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<br />138 ~ R. T. CHEW, III •
<br />Creek Alcmbcr, with the upper 10-20 (l n( the urculLcr
<br />16nlst smlthrast w'anI over the Inwrr part. •I•hr Rile}'
<br />Gulch slruclurc In•nds al rigLl angles ;u:ross ILc crest
<br />of ILr f_ry<lal Cna•k mdicli nc. \Villi;uu IS. Cashion u(
<br />the U.S. Crnlugicul Surt'c}' (oral cnumtmt„ 197;1) can
<br />siders Ihal Ilse thrusting ocrun ed during deposition n(
<br />the overt}ing Ihirk rhanncl sandstanr. of the Uinta For-
<br />maliun, which conlpresscd the underlying gelatinous marl
<br />61O11C.
<br />111'Ultl)Lf)Gl'
<br />•Ille 0X1' l:unl lies un the IopnF raphic edge of the
<br />Picranrc basin, and cxlr;n=ice aquifers similar to Ihosc
<br />in ihr. center of the 6as'm du nut urcur uu ILr, land.
<br />Two aquifers, huwcrrr. have hero idrntiGrd ou the 0X1'
<br />land. l-6e upper aqui(r.r urcurs al the base ul alluvium
<br />in stream valleys ou Ihr Uinta Furnlatinn :uul Parnchulc
<br />Crock AL•u+hcr of 1Lc Green trivet Fnrntalinn, l~6rougll-
<br />nut Ihr 0\Y laud Ihr rr:chargc arras (nr Ihcsc. local
<br />allucinl aquifers grorrall)' an: 1011 nc or Icss. Cunsr-
<br />rlumtll}', nll6uugh springs al Ihr ha=r n( the alluviwn
<br />flow ne much as t0 nwnths u( Ihr sear, the (low aL nn
<br />time uu:aslmrs uum• Ihau 11.25 gal/min, •I~he Uintn Fur
<br />motion undrrlg ing llu• ullnvium is lr:u+smissivc in onus
<br />arras, and ground water in Ihr alluvium sort the upper
<br />earl n( the Led rnrk is pndra6ly inlcramneclcd. 'Chic
<br />alluvial agni(rr is an ingrn rlanl sourer of wader (nr lives
<br />clock on 16r, I'a rar6ldn Crcrk-Roan Creek divide.
<br />I{rgionally, the upper 100 fl ..f the Parachute Crcrk
<br />Alrnd~rr is highly (rrrturrd. 'Chis rmr he seen on the
<br />nu(crop where, aLundanl brown irnnslaining nrcurs
<br />downward Iron a6nul 2110 (( ;t6oec the Alnhogant' Irdgr.
<br />'I'll is (rarllnr ;t tees rmrvlil ulrs au a~pli(rr 16at in sonm
<br />areas contains rousidrlablr, annuuus of water. Water
<br />levels measured rmtcurrrnlly tvit6 drilling in 6nles arms
<br />the 0X'1' pmprrl s, huw'rerr, indicate rather pant intrr-
<br />ruuurrlion bcncrrn the fraclurrs Lrcausr. the levels van
<br />Icy as nlhch as 5(1 ft. This fracture zone is far enough
<br />above the arc-hearing interval Ihat it has Im cQcct on
<br />mining.
<br />Iwdah•d (raclun•s occur in Ihr Alalmgany Irdgc, hul
<br />(etc Lace yielded w;nrr in the mining operations. Tu4
<br />beds Thal orrur throughout Ihr I'a rm'Im le Creek Alrmhrr
<br />arc Ira nsm issivr ;uuf tcrrp sncdl :un,+uuls of wain into
<br />the ~minr• mm kiu;;~. luuurdialrly' following heavy nin
<br />slnrnls :old during the spring Ihaw. water cnh•rs tlu•
<br />ruler 200 (I nl Ille mine, dri(I Illr~ugh (raclurrs, indicating
<br />Ihal, ahhmtgh (rachvrs in Ihr AlaLugmty Icdgr. arr open
<br />In Ihr riin, lhr.y arc nnl recharged nl any Feral distance
<br />(runt il.
<br />I{rgioual dip nn Ihr 0\}' properly is north al alrnul
<br />I ". hips ..R der. west (I;u~k u( Crest, 1 Cn•rk anticline arr.
<br />shout 1°-2° no116n'csl. The cumLiuation u( clips away
<br />from llw, ring and n(( the flanks of the anticline leave
<br />esscullally nn rtrLalge area fur any potential aquifers
<br />un llrc (}X1' property. Cnu~cgncutly, uo nmjnr ground-
<br />w.ucr prulrlrlils have been rncouulered during the research
<br />project.
<br />F.\'1'ItAI"I'It)N UI'Ii1G~'1•IONS
<br />Alining.-"The Occidental nil shale process cmisists of
<br />Uvu major phases, mining and relorling. The major
<br />purpose of the mining phase is In develop 15-20
<br />percent raid space. distributed as evenly as possible
<br />lhnmgh the slratigra phir, section In Lc rctortrd. "This is
<br />nccungdisLcd by mining n cnhnuc u( ruck equivalent to
<br />the eoid spm~e desired. Alining is dune iu ILe leaner
<br />6uriznns ..( the drprtil. Ilnles arc drilled up nod down
<br />into lhr area to he Iraclurnl mul arr. loaded wish ammonium
<br />nit tale.-furl nil Ihal is detonated hl (ragntrul Ibc rock into
<br />the mined eoid. Under production conditions, mining
<br />will Le dune iu panels aLuul 3,300 (I on aside, as shown
<br />ml Pigw~c 4. Whcrc. the sera w hr mined can Lc reached
<br />Gam ml outcrop, dri(Is will Lc drivl•n in al 2 ur 3 hnri-
<br />zuns. \['hen• Illy area mull 6r n:rdw.<l 6)' a sha(1, 2
<br />sha (IS will Lc used, an air slm(t 2~1 (t in dianlclcr and
<br />a prndurli,m sh;l (I 211 h in diameter. In either inslanrc,
<br />all (acilil its, power pl;mis. s6~gls. n0iccs, and su forth
<br />ran he nndrrF round lu rcdurc cnvirountenlal impact on
<br />Ihr, surfarr. •I~hc only sinuaulrs needed m+ the: surface
<br />would Lc a pu rk6lg Inl, an anuunnium nitrate-fllcl nil
<br />plant, and Ihr hen brad (rn mr=, if slw(IS arc used. The
<br />present entrance to the, research minx. is shnyvn on Figure 5.
<br />Rrprriin~. - The shape of Icpieal prod ucliun retorts is
<br />shown nu Figun• (+. In n•I+IrtinF. ihr lop of dtc ruLLle
<br />area crealrJ Ly Llasling is lu•:ded until cumbuslhm cont-
<br />ulenr;rs. (.a< is cin;uLucd ~Ihn+ugh the retort from lop
<br />In hnllolll. /\bnlll ,{0 pCl'r:Plil u( IIIC Fay IS rrc}'clcd hack
<br />In the lop n( Ihl•. retort and about 7(1 pe.rcenl is vented,
<br />to Lr. replaced tcilh an rgnivalcnl volwne of air to pro-
<br />vide n.xsFrn. Ahrr burning cnunueuces, a relorling (root
<br />is rsml~li~hrd ahead of Ihr flanlr Irnnl. herogcn in the
<br />marlstunc is Ihcrnurcrm'krrl al approximately 900°F, and
<br />the nil Onws dawn Ihruugh Ihr n16Llr. In the Lnllom of
<br />the n•lurl n'hrre it is rollrrled in a sump. Excess carbon
<br />remaining (root the ILrrnnrracking is cnnsu metl as fuel.
<br />Some Fas, inrludiuF ra rLon munn,lide, hvd rogrn, methane,
<br />t•16anr, and other IiF61 hvd ~ornrhons, is produrrd (ram
<br />Ihr shale during rrlnrtiuF. 'Che gas lakrn nut of the
<br />n•InrlinF ryrlr rnulains r~~adially nn oxygen. II is a low-
<br />Rlu furl Ibal is rxprlard in Le burned in turbines to
<br />prnsidr power (nr ILr entire operation. Excess power
<br />produced ran br, returned In Ihr Colorado distribution
<br />grid. Pn•sures used arr essentially alnusphcrir. at the
<br />bottom n( the rclnrt. t.as vrlnr.ily Ihrongh the retort is
<br />also ven~ Inw. Irss Ihan 1 II/sec. llle surface installation
<br />at the pilot plant is shown nn Figure. 7.
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