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An economic analysis of an oil shale, nahcolite, dawsonite complex in Colorado. Option II, Circular 1971

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7096460

Option II concerns mining and processing a nahcolite deposit in the Piceance Creek basin, Colorado, plus an underlying measure of oil shale containing about 25 percent nahcolite and 9 percent dawsonite to yield soda ash, alumina, and shale oil as principal products. Coke, sulfur, and ammonia are also byproducts. A two-level shaft mining operation, retorting, partial refining, and a minerals processing plant requires a capital investment of $605,947,700 in 1971 dollars to process 8,000 tons per calendar day of nahcolite ore and 60,000 tons of the mineral containing oil shale. An income of $268,283,000 requires $143,188,700 in annual expenditures including labor, materials, maintenance, taxes, insurance, overhead, and depreciation. The discounted cash flow rate of return is 17.20 percent based on a weighted average depreciation life of 13.99 years. (Author) (GRA)

Research Organization:
Bureau of Mines, Washington, DC (USA)
OSTI ID:
7096460
Report Number(s):
PB-212047; BM-OFR-32-72
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English