PREFACE omestic oil shale and tar sand deposits constitute a tremendous resource. The proven, recoverable oil shale reserves alone far exceed those remaining for petroleum. In light of this fact, it is not surprising that there are many people having trouble comprehending our vulnerable energy position. Attempts to develop a commercial oil shale industry historically have been on-again, off-again efforts. In almost yearly cyclical fashion, one has heard or read at least one paper enthusiastically suggesting the general theme, " A n Oil Shale Industry—Just Around The Corner." Until now, however, the corner has never been turned and the development pace of this sorely needed resource has been low key at best. All of our domestic heavy oil production and tar sands development endeavors have been in much the same category. The ability to turn the corner always has been stalled by unfavorable economics. Some combination of factors arises which continually delays the development of these alternative energy resources because of their noncompetitive position compared with the price of foreign oil. In reality, this has obscured the real issue—the fragile nature of our domestic energy structure which is so dependent on the ready availability of imported crude. Hope springs eternal, however, and recent developments have indicated that the corner may indeed have been turned at last. Although the D O E oil shale research, development, and demonstration program has been trying to foster a technically and environmentally sound industry capable of meeting the President's goal of 400,000 bbl/d by 1990, the recent sign ing of Senate Bill S.932 should provide a significant and needed impetus. This bill, The Energy Security Act, provides for a United States Synthetic Fuels Corporation which has the mission of encouraging the production of 500,000 bbl/d from alternative sources by 1987 and 2,000,000 bbl/d by 1992. Even more recently, several major developers have announced definitive plans for tract development. On-site activity has commenced to achieve a production goal of 50,000 bbl/d before 1990. These are most worthy goals, but past procrastination will make them difficult to attain. It should not be surprising that in situ retorting is still in its early development stage; that a single, commercial surface retort module has yet to be constructed and successfully demonstrated; or that a full slate of products refined from syncrude has still to be proven acceptably interchangeable with those derived from petroleum.
Downloaded by 80.82.77.83 on January 18, 2018 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: September 3, 1981 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1981-0163.pr001
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Stauffer; Oil Shale, Tar Sands, and Related Materials ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1981.
Downloaded by 80.82.77.83 on January 18, 2018 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: September 3, 1981 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1981-0163.pr001
With respect to recent events the timing of this symposium was only coincidental. Its content, however, is not. The participants have recognized the diverse problems, and many of them are addressed in this volume. The novel concepts of oil shale fracturing and retorting as well as tar sands recovery processes need to be evaluated. Much needed input has been provided on rubbling and retorting kinetics and mechanisms, which still are poorly understood. Our tendency to look for simple solutions to complex problems is apparent in the discussion of "simple" hydrogenation of shale oil to products of questionable and perplexing stability characteristics. In view of our long-term domestic energy deficit, the stimulating discussion of the potential for a very large-scale oil shale operation merits serious consideration. Nature's petroleum supply is constrained now by what remains in the ground; development of our oil shale and tar sands resources appear only to be constrained by our own actions. The credit for the content of this symposium belongs to the participants and their sponsors. I sincerely appreciate their contributions and wish to acknowledge P. C . Scott and C. W. Matthews for their help in its organization. H . C. S T A U F F E R
Gulf Research & Development Company P.O. Drawer 2038 Pittsburgh, P A 15230 April 10, 1981
x Stauffer; Oil Shale, Tar Sands, and Related Materials ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1981.
