[rellimpank]

--oil companies, con men, assorted promoters and considerable numbers of charlatans have been trying to make something of the Colorado-Wyoming-Utah "oil shale' for nearly a century.

--the primary problem with the stuff is that all of that "oil" is scattered widely through trillions of tons of rock--

--there are no magic ways of getting it out--and it is not similar to the Bakken or the Texas shale deposits---

[GOP_Party_Animal]

there are no magic ways of getting it out

The U.S. Geological Survey, the testimony said, "estimates that the Green River Formation contains about 3 trillion barrels of oil, and about half of this may be recoverable, depending on available technology and economic conditions.
"The Rand Corp., a nonprofit research organization, estimates that 30 to 60 percent of the oil shale in the Green River Formation can be recovered,"

Looks like you have a difference of opinion with the Rand Corporation and the USGS.

[thackney]

there are no magic ways of getting it out

We don't need magic. In-Sito retorting has proven effective at Shell's Mahogany Research Facility after the recent pilot operations.

Welcome to the Mahogany Research Project
http://www.shell.us/home/content/usa/aboutshell/projects_locations/mahogany/

Plan of Operations
Shell Frontier Oil and Gas Inc.
Oil Shale Test Project
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/co/field_offices/white_river_field/oil_shale.Par.79837.File.dat/OSTPlanofOperations.pdf
February 15, 2006

They built the facility, ran the initial pilot program and proved the initial results.