Show Core Testing Underway For Oil Shale Nuclear Site The possible site of a nuclear detonation detonation deton deton- to extract oil from shale is being core tested ted eight miles southeast of Vernal Ver Ver- nal Cores have been cut cui and recovered from Western Oil 01 Shale Corps 1 l-EX l EX j c core r nole T in Sc Ci Con rn 36 g Township ow owns ij 9 9 South Range 23 East THIS IS the first attempt to obtain an extensive and complete core of Uinta Basin rock shale according to Howard Ultima petroleum geologist Utah Geological Geo logical Survey The purpose of the core is to obtain complete data on the richness and thickness thickness thickness thick ness ness' of the oil shale he explained Coring also tests the sites site's suitability for underground recovery of oil from shale by using a smaller nuclear device ITS POSSIBLE that the present core hole could be used as the emplacement hold for such a test at some future date he added With the first phase completed cores have been recovered from 1767 to 1911 feet below the surface present total depth of the hole Additional thousand feet will be cut COMPLETE cores will be shipped to the US U.S. Bureau of Mines at Laramie Wyoming for oil content oil asay Mr Ritz ma noted that cores appear to contain low moderate low o moderate oil 01 shale grades oil shale be better bet But low low grade grade may a ter production source with present technology technology tech tech- Oil Shale's nolo Their Western theory is that formations of that type would make a better better- fracturing system from a nuclear e said Paul Burchell Bur Bur- chell geologist Utah Oil OU and Gas Conservation Conservation Con Con- Commission i IN IN THAT Part Of the country shale IS is stringy it has a higher sequence sequence se se- quence of non shale non shale strata sirata mixed with the shale In comparison he noted the of the Basin in northwestern Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado probably are a richer with fewer non shale non strata strati But because detonation wouldn't fracture the rock as much a alow alow alow low grade stringy shale would offer more recoverable oil according to Western West West- ern era Oil Shale thinking CORING IS being directed by Christensen Christensen Christen Christen- sen Diamond pore core Company of Salt Lake City and Vernal Corp Las Vegas is supervising drilling And scientists from from several federal feder l agencies are are observing tile the tests to obtain information information inform inform- on gr ground und water and other geologic conditions A complete set of cores also will be given n to the Utah Geological Survey for permanent stor storage gein in its core sample core and sample lands The Utah Division of State Lands assembled sizable blocks of acreage in what is considered the thickest and richest rich rich- est eat oil oil bearing shale in in the Uinta Basin Most acreage was obtained through federal agencies by exchanging state lands lands' in or near federal reservations national parks and monuments Yn j ti 6 4 yC 4 v a r raL i 5 l i r-k r 4 f iv epy rl t J tf f Jt t. t t r f t MEMBERS RS OF THE VERNAL proudly display numbers representing the mil milestone st rie of the Federation From left to right are Amy Lube tube Vella Smith La LaRena Rena Abplanalp Kay Gotfredson Maryetta Marye ta Wardle and arid M Myrtle Nealson |