Long-range resource utilization of NOSR 1: mining options analysis. Naval Oil Shale Reserves Management Support and Systems Engineering Project

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5124175

For the long-range utilization of the NOSR 1 resource, two production rates are being evaluated: 50,000-bpcd (barrels per calendar day) rate was assumed because it is the minimum production generally accepted by industry for commercialization of oil shale and other synfuels; the 200,000-bpcd upper limit for production is posed by the NOSR 1 resource to sustain production over a planned 25-year life. The identification and preliminary screening of the options are based on engineering studies, photogeologic studies of geologic hazards on NOSR 1 which may affect plant/mining disposal siting, and soil and site investigations of soil cover, bedrock weathering, valley fill, and other parameters impacting on civil engineering considerations. The major components identified for the development options are mine access sites, mine access methods, mining plans, surface plant site locations, spent shale disposal sites, and conveying methods from mine to coarse ore storage. Based on an analysis of these components, it has been determined that production rates of 50,000 bpcd and 200,000 bpcd can be achieved with current technology. It may be possible to use 80% of the space created by underground room-and-pillar mining for subsurface spent shale disposal (52% of the spent shale may be disposed of underground). The remaining 48% of the spent shale (800 million cubic yards) generated will have to be disposed in canyons on NOSR 1. This initial study has evaluated all of the options relative to the development components (mining, access, disposal, plant site, etc.), evaluated development strategies, and discussed the merits/demerits of each.

• Research Organization: TRW Energy Systems Planning Div., McLean, VA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC01-78RA32012
• OSTI ID: 5124175
• Report Number(s): DOE/RA/32012-T12; ON: DE84006905
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040100* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Reserves & Exploration-- (-1989)
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MANAGEMENT
MINERAL OILS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINING
NAVAL OIL SHALE RESERVES
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALE MINING
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PRODUCTION
RESERVES
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
SHALE OIL
SPENT SHALES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT