SHALE OIL: POTENTIAL FOR ELECTRIC POWER FUELS.

The available technologies for producing shale oil are reviewed. The major problem most processes face today is scale-up to commercial size. An industry of nearly 400,000 BPD is anticipated for 1980. The industry could grow to 1,000,000 BPD by the year 2000 with the introduction of second generation processes in the 1990s. The availability of shale oil may have a direct impact on the electric power industry initially. As the refineries improve their ability to handle shale oil, the availability of this fuel to the electric power industry for direct firing will decrease. The offgas from the oil shale industry could be of major importance to the electric power industry. The high yield of distillate fuels from shale oil could important to the utility industry's demand for distillate fuels in peak shaving power generation.