Show Hearings On Oil Status s Sen Frank FrankE E.- E. Moss Utah D-Utah has asked Sen Ern Ernest es Gruening Gruen- Gruen ing Alaska D-Alaska to to schedule hearings oil on on the status status' of oil shale developments in the three Western states of Utah Colorado Colorado Colorado Color Color- ado and Wyoming Sen Gruening Gruening Gruen- Gruen ing ng is chairman of the Minerals Minerals Miner Miner- als als Materials and Fuels Subcommittee Subcommittee Subcommittee Sub Sub- committee of the Senate Interior Interior Inter Inter- lor Committee Sen Moss is a subcommittee member N HIS request Sen Moss cited the apparent indecision now exis existing ng as t to what should be done about bout the tremendous oil shale reserves in Utah Wyoming Wyoming Wy Wy- oming and Colorado The Oil Oil Shale Advisory Commission Com Com- Commission mission submitted mission submitted an interim report t to Secretary Udall recently recently re re- which disclosed among other things that the six members members mem memo bers were divided as to what wha steps should be taken now on o research and development programs pro pro- grams SEN MOSS said it is estimated estimated estimated esti esti- mated at least billion barrels barrels' barrels barrels barrels' bar bar- of oil lie in sedimentary basins in the United States that can be recovered by methods used in the industry today We dont don't know how much of it can be produced economically but but bul if the fullest expectations of ol secondary recovery techniques are realized are realized there still will not nol be enough nough oil to support our economy through lUgh 1980 in the absence of new exploration 1 I believe the United States should move ahead in all fields of fuel production to insure that when our needs develop feasible and economical means of getting oil from shale deposits will be available said the Senator Sen Moss said in a letter to Chairman Gruening that the Congress must take an active interest in seeing that there will be enough fuel to support this country in the absence of imports should this situation arise SEN MOSS said earlier he believed some leases should be granted to private operators to conduct research and development development develop develop- men ment t on oil shale deposits to secure means by which the reserves reserves reserves re re- re- re serves can be recovered Utah stands in an excellent position since we have tremendous tremendous tre tre- deposits of oil shale in the Uintah Basin nasin and eastern eastern east east- ern Utah that are relatively close to the surface Sen Moss said |