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Show Uncertainties Stall Oil Shale; Future Still Bright As some wag put it: Oil shale has a bright future and will continue to have a bright future. Indeed, oil shale was considering a bright future right after World War I, when the nation contemplated dwindling oil supplies. But then came major discoveries of new crude in Texas. When the Arab-OPEembargo hit in 1973, it appeared oil shale was due for another bright future as an alternative source of fuel. Utahns and others licked their chops in contemplation of the royalties that would be derived from the vast stores of oil shale in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. None Produced Now, nearly four years later, not a drop of petroleum from oil shale has been pumped at any service station, delivered to any home for fuel or pumped into any generating station. Whats happened and what will happen? Howard R. Ritzma, oil shale specialist with the Utah Geological and Mineral Survey, sees it this way: While oil shale activity in 1977 will continue at a modest and cautious pace, the uncertainties of national and international politics and economics and the unpredictable twists and turns of environmental policy, make it nearly impossible to predict what may lie ahead for 1978 and beyond. Millions Committed In 1973, in the middle of the embargo, the federal oil shale protoype leasing program was launched. Private companies commit ted millions of dollars to a program which was to have led to commercial production by the late 1970s or early 1980s. Yet by 1976, the optimism, the expansive plans and bustling activity had ebbed to what could be called winding down," wait and see, housekeeping chores, low profile and strategic retreat. By early 1976 the companies in the federal oil shale prototype leasing program had concluded that going ahead in face of the multiple obstacles facing commercial development was an unacceptable risk. During the year the companies completed detailed development plans, submitted them to the federal Area Oil Shale Supervisors, then asked for a years suspension of lease performance. With approval of the suspension, prototype programs ground to a near halt, except for some enviromental work and planning. Dependency Grows In the meantime, the nations dependency on foreign oil was even greater than three years earlier. The two Utah tracts Ua and Ub were being developed by the White River Shale Oil Project. White River is a joint venture of Phillips Petroleum Co. Sohio Petroleum and Sunco Energy Development Co. In a recent position paper, White River pointed up the problems now facing oil shale developers: Vastly increased capital pristine air on the undeveloped tracts. One oil shale expert summed up the whole issue neatly: What the oil shale industry needs is Men to Match Our Mountains of Paper Work. Inadequately tested technology Unrealistic requirements of the Federal Clean Air Act which, in some cases, demand cleaner air than the f ill III - - r-v lYd 13 'rtftfigVit-.f- i i A 1 'I 4 j g jju, Mga vi'ur lift tSOjOOXA uMH' TS . it'll!, t-in ' fixg 1 iri.-- r .Kittdnu s? if- n .... ; MfitJy xim. Bia 'OGDEN rNEdlDENTURuCLINICl MEMBER OFJHE 00 GCl Natiwal Dtnturists AssocYlT MM OQ3)3CHij0CD(lOQ00 Utah Seeks New Air Service Continued From Page 16 route negotiations, there are markets for which improved service is much needed. Combined Interests The Utah Agenices, which represents combined interests of the state and Salt Lake City, owner of the Salt Lake City International Airport. Its chairman has been Fred S. Ball, executive vice president of the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Com- merce. The Agencies has been advocating: Improved service to Portland, Phoenix, Albuquerque, St. Louis, Kansas City and Washington, D C. Non-stoauthority for United Air Lines between Seattle-Tacom- a and the Orient, which would give Salt Lake City single carrier for the first time on North Pacific great circle route to the Onent. Much Accomplished Within the past year, the Agencies has already accomplished much p 1977 Hughes Airwest reinsti-tutecompetitive service to Los Angeles, after leaving the route as a April monopoly of Western Airlines This summer United Air Lines will begin a service to Cleveland circumstance that will provide excellent gateway connections to such as Boston, Hartford and Pittsburgh as well as additional single plane sence to Rochester and Philadelphia. This summer Frontier iall Airlines, for the first time, will begin service to lie Dallas-For- t Worth, now Salt Lake City's 12th largest ; market. W'estem Airlines this summer will resume non- stop service to San Diego, Salt Lake Citys 11th largest market. American Airlines has started single carrier service between Salt Lake City and Montreal with a stop and plane change in Chicago. now Currently the CAB is studying need for service between Denver and the key southeast points of Atlanta and Miami. Hope is that the CAB will decide before the end of April. Although Salt Lake City p service, a decision could mean single plane service to Atlanta or Miami, or both. will not get non-sto- Salt Lake City also might end up with single plane service to Oklahoma City and Tulsa. By summer, Salt City will have daily non-sto- p Lake round-tri- p service with at cities as well as daily arrivals from at least two others. least 34 non-sto- p CELEBRATING d non-sto- 17, non-sto- Lake non-sto- p p YEARS IN UTAH More and more individual operators and fleet owners are shopping, evaluating, and Trucks We, the buying GMC Heavy-Dut- y Truck people from General Motors, would like to have on opportunity to quote our truck on your next purchase Throughout two decades we've enjoyed continued growth and service in the Salt Lake Detroit, Cummins, and Cat engines ore available Whether your needs require a truck from a conventional to the Valley. Beginning in 1956 as a pioneer in the State's missile and aerospace development. And today, as a major economic force in computer technology and manufacturing. we believe that our deal, General, including the allowance for your trade, will be very attractive to you Our sales are olso backed up by around the clock service and parts availability When you are ready to moke your next truck purchase, we would appreciate the opportunity to serve you p I V m J |