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<br />whether it can be ..ucce~siull\' scaled up iar a rom-
<br />mC'rcial-~ized proce~<,. Should the ii!> work oul, then
<br />some claim it is the besl hope ior a clean oil-shale
<br />industry in the iuture--although it will ha\e some
<br />pollution problems such as waste gases. Above.
<br />ground retorting usuall\" oHers higher oil yields, ac-
<br />cording to most induqrv <;ourn's, HO\H~\'t'r, these
<br />
<br />Chunks of mined shale must pass through crushers (above)
<br />before they can be fed mto retorts.
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<br />0./<&
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<br />processes all iace somp large pollution problems-in
<br />terms oi water and dir quality and waste dispo'tal-that
<br />in-situ processes, or t'ven a semi-in-situ process such
<br />as Occidental's might greatly avoid. And today such
<br />environmt'nlal hazards art' at the centt'r 01 a rapidlv-
<br />spreading debate mer the imp.1Cts 01 oil-shale de-
<br />velopment.
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<br />Underground caverns, rather than surface mmes. should
<br />make up most of the oil-shale operations. says industry.
<br />
<br />Oil Shale and Spinoffs
<br />
<br />The oil-shall' indu~try could produce more than
<br />oil. Throughout the shale areas of the ,\tountain
<br />\Vest, rich deposits at ..alint' miner"ls mingle with
<br />the kerogl.'n, le.lding some ({.searchers to wonder ii
<br />tht. minerab Olav not eventually be at more value
<br />than the shall' oil its('li. According to tht~ Interior
<br />Oept:~ impact statement, a single oil-shale plant,
<br />producing 35,000 barreb oi upgraded oil per dol\',
<br />could also yield 15 percent oi the nalion's need tor
<br />soda ash and 3 percent at the ndtion's need ior
<br />dlumina, Some observers ledr that unles.. these valu-
<br />able saline minerals art' developt'd along with oil
<br />shale, the~' will be lost tore\er.
<br />,\1ost \\ould-be shale de\'elopers do not plan to
<br />recover these saline minerals. Anording to Piorl-
<br />he-imer of Paraho. one recover.... problem is that "in
<br />most oi the shale deposits these rompounds are Iro-
<br />zen in very smdll concenlratlons, The deposits con-
<br />tain huge quantitie~ at these .,mall concentrations <,0
<br />you can \\ork up the iigures and come out with
<br />phenomenall\ large amounts. a... the Interior Ocpt.
<br />did, But it Olav not be practical or protitable to re-
<br />mme these compounds from spent ",hale. When \OU
<br />want to produce alumina or ..oda .hh, \OU go to \'('("\
<br />concentrat('d depo..ils." Othpr industr\ ..nurces point
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<br />out that while tht' <,dlim' mineral.. in the shale IT1dY be
<br />very valuable. "All proces<,es to produce these- along
<br />with the shalt> oil are in a very c\.perimental stage."
<br />Ammonia and suliur are more likely 10 be e.ul~'
<br />"pinons 01 nil-~hale development. The <,ultur concen-
<br />trations in the shale deposits nn Colon...'s private
<br />land, jor example, art' high enough ior recovery dS a
<br />b\product. And a Colon v t('chnical expNt, Bob
<br />Smith. s.1\'s: "Suliur must be recmerl."d to clean up
<br />our product. So \\-,p might d<, well "ell il." Another
<br />b\product ot shale-oil production \\ould bl." am-
<br />monia, the basis lor ipnilizt>f and mam other pro-
<br />ducts. Wilh ammonia tram shale oil, Piorzheimer
<br />painh oul. "Colorado would be in an idedl po"ition
<br />to gt.t its tenitiler I\\hich is in short 'Jupph' toda...),
<br />although the nepd io:, not great here."
<br />Spent shdle prest'nts another possible ..pinon tor
<br />the indu..tr\. "Some spent shale could be used tor
<br />iiller tor dO\ kind oi material, such a<, cement
<br />blocb,"savs Piorzhpimer_ He cautions. hO\\('\'N, that
<br />the use ot spent shale as tiller "would not even makt'
<br />a dent in the problem 01 o:,pent-sh.,I(' disposal. But:'
<br />he adds, "e\er\ bit 01 spino" lhat we can get will
<br />help and \\e are looking lor these opportunitips."
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