Grand Junction, Colo. (AP) No commercial oil shale development is expected in Colorado for several years, but some Republican legislators want to start laying the groundwork to manage production of it.

Sen.-elect Al White of Hayden plans to propose a bill in the new session to create a task force to craft rules for oil shale production.

Another proposal would provide incentives for oil shale production by cutting the state’s severance tax on the fuel.

Shale deposits in northwest Colorado, Wyoming and Utah are thought to hold more than 1 trillion barrels of oil, of which about 800 billion barrels are believed to be recoverable. But the Technology to squeeze the oil out of the rock is still experimental, and commercial production is likely at least a decade off.

The interior department has approved a final plan and rules for Commercial development on nearly 2 million acres of federal land in the region.

Colorado Democratic leaders, including Gov. Bill Ritter, have criticized the plan as premature and the environmental analysis inadequate.

Post Your Comments