THE COMING OF SHALE

so [Music] the poet william blake wrote energy is the only life and is from the body and reason is the bound or outward circumference of energy energy is eternal delight energy is the substance of life all living things need energy animals consume food to generate it but man among the animals has found ways of producing energy outside himself [Music] when man learned about fire he unlocked the first door to a source of energy beyond his being instead of adapting to nature he has sought to go beyond himself to put nature at his service nature has served us well yielding resources that have helped us attain a highly advanced society in a short span of time but have we served nature [Music] during the last 15 years energy consumption has doubled and could double again in the next 15. there is hardly an aspect of life not directly linked to nature and her power resources [Music] just as our capacity to produce has been boosted by nature so our capacity to consume has begun to drain precious energy reserves petroleum for transportation oil gas coal for electric utilities electricity for heat air conditioning and the hundreds of small appliances that have become indispensable [Music] americans have always pushed beyond the next wilderness to enlive we have reached a point where a lifestyle has developed at the expense of this wilderness and yet we yearn for it there was a time when natural resources seemed limitless when vast expanses and open spaces gave men the sense there would always be plenty so today it is difficult to imagine that our conventional sources of power energy for our lifestyle might one day be inadequate but are we aware of the interdependence of all the elements in the great chain of life are we conscious of the limits of the environment [Music] of the shortages of power bred by a sophisticated civilization what if our sources of energy were severely diminished and could not be replaced would we alter our lifestyle to relieve the energy drain and what about those who have yet to enjoy the benefits of this lifestyle what are the alternatives far from energy-consuming urban centers in a sparsely populated highland of western colorado is a source of energy that could supply the united states with fuel for 50 years at predicted consumption rates this is the p ants basin the colorado portion of a 16 000 square mile tri-state area believed to contain the largest concentration of hydrocarbons in the world according to government sources these are literally mountains of oil for locked inside and waiting to be born is the equivalent of some 450 billion barrels of oil oil from shale shale oil is a low sulfur fuel differing from petroleum in that it was not subjected to the extremes of heat and pressure that would have produced oil in liquid form like liquid petroleum it began as an accumulation of dying plant and animal matter in bodies of inland seas and lakes over centuries organic matter mixed with sediment and settled to the bottom as the water is reseeded the bottoms uplifted to become high plateaus and steep-walled canyons carved by erosion oil shale is a fine textured sedimentary rock containing organic matter called kerogen which when heated yields crude oil and fuel gas in the richer areas of the basin average yield is 30 to 40 gallons per ton a single square mile in the basin center is estimated to contain some two billion barrels of oil six months supply for the united states at present consumption rates shale oil has been on the brink of birth for years now its birth will be attended by a totally new concept that of making a pact with nature a research and development project is being conducted to determine the feasibility of mining this rich store of energy with maximum care for the ecosystem this semi-works plant operated by colony development operation was established in 1965 to develop a technology and determine its effects on the immediate environment so as to project the impact of an entire industry on the region so the effort is investigatory from mining to processing to environmental control the current operation involves working out of this entrance to the mountain and moving progressively deeper inside in traditional room and pillar techniques sections 50 feet wide by 30 feet high are created with pillars of the same proportions dividing the rooms from one another a section is blasted to loosen the shale an 80 ton capacity truck removes the large pieces of oil rich rock [Music] a scraper moves along the interior to pull down the loosened chunks of shale roof boats are introduced into the ceiling at intervals to ensure strength of the interior [Music] before processing the oil bearing rock is sent through a series of crushers to reduce its size [Music] the heart of the process is the retort a slowly rotating drum into which preheated and crushed oil shale and hot ceramic balls are introduced the heat from the balls causes decomposition and vaporization of the organic matter and vapors condense to form liquid low sulfur oil and gas the process recovers all of the hydrocarbon energy available from the shale sulfur-free gas would serve to fuel a full-scale commercial plant and all water released by the operation is used to moisten the processed jail for compaction none is returned to the watershed the advantages of shale oil lie in its versatility raw shale oil can be used as a low sulfur residual fuel for power plants and home heating or as a feedstock for making synthetic natural gas gasoline coke and petrochemicals research is also being conducted to recover from shale deposits nacolite or sodium bicarbonate and dawsonite which is an aluminum bearing product the ceramic balls being tested here are recycled many times in the process [Music] from the start the challenge was not simply how to get oil from shale but how to do so with minimum impact on the ecosystem [Music] one of colony's major research efforts is directed to disposal and use of processed jail moistened processed jail is compacted for vegetation research [Music] this experimental tract is a prototype for a surface disposal and re-vegetation operation that a full-scale commercial plant would require yielding information on erosion pile stability and ground cover [Music] a deep canyon less than eight percent of the surface of the property is being considered as a site for disposition of residue from a 20-year commercial operation the new canyon floor planted with native vegetation would be contoured to blend in with surrounding topography and minimally altered the aesthetics of the landscape processed shale is similar to local soil and colony's research is aimed at demonstrating vegetation which after seeding and fertilization will be self-sustaining this is one of several experimental plots where since 1967 native grasses and shrubs have been successfully grown on processed jail any discussion of ground cover and vegetation in the west must concern itself with forage in the peans basin it is forage for the mule deer that are the major form of wildlife the current colony project is a pilot that could lead to a first commercial plant so the effects of this pilot unit on the immediate and neighboring environment are being carefully monitored and projected no facet of environmental impact is neglected native foliage is checked by experts to determine effects of the processing operation on surrounding growth air soil water conditions are under constant surveillance and inventories are being taken of the total ecological system by specialists in such areas as archaeology geology zoology biology and watershed management and flood control facilities at the colony lab provide environmental monitoring of the plant and surrounding area as far as grand valley these include analysis of atmospheric and meteorological conditions air quality control and testing of streams and water supply the investigation goes beyond the immediate area it is of regional proportions and visualizes changes that a shale industry might create over a 30-year period the people of grand valley have been waiting a long time for the coming of shale some earlier plant sites can still be seen [Music] concern with the environment must deal with the human factors the human ecology this was grand valley 75 years ago this is grand valley today population 250 not much change what transformations would the long-awaited shale industry bring the impact will not be felt overnight but over a period of years the development of the area as an important power center will mean increased employment population and urbanization whose benefits can only be assured by adequate community and regional planning [Music] energy is indeed the substance of life and necessary to give substance to life to solve pressing human and environmental problems created by our 20th century lifestyle how do we reconcile our consciousness of human needs the fragility of the environment and the search for new sources of energy [Music] can we make that pact with nature we cannot do less so [Music] you