Show White River key to develop oil ail shale Winding its way through the heart of oil all shale country in southeastern Uintah County is a small muddy river which Is planned to playa key role In the develop develop- development development ment of oil shale in Uintah County In May of 1965 the State Division of Water Resources filed to appropriate feet acre from the White River and tributaries for the purpose of min min- mining ing drilling and retorting oil shale and other related energy projects Since that time the White River Dam has been proposed as the method to develop the waters of the White River Major on oil shale projects on line on-line line in the area of the White River are the White WhiteRiver WhiteRiver River Shale Project who are developing acres of oil shale on two tracts leased from the Tosco Corporation who plans to develop about acres of oil shale in their Sand Wash unit and who is planning over bar bar- barrel barrel rel a day project Although there therein Is wide variation in the amount of water required for cooling dust suppression and compaction of the processed shale each of these companies say their first choice of a water source for their projects Is from the White WhiteRiver WhiteRiver River The White te River Shale Corporation has estimated their requirement of about to feet acre per year at the barrel per day oil production level According to Robert Gilbert White WhiteRiver WhiteRiver River Shale local office the projects project's need for water out of the White River will escalate with each phase of the project During phase one about feet acre will be required during phase two about feet acre and phase three acre feet Presently the White River Shale Pro Pro- Project Project is in the beginning stages of phase one The production full stages of phase one will wUl be in 1988 to 1989 at which time the project will be producing bar bar- barrels barrels of shale oil a day The White River project t is pumping a small amount of water from the White River for its Initial construct construction on phase This week White River Corporation will wUl open bids on one of the largest shaft construction projects in the nation The bid includes the sinking of a foot 30 in diameter vertical shaft through mostly rock 1100 feet deep The shaft will be used for ventilation A diagonal shaft is also included in the project which will wUl be 25 feet wide by 15 feet high Almost directly across the White River from the federal tracts Ua and of the f White River Shale Project is the Ute project During phase one of the Ute Project is estimated to require 4 ot of water and it has applied to the state slate for 6 The construction portion of the Project would consume 2 to 3 of water is presently in negotiation Lion tion for federal loan guarantees which are to be secured before construction of the project begins officials ex- ex expect expect a decision on the loan guarantee by December this year which is presently pro pro- producing producing shale oil by an process which doesn't require water reports that they will need water for mining at another project site According to Jim Lekas project super super- supervisor supervisor visor visor their project could either tAke water from the White River or the Green River Tosco Corporation estimates they will need feet acre of water per year for commercial production from the White River Their Sand Wash unit is located about 10 miles downstream from the proposed White River Dam A key element in the development of the water In the White River is the con con- construction of an earthen dam across the White River last month the Division of Natural Resources and Energy announced a adelay adelay delay in the building schedules of the dam which will postpone construction for two years Despite the delay state officials dont don't doubt that the White River Dam will be built Reasons for the delay in the construction construction tion of the White Rivet River Dam are in various company schedules which have relieved the urgency in beginning the dam construction and now give the state more time to obtain per per- permits permits mits and resolve land acquisition said Temple A Reynold executive director of the Department of Natural Resources and Energy The state is negotiating with the Ute Indian Tribe for acres of land in the basin of the reservoir The state has pro pro- proposed proposed posed making the Tribe a partner in the project or having a cash settlement on the land The state has also to negotiate with private landowners near the White WhiteRiver WhiteRiver River Both the tribe and other proper proper- property ty owners have to be satisfied before con con- construction begins A according cording to Larry Anderson state slate Continued tin p on-p on page g 4 4 it I 31 I I j f 1 II tt K Co f 1 aTHE THI WHITE RIVER winds its way through the County providing the potential resource tor heart of shale country in southeastern Uintah development of the shale White River engIneers engIneer's office the Environmental Im- Im Impact pact Statement for the White River satisfactorily answered questions involving involving ing the loss of vegetation caused by the dam and its use for canoeists Anderson said the has indicated that with the two year two year delay they would have time to secure all the federal per per- permits permits mits required for tor the White River Dam The he dam will develop a reser- reser reservoir reservoir voir 11 miles long Iong with a capacity of ap- ap approximately approximately proximately feet acre of water r I Continued from page f 1 The project will yield approximately feet acre of water annually for consumptive use and generate 40 million kilowatt hours annually from a hydroelectric plant All oil shale companies say they will continue negotiating with the state for water from the White River No permits for the w water ter from the White River will willbe willbe be made available by the state until Projects downstream from the White WhiteRiver WhiteRiver River Dam will benefit from the constant o jows in the river provided by the dam Consistent flo flows s would be important to our project if if it used water from the White River said Jim Lekas Now the flows In the river depend on the weather As alternative sources of water in inc c cr water from the White River doesn't come available is from the Green River which would have to be piped from the White River Shale project some 30 miles but the dam is the alternative |