Show Gov Rampton Asks Asks- For Nuclear Reactor Oil Shale St Study Y Governor Calvin L L. Rampton has asked asked ask ask- ed the Atomic Energy Commission to evaluate a a. proposed nuclear reactor method of extracting petroleum from oil shale THE PROCESS as explained by Clarence Justheim Salt Lake City soil man would utilize a reactor similar to that which powers submarines It would generate heat at temperatures temperatures temper temper- varying four to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit to fracture the underground oil shale cause cause ause it to crack r and form crevices and purify the oil vapor which would be conveyed to the surface THIS THIS' METHOD varies varies' greatly from the atomic A blast system which has been tried with not too much success Mr Justheim said Governor sent his request for an evaluation of Mr Justheim's method to W. W B B. B McCook secretary sec Washington Washington- D. D C THE GOVERNOR GOVERN R enclosed a a. a patent a-patent patent application prepared by Mr Justheim i ia a summary of f the process written by Mr Justheim and a letter fr from m. m Dr Ralph S S. S Cooper of the Los Alamos New Mexico Proving Ground Governor Rampton explained that Utah Colorado and Wyoming have vast quantities of oil shale Because it is beneath a heavy overburden of other rock no commercial method has yet been developed for or extra extracting the oilIN oilIN oil IN VIEW of the great importance to our country of developing our internal inter nal resources for for petroleum petroleum production I would be deeply appreciative If you would consider these documents and so far as possible make an evaluation of the feasibility of the Justheim proposal proposal pro pro- the governor continued If the feels that the Justheim proposal warrants further action there are substantial producers that would be pleased to cooperate with ith the in research on on- this vital problem Governor Rampton Hampton concluded |