Show Synthetic Oil Possibilities Slow to Develop Although the National Petroleum Council Council Council Coun Coun- cil estimates that synthetic oil sources will be providing less than one per cent of U. U S S. S energy requirements by 1985 in the future they could become important import import- ant new sources of energy Just what are the possibilities ahead for synthetic fuels OIL SHALE contains an organic material material material ma ma- called which when heated heated heated heat heat- ed to temperatures between and 1000 degrees Fahrenheit releases vapors that eventually can be refined into petroleum petroleum petroleum pe pe- pe- pe products Although oil shale occurs over widespread widespread wide wide- spread areas of the United States Stales there are snags According to the current is issue issue issue is- is sue of Petroleum Today l tONE ONE ONE AND one-half one tons of rock must be processed for each barrel of oil produced which will of course create environmental problems To 2 produce one million barrels of oil a day from shale an investment of about 5 billion would be necessary according according ac ae ac- ac cording to a National Petroleum Council Council Council Coun Coun- cil estimate However this oil would be partially refined and thus command a premium price close to 4 a barrel compared compared compared com com- pared to the current average crude price of a barrel The 3 Federal government has been slow in granting attractive lease terms for shale oil development and 80 per percent percent percent cent of this oil shale is located on federal federal fed fed- eral lands U. U S. S TAR sand deposits arc smaller than and inferior to the Athabasca deposit deposit deposit de de- de- de posit in Canada and a tar sands plant in Athabasca has not yet proved commercially com com- viable Some 85 to 90 percent of tar sands reserves are too deep to lo be mined and so far prohibitive costs limit the contribution contribution contribution con- con these sands can make to our energy picture in the near future A BUREAU of Mines experimental process converts organic wastes gar bage gar trash animal into manure nonpolluting nonpolluting non- non polluting synthetic sulfur low-sulfur oil A recent recent recent re re- re- re cent demonstration indicated that about one barrel of sulfur low-sulfur fuel oil can be produced economically from one ton of municipal waste But this concept can 1 nave ave only a minor min mm- or impact on our energy situation according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to lo Petroleum Today Even if all municipal waste were converted at this ratio ralio it il would supply our petroleum needs for less than two weeks Organic waste conversion has yet to prove it itself itself itself it- it self on a commercial scale and much more research is needed IN FACT more research seems to be needed in the entire synthetic fuel area Technology may yet provide the ans answers but for the rest of this decade at least synthetic fuels as major energy energy energy ener ener- gy sources can appear only as intriguing intriguing ing possibilities |