Ranking methodology for determining the relative favorability for commercial development of US tar-sand deposits
As a part of the DOE's program to stimulate petroleum production from unconventional sources, the Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a methodology to compare and rank tar sand deposits, based on their suitability for commercial development. Major categories influencing favorability were identified and evaluated to determine their individual and collective impacts. To facilitate their evaluation, deposit characteristics, extraction technologies, environmental controls, and institutional constraints were broken down into their elements. The elements were assessed singly and in interactive groups to determine their influence on favorability for commercial development. A numerical value was assigned each element to signify its estimated importance relative to the other elements. Eight tar sand deposits were evaluated using only one major category, deposit characteristics. This initial, and only partial favorability assessment, was solely a test of the methodology, and it was considered successful. Because only one of the four major categories was used for this initial favorability ranking, and also because the available deposit characteristic data were barely adequate for the test, these first results should be used only as an example of how the methodology is to be applied when more complete data are available. The eight deposits and their relative favorability rankings for commercial development, based only on the deposit characteristics, are Sunnyside, Utah; Asphalt Ridge, Utah; Edna, California; Santa Rosa, New Mexico; Tar Sand Triangle, Utah; PR Spring, Utah; Uvalde, Texas; and circle cliffs, Utah.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6181759
- Report Number(s):
- LA-9606; ON: DE83013328
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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OIL SAND DEPOSITS
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ASPHALT RIDGE DEPOSIT
CIRCLE CLIFFS DEPOSIT
EDNA DEPOSIT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FORECASTING
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PR SPRINGS DEPOSIT
SANTA ROSA DEPOSIT
SUNNYSIDE DEPOSIT
TAR SAND TRIANGLE DEPOSIT
TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION
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