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I! . 'hrl I I . !i-.:t!.1I:~ ."., 4018 W ATF.R REQUiREMENTS FOR OIL SHALE, 1960-75 A study for the Colorado Water Conservation Board by Cameron & Jones, lne., engineers-consultants, Denver, Colo., July 1959 SUMMARY Most authorities agree that shale oil will be needed in the fairly near future to supplement domestic petrolemn. The prineipal deposits of oil shale in t,he United States are in westem Colorado and the water use" by the industry will be taken from t,he Colorado River and its tributaries. It is of vital importa,n"" that the development of an ade- qllate water supply system for an oil shale industry not be negleeted. The purpose of t.his stud~ is to determine the water needs of It shale oil industry in the United States from its inception through the init.ial period of grow(,h. This report also attempts to est>lb!Jsh approxi- mately when commercial shale oil production will begin and the rate at which it will grow thus providing a t.imetable fot, planning adequate water supplies for the industry. Prod1tction Sch"dule Shale oil production in the United States is expeeted to begill dur- ing (,he pCl~od 1960-65 and increase steadily to about 1,250,000 barrels per day by 1975. Est.imates of oil demand and the sources from which we will obtain our supply for the pel~od 1960-75 are given in the tabulation below. U.S. oil d-emand and 8u-pply [MlIlions or hllrr{'l~ d.lil~'l 19M 1965 1970 1975 --- --- -- -- VCm611d..___________________________________..________ 10.11 12.11 B.ll 16 0 Dome.stlc productlOn.____.. _ _d__ --- ---------.---- 8. ~ 9. 2 9.4 , 8 ~~~~r~ks_~~~~~~~~._~~~~: ~~==_: ~~~=_ _:~~ = _==== :_=__: ::: L 2 8 4. , 6.0 --.--.-.--.- ."" 15 1.25 The expansion of shale oil production should eontinue after 1975, ultimately reaelling seyeral million barrels per day. It must not be implied t.hat 1,250,000 barrels per day is the maximum produc.tion rate the industry will aUaill. Witer requ.i-re-ment8 Wyater requirements for shale oil production will be slllall until 1970, but will reach about 2[00,000 acre-feet per year by 1975. The tabulation below preseni;s estimated water usage at.tributable to shale oil production, includH'fg nlunicipal use. A recommended minimum firm water supply eap16ility for shale through lU75 also is given. 71 \'