Show Renewed Rene Inter Interest st it in Asphalt Ridge Sparked Sparl by Interior or Decision The fhe possible development of Asphalt Ridge was in the headlines again this week It was reported that the I Dept of the Interior shortly is expected to throw open for forI competitive bid thousands of I acres of rock asphalt deposits and some gilsonite in the thet t I state MEANWHILE about all of the State of Utah lands cover cover- fag ing such deposits have been filed upon some of them at at- at I Ithe tracing major oil companies Utah contains the only ma- ma major major jor rock asphalt and commer- commer commercial commercial cial gilsonite deposits In the nation While none of this information tion is new successful opera opera- operation tion of a pilot plant at Atha Atha- basks baska tar sands reserve in Alberta Canada have renew renew- renewed renew renew- renewed ed interest in the utah depos- depos deposits deposits its AMONG MAJOR holders of Utah leases of these depos- depos deposits deposits its are John Osmond of Devon Development Co who has acres under lease including Including ing Asphalt Ridge and land located at Sunnyside Carbon County Mr Osmond describes his holdings as a long range in- in investment investment vestment in the future of rock asphalt as a source of petrol petrol- petroleum petroleum eum products Shell Oil Co is credited in inthe the Industry with plans for an experiment In in situ or in place combustion Under this plan holes will be drilled into the deposit the n ignited ignited ed creating a wall of name flame which would melt the tars making them available for pumping to the surface somo PETROLEUM Co an affiliate of Standard Oil Co of Ohio continues In pos pos- possession possession session of the bulk of Asphalt Ridge near Vernal In recent years has completed extensive surveys at the Ridge on which it holds patented mining claims The film also conducted a series of extraction tests There has been no indication of plans for commercial development however Others with rock asphalt holdings in the Uintah Basin are Husky Co Cody Wyo and Consolidated Pacific Pacific ic Inc Salt Lake City Firms interested in state leases on rock asphalt include Standard on Oil Co of Califor- Califor California nia CIties Service and Amer Amer- Amerada ads ada Petroleum THE US BUREAU of Land Management In Salt Lake has received applications for lease of asphalt or gilsonite Apparently the applicants be- be believed believed that the US was issuing ing a non competitive lease under a recent Act of Con Con- Congress gress opening asphalt and gil- gil gilsonite for lease However in actual fact the Dept of Interior has decided to place the lands up for seal seal- sealed sealed ed competitive bid The Basin lands cannot be offered for lease bid until someone In Washington deter deter- determines determines mines that t a 1930 oil shale withdrawal be modified to permit this type of leasing THE WITHDRAWAL WITHDRAW AL al- al already already ready had been modified to accommodate oU oil and gas le leas leas- leasing s- s sing ing in the Basin A spokesman said that American Co was Interested in the gUson glison- ire ite leases |