We have plenty of oil

[rhino]

I read this post on Little Green Footballs about our energy reserves. This is part of it. Pretty interesting.

"Where to turn then for the world's energy? North America has by far the worlds largest reserves of hydrocarbons. Granted, it is not easily extracted (requires mining) or cracked into useful products, But our (and Canada's) tar sand and oil shale reserves may be as much as ten times greater than what the Middle East started out with. They will be used when other sources run low.

America is also the Saudi Arabia of coal. Coal gasification has been around since WWII (although limited). Bottom line? America in another generation will control the world's energy supplies. World War two made us a superpower. With the fall of the USSR we became a hyperpower. Fifty years from now the tankers will be leaving here full instead of empty, and we will be a true hegemon, ruling the world through control of energy and a good portion of the food supplies it helps produce."

If that is true, we don't have so much to worry about, except OPEC has to use it's control while it draws down it's reserves. So if we all drive bigger cars and trucks, we can draw down those Saudi reserves a little faster.

[oilfieldmedic]

Did someone say oil?

[pond]

We have alot of oil in alaska BUT it is in areas that have been long protected and very dangerous and remote . much is legislated and it would be a war to touch it.

this land belongs to the orginal americans , some of the legislation determines we can no longer even walk on the propertyor put shpis any here near the sea.

it isnt as easy as it sounds.

[rhino]

the point is once the easy oil is running low, the harder oil will be economically feasible. Producers that need oil at $35 to be profitable are maybe still on the sidelines. When OPEC drove oil down to $10 a few years ago, it bankrupt a lot of small producers that needed $20 to break even. I think I recall that the shale oil stuff would require oil at $45 or so to break even.

Coal seems to be promising for US, and later we can tap other vast reserves, after we bleed the Middle East dry. It seems the reports that the world is about out of oil are greatly overblown.

All that talk about protecting a few acres of flea infested ANWR will melt away if we ever start to run low on oil. In the mean time we will keep enriching nations that want to destroy us.

Edited September 28, 2006 by rhino

[krys]

There's been plenty of interest in alternative fuels lately. Coal is probably the best alternative in many cases once the science and technology have figured out the clean way to burn it (and other uses too). Every barrel of oil burned is one less that could be used for other things that we can't make any other way.

In case you're unsure about this - - Google "petrochemicals" and see how many things you would miss once the last barrel of oil is gone.

[sirguessalot]

also, something to consider

is how much oil it takes to get (and use) the oil

back in the 70s, it used to take 1 barrel of oil to get like 30 barrels out of the ground (and refine, distribute, blah blah blah)

by 2000, it was more like 1 barrel of oil to get 3 barrels

when the ratio gets to 1 for 1...it doesnt matter howmuch oil/coal we have

...of course, then there are also all those other things...

:blink:

Edited September 30, 2006 by sirguessalot

[rhino]

Do you have a source for that info? One barrel to get three sounds high, unless they are talking one barrel in money terms to get three barrels. If that is the case, then the price of oil changes the equation. Years ago I'd read the Saudis could produce for around $8/barrel, which I guess is still largely true, except for inflation.

New technologies are developing for getting the oil out of shale oil or sand. I think when they speak of reserves they mean economically viable reserves, with today's technologies. This would have to include not only the cost of the oil to produce new oil, but all the other costs of production.

[sirguessalot]

sorry, i dont have the source at my fingertips, Rhino

but i do recall it was from reports written by and for the energy sector

and like i said, then there are all those other things...

Here is a nice confusing article on ERoEI