Oil shale sparking interest, caution

Rising oil prices and the United States’ need for a secure and reliable fuel supply for military needs are reigniting interest in oil shale. It’s a prospect that officials are greeting with interest — and warnings.

Government interest is driving much of the interest in oil shale, said Jim Evans, executive director of the Northwest Council of Governments, shortly after leaving an oil shale-development plan meeting sponsored by the U.S. Energy Department on Thursday in Salt Lake City.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Departments of Defense, Energy and Interior, as well as local government officials and industry representatives.

“What these people believe is that sometime between 2007 and 2025, worldwide oil production will cap,” Evans said. “No longer will there be reserves to meet demand.”