Twenty-second oil shale symposium proceedings

Abstract

Foreword: The Twenty-second Oil Shale Symposium was held at a criti cal time in the development of a commercial oil shale industry. World oil prices were less than $20 per barrel and there was a world-wide concern about both environmental problems of mining and the "green house" effect created by the carbon dioxide released when hydrocarbons are burned. Activity in oil shale development was at a fifteen year low and there were no bright prospects apparent in the near future. However, U. S. petroleum consumption is predicted to continue to increase, U. S. crude oil production is decreasing and is predicted to continue to decrease, and petroleum imports and the trade deficit are increasing. The Department of Defense is concerned about the impact of these forces on the ability of the U. S. to maintain an acceptable level of defense capability without a more plentiful source of liquid fuels within the continental U. S. Whether these factors will translate into more support for shale oil development in the near future remains to be seen. There are two operating shale oil facilities on Colorado's Western Slope. One is the UNOCAL Corporation plant at Parachute and the other is the New Paraho Corporation plant at Anvil Points. The UNOCAL plant is producing over 6000 barrels per day of hydrogenated shale oil and the New Paraho plant is involved in producing experimental quantities of an asphalt component which is expected to give added life to asphalt highways. Hopefully these operations will be sufficiently successful that activity in the shale industry will not come to a halt. Even though attendance at this Symposium was less than 100, the papers presented were of high quality and the symposium was a success. As always, the success of the symposium was due to the authors and their employers who make the results of their work available, to the session chairmen, to Shirley Ashlock of the CSM Continuing Education Department, to Gene Tafoya, Publications Coordinator, and to the U.S. Department of Energy for their support for the publication of these Proceedings. James H. Gary Director of Symposia and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Refining