Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Potential for reducing oil shale mining costs

Journal Article · · Min. Congr. J.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6012826
This paper uses a typical Colorado/Utah oil shale project to examine methods of reducing capital and operating costs. It considers mining as including materials handling and spent shale disposal which represents 24% of total capital while processing capital comprises 56%. Tables (e.g. percentage estimates of costs by capital segments) are presented to illustrate the different elements, since tradeoffs are a constant consideration. The model is defined as an underground, gassy, room-and-pillar mine (two bench system with buried deposit at 700 ft. average depth); 63 ft. mining height; average grade of 28 gal per ton; 3 coarse feed surface retorts producing 50,000 bbl per day; 63% mining recovery; surface disposal of processed shale and 10% rejected fines; and average daily mine production of 82,500 tons.
OSTI ID:
6012826
Journal Information:
Min. Congr. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Min. Congr. J.; (United States) Vol. 68:12; ISSN MCJOA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English