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<br />3762 <br /> <br />WATER REQUIRE>rENTS FOR OIL SHALE, 1960--75 <br /> <br />A study for the Colorado Water Conservation Board by Cameron & <br />Jones, Inc., engineers-consultants, Denver, Colo., July 1959 <br /> <br />SU],LMARY <br /> <br />Most authorities agree that shale oil will be needed in the fairly near <br />future to supplement domestic petroleum. The principal deposits of <br />oil shale in the United States are in "estern Colorado ltnd the water <br />used by the industry will be taken from the Colorado River and its <br />tributaries. It is of vital importanee that the development of an ade- <br />quate wltter supply system for an oil shllle industry not be neglected. <br />The purpose of this stud~ is to determine the water needs of a shale <br />oil indnstry in the United States from its inception through the initial <br />period of growth. This report also attempts to estabhsh approxi- <br />mately when commercilll slutle oil production will begin and the rate <br />llt whICh it will gro" thus providing a timetable for planning adequllte <br />water supplies for the industry. <br /> <br />Production Schew.!e <br />Sha.!e oil production in the United States is expected to begin dur- <br />ing the period 1960--65 and increase steadily to about 1,250,000 barrels <br />per dllY by 1975. Estimates of oil demand and the sources from "hich <br />we will obtain our supply for the period 1960--75 are given in the <br />tabulation below. <br /> <br />u.s. oil dem{ltM and ~upplll <br />[;:"llIIlonsot btirT1'l.'l uilily] <br /> <br /> "OJ 100' 1970 llr,'15 <br /> --- --- -- -- <br />Demand. _ _ ___ ______._ __________. _ _ ____ ___ _ _ _ _ _.. _ _.. h 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 <br />Dom(',stlc production..." _. _ _ _ _ _______ ----------------- 8,3 9.2 9, . 8,8 <br />Import9, syntl1l?tJes, etc________._______________ L 7 2.9 ., , 6.0 <br />Bbllleoll..........________..___.___.....___d.________. -...-.------ .02' " 1.2:5 <br /> <br />The expansion of shale oil production should continue after 1975, <br />ultimately reaching several million barrels per day. It must not be <br />implied that 1,250,000 barrels per day is the maximum production I'llte <br />the industry will attain. <br /> <br />lVater req'ld1'e1nents <br />'Vater requirements for shale oil production "ill be small until <br />1970, but will r",ch about 250,000 acre-feet per yellr by 1975. The <br />tltbulation below presents estimated water usage attributable to shale <br />oil production, including municipal use. A recommended minimum <br />firm water supply capability for shale through 1975 also is given. <br />n <br /> <br />