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<br /> <br /> or more commercial-sized retorts, retort clusters and attendant equipment <br /> to operate them. This will permit the processing of a thick section of <br /> high-grade oil shale, establish the environmental monitoring procedures, <br /> obtain operating experience, and provide a site for the training of mine <br />and processing personnel. <br /> <br /> Later, as the main shafts and other full-scale plant units be- <br />' come available, this ancillary facility will be incorporated into the <br /> full-scale facility. <br />' C. Full-Scale Modified In Situ Plant and Operations <br /> The construction period of the full-scale commercial facility <br /> will begin with shaft sinking in September 1977 and end September 1982 <br /> when the first cluster within the commercial panel is kindled. From this <br /> time on mining will no longer be a preproduction activity as part of the <br /> construction program; it will then become a production operation. As <br /> more clusters are brought on-line production will increase and full-capacity <br /> production (57,000 bbl/day) will be achieved in about 12 mont}is, or by <br /> September 1983. <br /> Within the 5-year construction period, the ancillary retort <br /> facilities will be developed for processing shale oil. These facilities <br /> will use the shafts and some increments of the full-scale oil/gas processing <br /> units for their operations. <br /> After key development drifts are driven at all levels, the <br /> principal work of retort preparation will begin in May 1981 and continue <br /> to September 1982. The construction of the major oil/gas processing <br /> units and general facilities will occur between Sanuary 1981 and <br /> September 1982. <br /> <br /> Operations will continue from September 1982 to about the year <br /> 2040, when the resource interval will be exhausted. <br />' 1 <br />Descri <br />tion of Minin <br /> . <br />p <br />g <br /> Multiple levels of access are required for full-scale in <br />' situ retort development and operation. The upper-most provides access <br /> and acts as an air plenum for distribution of air supplied to the <br /> retorts. Retort levels penetrate the retorts below the air level to <br /> allow creation of voids required for rubbling. The production level is <br /> below the retort and is used for withdrawal of oil shale removed during <br /> development and creation of retort voids. It also allows gathering of <br /> the oil and water produced from the retorts. <br /> Immediately below the production level is the gas level, <br /> which contains the gas collecting drift through which the gaseous <br />products of combustion are collected and carried to the gas shaft and <br /> then to the surface facilities for treatment. <br />-13- <br />