrotreated shale oil will be pipelined south to a common carrier pipeline connection in Utah and thence to the Gulf Coast and South Central region," the Tosco information on the project filed with DOE stated. An alternative route under consideration for thesyn-crude production in Western Colorado "is pipelining north to Wyoming for common carrier pipeline shipment to Rocky Mountain and upper Midwest refineries," it said. Because of the size of the project-Tosco project-Tosco claims it will be larger than a 50,000-barrel-a-day oil shale Union Oil project also in Garfield County "Manpower requirements for the construction and operation on the Colony project will be substantial. Total employment associated with the project will peak at 3,325 persons in June of 1984. The permanent operational work force for mine and plant facilities will number 1,205 persons thruout the project life," which is estimated at 20 years, Tosco told DOE. "The Colony project is committed to draw as many workers as possible from regional and statewide labor pools," it said. It cited Colorado statistics which indicated some 25,000 persons were looking for work in Colorado in 1979, all skilled in various types of construction needed at the Colony project. There were 2000 in Garfield County alone, it said. The work force will be split, with a portion working on building the mine, retorting facility, upgrading facility and pipeline to connect with interstate lines, and a portion w orking on the new Battlement Mesa community. Tosco said in a press release dated Aug. 5 the new community would provide housing for "20,000-25,000-more than twice the total population directly and indirectly attributable to the Colony project, as well as schools, shops, community service centers, police and fire protection and other municipal services and facilities." So , the community will rut be just a company town. As a model community, it is expected to attrack others, including in-cluding retirees, sponsors said. |