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<br />36 3983 <br /> <br />RUEDI DAM AND RESERVOIR, COLO. <br /> <br />has not kept pace with demand during the past deeade. It is predieted <br />in the Cameron & Jones report that domestic produetion of petroleum <br />will continue to increase until the period 1965 to 1970 and then will <br />begin a g-rad ual decline. It is stated in the report that the reason for <br />tills declme will not neeessarily be tJmt the industry cannot locate new <br />Sources of petroleum but rather that. the eost of oil from alternative <br />sourees, such as oil shale, will be less than the cost of locating and <br />prodllcincr petroleum from new sources. <br />The widening gap between demand and petroleum production in <br />the United States has been filled with imports from foreign SOllrce8. <br />It is stated in the Cameron & Jones report that this practice can <br />probably be followed through 1965 without the nation beeoming oved;y <br />dependent upon oversea oil. It was eoncluded t.hat the 1960-65 period <br />would be a logical time for initial eommercial development of the oil <br />shale industry. <br />De,'elopment of the oil shale industry is expeeted to proceed in <br />t.he following four distinct phases: phase I, experimental; phase II, <br />protot.):t'e; phase III, primary expansion; phase IV, secondary <br />expansIOn. <br />The experimental phase started about. 15 years ago and is now in <br />its final stages. Durmg this period methods have been developed for <br />each step in t.he productIOn of shale fucls. <br />The prototype phase would invol\'e the first commercial develop- <br />ment. of an oil shale industry which would probably be located 111 <br />the Grand Valley-De Beque area.. The objeet.ive of the prototype <br />phase would not be t.o produce large quantities of oil, but to firmly <br />establish t.he technology and economies of shale fuels before making <br />the large capital investments required for shale oil to contributo <br />significantly to o,'erall oil supply. Existing refineries, oil transporta- <br />tion faeilities, and local labor would probably be utilized insofar <br />as possible during this phase. <br />After operation of the prototype development for a sufficient period <br />to demonstrate the soundness of initially adopted mining and retort- <br />ing methods or to make improvements in the methods, it is antici. <br />pated that. the oil shale industry would be expanded. Refining fa- <br />"ilities would be established in the local area, additional pipeline <br />facilities for trnnsporting- oil would be constructed, and means of <br />processing and utilizing the shale oil byproduets would be developed. <br />The primary expansion would probably occur during the 1965-1970 <br />period and would be located along the Colorado River between Rifle <br />and De Beque and in the Parachnte and Roan Creek areas. <br />The growth of the oil shale industry following the primary ex- <br />pansion period would he rapid. In t.he Cameron & .Tones report. it <br />was estimated that by 107:) shale oil production would reach 1,250,000 <br />barrels per day and that a local population inerease of 340,000 would <br />be sllpported by the oil shale developmeut and related industries. <br />About 80 percent of the shale oil production wOllld be from the area <br />along t.he Colorado River between the Rifle and De Reque and in <br />t.he adjacent Parachute and Roan Creek area~. The remaining 20 <br />pe.rcent of t.he production would be from the Piceance Creek area to <br />the nort.h and from northeastern Utah. Ammonia and sulfur would <br />probably be the principal byproduets. <br /> <br />--I <br />