Economic issues in federal oil shale leasing policy alternatives

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1968 · Colo. Sch. Min. Q.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5593913

Mead, W J

Most of the natural resources in the U.S. are in public ownership and administered by the Federal Government. While the Federal Government is the landlord, it is not in the business of processing natural resources and making products from them. Rather it transfers natural resources to private industry for processing. For oil and oil shale on a known geological structure, the Mineral Leasing Act requires competitive bidding for leases. Public policy determination with respect to mineral leasing should accommodate the unique basic physical conditions of a resource and the industry organized to process the resource. The decisions which are made by private enterprise, however, are based upon profit calculations determined by expected costs and expected revenues. Accordingly, the unique basic physical factors may be resolved into economic factors. Optimum leasing policy must then be consistent with economic factors peculiar to a given natural resource processing industry. The purpose of this paper is to identify those unique economic conditions which should influence oil-shale leasing policy. (26 refs.)

• Research Organization: California Univ., Santa Barbara
• OSTI ID: 5593913
• Journal Information: Colo. Sch. Min. Q.; (United States), Journal Name: Colo. Sch. Min. Q.; (United States) Vol. 63:4; ISSN CSMQD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040800* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
042000 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Legislation & Regulations
ECONOMICS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INDUSTRY
LAND LEASING
LAND USE
LEASING
LEGAL ASPECTS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERAL RIGHTS
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
PUBLIC LANDS
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
RESOURCES