Great areas of oil shale occur in the Rocky Mountain area. These shales, when subjected to destructive distillation, yield oil in varying quantities. Relatively little is known about the retorting of the shales on a commercial scale, the methods or costs of mining, or the probable value and expense of disposing of the spent shale.

The main value of the oil derived from the retorting of the shales apparently lies in the special products such as high grade lubricating oils and medicinal materials such as ichthyol.

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