In This Section

Air Quality An Introduction Archeology BLM Castle Valley Climate Climate Change Colorado River Data Documents Dolores River Economy Education Emery County Energy EPA Events Floods Food Forests Fracking Geology GIS Grand County Graphics Ground-Water and Geology Health History: Human and Natural Housing Invasives Maps Mining and Milling Moab City Monticello NEPA News & Opinion Non-Profits NPS Oil & Gas (& Coal) Oil (Tar) Sands Oil Shale (Kerogen) Permaculture Photos Potash Presentations Public Notices San Juan County SITLA Soils Tourism Uranium USGS Utah Waste Water Water Planning Water Right Numbers Watershed Watershed Tools Wildlife Wildlife Conservation

Oil Shale (Kerogen)

UPDATE as of September 2023

• All federal leasing for oil shale development in Utah and Colorado have expired or have been relinquished.
• Activities for tar sand development in Utah have ceased.

Oil shale and tar sands remains a speculative industry in the arid lands of the Colorado Plateau. A general lack of water is why the industry will never be viable. Even if alternative chemical washes are used to separate bitumen from sand, for example, it still requires 1.5 to 2 barrels of water to refine a single barrel of synthetic crude. What this extraction will accomplish is physical damage to the Colorado River watershed, which supplies culinary water to nearly 30 million people. It will also create more CO2 in the atmosphere, which is the #1 killer of the Rocky Mountain snowpack, which provides 85% of the Colorado River's total annual water supply. Our watershed needs investors to create a reliable energy supply that will heal the water supply of the Colorado River, not destroy it.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Click here to send a message to the Department of Water Quality about proposed strip mining operations by Red Leaf Resources in the Uinta Basin.

NEW INFORMATION

Independent Technical Memorandum: Greenhouse Gas & Water Footprints of Oil Shale & Tar Sands Resources & Projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin. 2018, EcoShift. The Executive Summary of this report is HERE.

New Information Regarding Red Leaf Resources Mining Permit

• Experimental Capsule Description (Earth Ovens)
• Water Discharge Permit

STATE LAND INVENTORY FOR OIL SHALE IN UTAH

• 93,000 State Trust acres are leased for oil shale
• A typical lease lasts 10-years
• Not all land can be surface mined (some requires underground mining)

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD: Red Leaf Resources

• Living Rivers v Red Leaf Resources
• Final Memo in Opposition Motion in Limine
• Final MSJ Response
• Final Response to DOGM's Pre-Hearing Brief
• Final Response to DOGM's Reply
• DOGM Pre-Hearing Brief
• RED LEAF'S PRE-HEARING BRIEF
• RLR PRE-HEARING REPLY BRIEF
• RLR'S MEMO IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY DECISION
• RLR'S MEMO IN SUPPORT OF MOTION IN LIMINE
• RLR'S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY DECISION
• RLR'S MOTION IN LIMINE
• DEQ comments Red Leaf 2012 Feb
• DOGM Red Leaf Hearing Notice Feb 2012
• DWR comments Red Leaf 2012 Feb
• LivingRivers RAA Red Leaf
• Red Leaf Informal Hearing Transcript 2012 March
• Red Leaf NOI protest
• Weisheit Declaration

• Draft Permit
• Draft Statement of Basis
• Ground Water Discharge Permit Application June 2013
• SOB Figure 1 Site Location Map
• SOB Figure 2 EPS Site Plan
• SOB Figure 3 Generalized Strat Column Green River Formation
• SOB Figure 4 EPS Capsule Roof Floor and Wall Details
• Supplemental Seep and Spring Inventory May 2013 (large file)

Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (UDOGM)

• UDOGM permit files (complete) (Username and Password: ogmguest)
• UDOGM Board Notes and Dockets

Red Leaf Resources Inc. (oil shale mining permits)

• UDOGM permit files (complete) (Username and Password: ogmguest)
• Red Leaf Resources @ Southwest #1
• Red Leaf Resources @ Southwest #1b
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #1
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #3
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #4
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #6
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #7
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #8
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #9

OIL SHALE STRIP MINING @ INDIAN RIDGE

Notice of Intent (NOI) to Commence Large Mining Operations. Red Leaf Resources.

November 2011 - Red Leaf NOI Protest. Living Rivers and Western Resource Advocates.

February 2012 - Notice of informal hearing for Red Leaf Resources.

February 2012 transcript of Red Leaf hearing.

March 2012 - Living Rivers request for agency action

To SUBMIT A LETTER of concern to Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining click here

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BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

BLM EA on paving of Seep Ridge Road in Uintah County

Oil Shale & Tar Sands Programmatic EIS

• Home Page
• Federal Notice
• Environmental Impact Statement
• Record of Decision
• Additional Information
• Tar Sands: Basic Information
• Oil Shale: Basic Information
• Endangered Species List
• Comments of California Attorney General

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CORPORATE WEBSITES

• NEW: Company Profiles
• National Oil Shale Association
• AuraSource (China)
• Nevtah
• Earth Energy Resources
• Enshale & Bullion Monarch Mining
• Enefit
• Oil Shale Exploration Company (Now Enefit)
• Red Leaf Resources
• Red Leaf Presentation
• Video about Red Leaf. EcoFLight.
• Red Leaf oil shale update
• Shell Mahogany Research Project
• Temple Mountain Energy
• TomCo Energy
• National Oil Shale Association

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DOCUMENTS

• 1967 - Northcutt Ely's Water Budget for Oil Shale Production.
• 1967 - 4th symposium on oil shale. Colorado School of Mines.
• 1974 - Oil Shale Development. League of Women Voters.
• Oil shale library. Headwaters Institute.
• 2011 - Testimony of Bill Eikenberry (PIONEERS Act)
• 2010- Oil Shale in the West: 14 Unanswered Questions. Headwater Economics.
• 2010 - Policy Analysis of Water Availibility and use Issues for Domestic Oil Shale and Oil Sands Development. Univ. or Utah.
  
• 2010 - Oil shale update. National Oil Shale Association.
• 2010 - CERES Report on Oil Shale/Water Nexus.
• 2010 - Energy-Water Nexus: Better Understanding of Water Resources. GAO.
• 2008 - Oil Shale Report. Congressional Research Service.
• 2008 - Water Rights and Oil Shale. Congressional Research Service.
• 2012 - Energy Water Nexus for Utah
• Oil Shale Politics in Utah: Holding Government Officials, Lobbyists, and Corporate Management Accountable to the Public

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ECONOMIC VIABILITY

• 2014 - Updated: Energy Initiatives & Imperatives for Utah's 10-Year Strategic Energy Plan 2.0. Governor Herbert.
• 2014 - Drilling Deeper: A Reality Check on US Government Forecasts for a Lasting Tight Oil & Shale Gas Boom. Hughes.
• 2013 - Executive Summary: Tar Sands Oil Shale Market Assessment. U of U.
• 2013 - Oil Shale Market Assessment. U of U.
• 2012 - Investor Oil Shale Risks. CERES.
• 2011 - Economic Impact of Marcellus Shale Gas. Cornell.
• 2011 - Marcellus Shale: What Are The Limitations? Cornell.
• 2010 - Oil Shale: 14 Unanswered Questions. Headwater Economics.
• 2008 - North American Oil Sands History Development Prospects. Congressional Research Service.
• 2008 - Developments In Oil Shale. Congressional Research Service.
• 2007 - Testimonies Oil Shale. RAND.
• 2006 - Oil Shale History Incentives Policy. Congressional Research Service
• 2005 - Oil Shale Development USA. RAND.

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ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES

• Critical Habitat Designation. USFWS.
• Mexican-spotted owl
• Greater sage grouse
• Graham's Penstemon (beardstongue) (Photo) (Recent news) (Aid to identify)
• Screen of endangered species at Red Leaf Resources
• Map 01 & Map 02: endangered species @ Red Leaf Resources
• Critical Habitat Map. The Wilderness Society.
• Graham's beardtongue. Salt Lake Tribune.

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EPA - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

• NSPS Subpart Ja
• 2010 - Fact sheet on ozone standards

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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT DOCUMENTS

 

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GEOLOGY

Oil Shale and Tar Sands web page. Utah Geologic Survey.
Tar Sands Bibliography (2009). UGS.
USGS publications library

• 2008 - Oil shale and tar sands Programmatic EIS. BLM.
• 2008 - Holocene Debris Flows on the Colorado Plateau. Webb.
• 2007 - Analysis of Utah Tar Sands. UGS.
• 1992 - Hydrocarbons along proposed Book Cliffs Highway. UGS.
• 1975 - Mineral Resources of Uintah Ouray Reservation. USGS.

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BIBLIOGRAPHIES

• Uinta Basin Geology

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LEGAL

• Comments on Air Quality from Oil and Gas Development in Dixie Nat. Forest
• 2010 - Montana Environmental Information Center v BLM
• 2010 - Mexican spotted owl critical habitat decision
• 2010 - History of Mexican spotted owl appeal

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MAPS & GIS

• BLM PEIS: Tri-state  deposits
• Uinta Basin
• Green River Refinery (proposed) (click here)

Google Earth

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SITLA

• Oil shale resource ownership
• Parcels in Grand County (14.9%; about 550 sq. miles)

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University of Utah

• Interactive Map

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PHOTOS

• Book Cliffs Divide Road Grand County; Reduced
• East Canyon Grand County Approach; Reduced
  
• Red Leaf Resources @ Indian Ridge, June 2010

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NEWS

• 6/15/10 - Wildflower vs. Oil Shale. Salt Lake Weekly.
• 11/30/10 - GAO: More research needed on oil shale, water
  
• 9/17/2007 - Tar sands, oil shale. Energy Bulletin.
• 3/24/10 - Decision on wildflower protection expected soon. Assoc. Press.
• 3/29/10 - Sage Grouse will play role in Western energy development.Marten Law.
• 4/29/10 - Salazar aide - Oil shale not ready for prime time

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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

• Document archive. Western Resource Advocates.
• Oil Shale Facts
• Fossil Foolishness. Western Resource Advocates
• Northern Rockies Rising Tide
• CERES Report on Oil Shale/Water Nexus.
• Tar Sands: Feling the climate crisis. FOE Europe.
• Dirty Oil. Greenpeace.
• 2011  - Between a Rock and a Dry Place: The Impact of Oil Shale Development  and Climate Change on the Colorado River Basin Water Supply. NRDC

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TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

• White Paper. Utah Mining Association.

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UNIVERSITY

• 2009 - Oil Shale Report. University of Colorado at   Boulder.
• University of Utah ICSE Digital Repository

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USGS

• Oil shale and tar sands interactive web page (excellent resource)
  
• 1995 - Surface disturbances and the role of accelerating erosion. Belnap.

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UTAH GOVERNMENT

• Home page: Utah Oil, Gas & Mining
• Public records: Utah Oil, Gas  & Mining. (Username and password is ogmguest)
• FTP Site.  Utah Oil Gas & Mining
• PR Springs water right 01 and 02. Utah Division of Water Rights.
• 1980 - An Assessment of Oil Shale and Tar San Development
• 2009 - Bibliography of tar sand deposits & map. Utah Geological Survey.
• 2009 - Approval of PR Springs strip mine for tar sand. UDOGM.
  2010 - Notice regarding PR Springs Mine to Grand County Council. UDOGM.
• 2012 - Energy Water Nexus for Utah

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VIDEO

• Fossil Foolishness. Western Resource Advocates.
• A film by Leslie Iwerks
• The Tar Sands Blow
• Tar Sands, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
• Red Leaf Resources. EcoFLight.

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WILDLIFE

Southest Utah (includes East Tavaputs Plateau)

• Amphibian Inventory. DWR.
• Avian Inventory. DWR.
• Bison Reintroduction. DWR.
• Black Bears. DWR
• Ecosystem Evaluation. DWR.
• Mammal Inventory. DWR.
• Reptile Inventory. DWR.