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U.S. Department of Energy
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Review and evaluation of costs and benefits from various oil shale strategies. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6381411

The first objective of this study is to compare and contrast the revenue streams that would accure to public treasuries from hypothetical oil shale and petroleum production operations. The second objective is to analyze five incentive mechanisms targeted toward oil shale development and determine the attractiveness of each incentive from the investor's and the governments standpoint. The five incentives considered in this study are: (1) Alternative Energy Production Credit (2) Capital Recovery Act 1979 (3) Price support (4) Guaranteed Purchase and (5) the Additional 10% Investment Tax Credit. In the absence of Federal incentives, public revenues from petroleum production exceeded the revenues from oil shale production. The revenue difference between the two processes was due to the depletion allowance and the higher operating costs associated with an oil shale operation. When comparing each oil shale incentive mechanism and assuming that all costs escalated at the same rate in the future, the Capital Cost Recovery Act and the Additional 10% investment tax credit provide the greatest increase in project discounted cash flow rate of return for a given net present value cost to the Federal Government. If the market price of oil shale increases at an assumed rate of 2.5% per year faster than inflation, then the price support and guaranteed purchase incentives are the most attractive from the government's standpoint. These incentives would even provide the government with a net positive return. From the project sponsor's standpoint the price support and guaranteed purchase incentives increases project economics favorably and reduces the risk involved in proceeding with the project due to price uncertainties.

Research Organization:
Kearney (A.T.), Inc., Alexandria, VA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AM01-78RG03365
OSTI ID:
6381411
Report Number(s):
DOE/RG/03365-T1; ON: DE85000459
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English