ABSTRACT
Lands containing oil shale deposits can be leased from three sources: private land owners, State, or the Federal government. Public oil shale lands are concentrated near the geographic and deposit center of Colorado's Piceance Basin. The US Geological Survey is involved in reviewing oil shale development. It maintains an Area Oil Shale Office within its Conservation Division, Central Region; this office has the prime responsibility of carrying out the goals of the prototype program. The companies involved in oil shale development advocate a faster leasing of lands in the heart of oil shale country. Any major oil shale development, like those in coal or other industries, will encounter a maze of regulatory and permit requirements. A "typical" surface oil shale complex consists of four integrated operations: mining and crushing, retorting, waste disposal and shale oil upgrading. Both potential oil shale development and existing coal mining share similar tax structures.
