Environmental considerations for oil shale development. Final report

The results of a literature survey to determine the feasibility and environmental impact of developing a shale oil industry in the United States are presented. Topics covered include: the extent of oil shale deposits, mining and pretreatment processes, in-situ and ex-situ retorting, refuse disposal, and produce treatment and usage. Estimated oil shale reserves constitute the equivalent of 80 billion barrels of oil, and about 70 percent of the reserves are located on Federally-owned lands. Major impacts of shale oil development on the atmosphere include dust emissions from mining, crushing, sizing, and retorting operations and combustion products such as oxides of sulfur and nitrogen.