Separation and cost analysis of recovering crude oils from bituminous sandstones near Roosevelt, Utah

The recovery of crude oil from shallow oil sand deposits by means of hot water flotation process is now a reality, with possible production costs competitive with crude from oil wells, depending on the oil content of the sand. Consistent recovery of 95 to 97$ of the contained crude oils, with the possibility of additional revenue from silica sand for glass sand, refractinating or foundry sand. Specification road oil was obtained directly from the settling tank following the flotation machines requiring in some cases minor blending and in most cases no blending was required. Eliminating the high cost of exploration and dry holes as encountered in recovery from oil wells, it is possible to establish accurate reserves by shallow hole core drilling of the shallow oil sand deposit. The capital investment in an oil sand process plant is a small fraction of the cost of oil shale plants of equal capacity, thus enabling smaller independent oil companies or a small group of oil operators to enter into a new phase of oil production. A department of the U.S. Government will within the next few months publish a comprehensive report disclosing locations of shallow oil sand deposits in 21 states, together with other information concerning the recovery of crude oil from shallow oil sands, including potential oil reserves. The recoverable crude oil from extensive oil sand deposits could approach those of the highly publicized oil shale, and at a lower recovery cost as well as much lower capital investments required. As an oil operator will you overlook the potential of this new industry, while your competitor is aggressively leasing the better properties and actively engages in test programs and pilot plant operations? Our engineering department is available to work with you and furnish such information as may assist you in your planning.