148 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
wax, all of which when properly treated will undoubtedly 
be satisfactory commercial products. There is con- 
siderable doubt regarding the possibility of producing the 
more viscous grades of lubricating oils such as internal 
combustion motor lubricants from shale oils, but it may 
be possible to do so. Little is known in this country as 
to the refining of shale oils at the present time, and 
this statement can be applied generally to the possibilities 
and technique of oil shale operations in the United States. 
The development of an oil shale industry to one of 
considerable importance in this country will demand the 
expenditure of many millions of dollars and take a period 
of many years. Much research work and technical 
study will be necessary in its development and it will 
require the services of trained executives and experienced 
technicians. Nevertheless, when economic conditions 
become favorable, it is reasonable to believe that oil 
shales will be of great value as a source of oils similar 
to those now derived from petroleum. An idea of what 
large scale development of the oil shale industry means 
may be gained from the consideration that to produce 
one barrel of crude oil from shale, on the average at 
least one ton of a tough rock must be mined, crushed, 
heated to a relatively high temperature and finally the 
residue, amounting to about seventy-five per cent of the 
original weight of the raw shale must be disposed of, 
as valueless. The United States now produces over one 
million barrels of crude petroleum per day. 
From an economic standpoint our oil shale deposits 
practically assure us that come what may, this country 
will still have its own sources of petroleum products. We 
should never have to be wholly dependent on foreign 
countries in this respect. From another standpoint the 
shales are also of great economic importance. The oil 
shales especially of the Rocky Mountain country, occur 
in sparsely settled regions. Their development on a 
large scale means the bringing into these regions of a 
great number of miners and other laborers, often with 
their families, who will earn their living in the shale 
fields, and spend their money in the same locality. Mil- 
lions of dollars must be spent in erecting plants, develop- 
ing mines and the like, much of which will be spent in the 
