US oil shale production bogged down by lack of consistent Federal support

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1976 · Eng. Min. J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7274276

The Oil Shale Corp. (Tosco) and Atlantic Richfield Oil Co. withdrew in December from a Colorado oil shale project, dealing a substantial blow to the oil shale industry. Tosco blamed its pullout on lack of a stable national energy policy and consequent unavailability of capital; Arco also cited capital availability problems, linked to its expensive investment in Alaskan oil development. Arco and Tosco pulled out shortly after Congress killed an amendment that would have provided $6 billion in Federal loan guarantees plus product price support for shale oil and other ''synthetic'' fuels. This move, coupled with the signing of the Energy and Conservation Act continuing oil price controls, was ''the final kiss of death for the synthetic fuels industry,'' according to Andrew W. Decora, director of ERDA's Laramie, Wyo., Energy Research Center. Announcements have been made that the Paraho oil shale demonstration program at the Naval Oil shale reserve near Rifle, Colorado is preparing to shut down. The White River Shale Oil Corp., developing two tracks in Utah, is progressing on environmental and socio-economic studies. One program progressing at full capacity is the Rio Blanco project on tract C-a. Western Oil Shale Corp. (Westco), a small organization with extensive shale holdings in Utah, plans a modified in-situ shale project on state lands near Bonanza. Occidental Petroleum Corp. is in the developmental stage on in-situ retorting on private land in the Piceance Basin. Union Oil has a project in Colorado with its own above-ground retorting process. Dow Chemical is working on a research proposal involving Eastern and Midwestern black shale that underlies 25,000 sq mi of southern Michigan. (MCW)

• OSTI ID: 7274276
• Journal Information: Eng. Min. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Eng. Min. J.; (United States) Vol. 177:3; ISSN ENMJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040800 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
294004* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Oil Shales & Tar Sands
BUDGETS
CONTROL
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECONOMICS
ENERGY POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INDUSTRY
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
PRODUCTION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
REVIEWS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
USA