WSP10521 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

0"201 ~..WRW washn x x x said ''-' The-task force report underscores how important constraints will - be in determining the scope of oil shale development. There is plenty of resource for development--nearly 1.8 trillion barrels of oil equi- valent in the oil shale-bearing Green River Formation in the three states. Colorado has B4 percent of the known high-grade reserves-25 , gallons or more per ton--t1tah has 10 percent and Wyoming 6 percent. Colorado has the smallest amount of oil shale acreage but the richest ,deposits. But it has the smallest amount of water available for oil shale development. according to the repo~t.l 1 . Colorado pa~t1cu ar y 1n , , If oil shale development were to be accelerated,/new reservoir storage would have to be built, particularly along the White River and also along the YiUnpa River, both tribUtaries of the Colorado River, the report said. Ground water under the Piceance Creek Basin would on- ly be adequate until years 1980-1987, it stated. If oil shale develop- ment is to be accelerated over its current pace, new impoundments must be constructed and operating by the early 1980'.8. Notably, this in- cludes the N.est Divide (along the mainste~ of the Colorado River), yel- . :1. :-,:: '::. . : "0 ~~. .-".. ;.~ '.. . "',- . '. '. - . low Jacket and yampa River reservoirs (on the White and yampa Rivers) among others. These new impoundments will take from 5-7 years each to ~.......~....:,.;:'i,).'."';_"4 ",:~:,"'\:'. . ....:0.... ~.'..... '0' .....'~ .~.... '," construct after they (yellow Jacket and yampa River) are authorized and funding obtained. THUS ANY DECISION REACHED TO ACCELERATE OIL S~ DEVELOPMENT MUST AISO CARRY WITH IT AN lMPLICI'1' COMMITMENT FOR DAM corm S'l'RUC'1'ION. Cons~~c:~io_~ sh"o.uld be9::i,~, a.!>out_1975_ if these reservoirs are to be available in the early 1980's, II the report emphasized. As a practical matter this is not likely to happen, for a number of reasons, the task force. report noted. The yellow Jacket and yampa projects are only in the tJanning stage. The West Divide project is authorized but not under construction. The three projects could in sum provide up to 277,000 acre-feet of water for oil shale development if constructed. One or more may never be built because statistically Colo- rado has only ,:167 ~()OO:lacre-feet of water remaining which is uncoitunitted under the law of the Colorado River (compacts and Mexican Water Treaty).' the report pointed out. Furthermore, the 155,000 acre-feet of water Which might be available through the Green Mountain Reservoir, Ruedi ~ '" -, .. , . ,,'