Shale In America’s West Could Hold More Oil Than the Middle East

[crin63]

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=122733

This is pretty interesting. That's allot of oil!

[Hagbard Celine]

It costs up to three times more to refine shale as it does liquid oil reserves because it can't be simply pumped out like liquid reserves. Not to mention, getting the infrastructure up and running would take a decade or two.

[avatar4321]

It costs up to three times more to refine shale as it does liquid oil reserves because it can't be simply pumped out like liquid reserves.

You know, I am so freaking tired of this "We can't do that" attitude. We are the freakin United States of America. We have done more things in our nation's short life than in all the generations before us combined. This wasnt because we said we can't do something. It's because when someone said it couldnt be done we went and did it anyway.

I am just so freaking tired of this pessimistic outlook. We don't need some politician in Washington telling us what we can and can't do. We need individuals who are willing to do everything they can to make this world work better.

And Hag, don't think I'm picking on you. You just happened to write the post.

[Nukeman]

It costs up to three times more to refine shale as it does liquid oil reserves because it can't be simply pumped out like liquid reserves. Not to mention, getting the infrastructure up and running would take a decade or two.
Your right about the cost! The break even point for the shale oil was about $70 a barrel. Now that we have doubled that they will make money on it. So why aren't they. Everyone talks about innovation and new tecnologies why are we not spending money on new technology to get ALL the oil out of the ground now. WE never get the full amount of oil out of the ground and the current wells. In most cases I believe it is like half the oil stays in because it cost too much to pump out..

[Hagbard Celine]

You know, I am so freaking tired of this "We can't do that" attitude. We are the freakin United States of America. We have done more things in our nation's short life than in all the generations before us combined. This wasnt because we said we can't do something. It's because when someone said it couldnt be done we went and did it anyway.

I am just so freaking tired of this pessimistic outlook. We don't need some politician in Washington telling us what we can and can't do. We need individuals who are willing to do everything they can to make this world work better.

And Hag, don't think I'm picking on you. You just happened to write the post.

Well I'm more about looking for sudden and revolutionary change. I think clinging to fossil fuels and wasting time sucking every last drop out of the Earth and destroying the landscape is just going to put-off the inevitable catastrophic energy shortage. We have the technology now to power our homes, businesses and vehicles with nuclear and renewable power sources. I've seen cars powered with vegetable oil biodiesel, electric cars as good or better than any sportscar currently on the market http://www.teslamotors.com/, neighborhoods powered by methane refined from cow dung http://www.canada.com/theprovince/features/gogreen/story.html?id=4d70cd73-197f-4681-bc3a-a720b885441c, cars can be converted to use LP (propane), which is cleaner burning and higher octane and cheaper than gasoline. France is proof that an entire country can run on nuclear power with no incidents. Iceland runs a large part of its power grid on thermal heat from the Earth. There is wind, solar and hydro power. The Chinese run most if not all of their urban hot-water heaters on solar power http://www.psfk.com/2008/06/solar-water-heaters-in-china.html. Brazil has invested millions, if not billions into sugar-cane ethanol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil. Not to mention the great energy-storing car technologies that our car companies are purposefully keeping in the test lab instead of on the car lot due to lobbying from the oil companies. Doing the hard work to switch to those sources now will save us a major headache in the future.
New oil drilling will not help us with gas prices now anyway. New drilling would take a decade or more to even come on line to begin with.

[April15]

Kinda on the same theme is kerosene. It comes from soft coal. Now it was produced when we still used whale oil for lamps so the technology couldn't be all to complicated to extract it. Kerosene is a diesel oil replacement.

[hjmick]

Wasn't the military using a shale to oil system for it's fuel?

[mundame]

You know, I am so freaking tired of this "We can't do that" attitude. We are the freakin United States of America. We have done more things in our nation's short life than in all the generations before us combined. This wasnt because we said we can't do something. It's because when someone said it couldnt be done we went and did it anyway.




Well said. We used to DO things!! Fast.

Now it takes six years to get a permit, then the lawsuits start.

We need to go back to being the "can do" nation.

[mundame]

Well I'm more about looking for sudden and revolutionary change.

For that you need war.

I don't believe we WILL do a real energy pardigm shift until there is a war.

Most technology advances mainly during war, after all, or via weapons development lately --- from stirrups and yoke-type horse harnesses all the way to airplanes and nukes.

Nuclear power ONLY developed as a weapon, and airplanes went from reconnaissance-only novelties to heavy strategic bombers carrying a crew of six and large quantities of bombs within four years starting in 1914.

Without war, little major technology shift happens. So that's what I think it will take for us to change our energy source.

Actually, the shift from coal to oil happened during WWI also. The British were still using colliers and coal in 1914; by 1918 they were trying to take over Iraq and Iran for the oil.

[Yurt]

Well I'm more about looking for sudden and revolutionary change. I think clinging to fossil fuels and wasting time sucking every last drop out of the Earth and destroying the landscape is just going to put-off the inevitable catastrophic energy shortage. .......New oil drilling will not help us with gas prices now anyway. New drilling would take a decade or more to even come on line to begin with.

how about doing both at the same time? perhaps if we had started drilling years ago when people shouted no, we would not be in this predicament.

[glockmail]

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=122733

This is pretty interesting. That's allot of oil! Can it be extracted without mining?

[DragonStryk72]

It costs up to three times more to refine shale as it does liquid oil reserves because it can't be simply pumped out like liquid reserves. Not to mention, getting the infrastructure up and running would take a decade or two.

Oh well then, guess we won't get any green cars either, I mean, those things are expensive.

[Little-Acorn]

Can it be extracted without mining?

As far as I know, no, not with present technology.

Of course, coming up with new technologies has long been the US's forte. Be awful nice if it happened here, and soon. Some companies are looking into using microwaves underground somehow, to cause the oil to flow out of the shale. No breakthroughs yet that I've heard of.

As has been pointed out, we can get the oil out of the shale now. But it costs a lot to do it. Someone mentioned a break-even point of $70/bbl, which we've far exceeded. That's the good news: Shale oil can now be produced at the prices currently being paid, and then some.

The bad news is, such production will only be economically feasible if the prices stay HIGH. Wasn't our whole reason for trying to find new, unused sources like this, to drive the price DOWN?

[glockmail]

As far as I know, no, not with present technology.

Of course, coming up with new technologies has long been the US's forte. Be awful nice if it happened here, and soon. Some companies are looking into using microwaves underground somehow, to cause the oil to flow out of the shale. No breakthroughs yet that I've heard of.

As has been pointed out, we can get the oil out of the shale now. But it costs a lot to do it. Someone mentioned a break-even point of $70/bbl, which we've far exceeded. That's the good news: Shale oil can now be produced at the prices currently being paid, and then some.

The bad news is, such production will only be economically feasible if the prices stay HIGH. Wasn't our whole reason for trying to find new, unused sources like this, to drive the price DOWN? One reason we import the stuff is because it's cheaper to do so. Although I dread $100 fill ups for my Expedition and $1200 fill ups for my house, in a way I'm glad that the price is high, so we can put huge pressure on the enviro-nuts here and start drilling and building nukes. Less imports will mean a more secure America as well as a stronger dollar.

When you consider the money we spend on security for the Middle East it probably adds $100 to the cost of a drum of oil. If we weren't buying oil from them they wouldn't have the cash to make problems for us.

[AFbombloader]

Well I'm more about looking for sudden and revolutionary change. I think clinging to fossil fuels and wasting time sucking every last drop out of the Earth and destroying the landscape is just going to put-off the inevitable catastrophic energy shortage. We have the technology now to power our homes, businesses and vehicles with nuclear and renewable power sources. I've seen cars powered with vegetable oil biodiesel, electric cars as good or better than any sportscar currently on the market http://www.teslamotors.com/, neighborhoods powered by methane refined from cow dung http://www.canada.com/theprovince/features/gogreen/story.html?id=4d70cd73-197f-4681-bc3a-a720b885441c, cars can be converted to use LP (propane), which is cleaner burning and higher octane and cheaper than gasoline. France is proof that an entire country can run on nuclear power with no incidents. Iceland runs a large part of its power grid on thermal heat from the Earth. There is wind, solar and hydro power. The Chinese run most if not all of their urban hot-water heaters on solar power http://www.psfk.com/2008/06/solar-water-heaters-in-china.html. Brazil has invested millions, if not billions into sugar-cane ethanol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil. Not to mention the great energy-storing car technologies that our car companies are purposefully keeping in the test lab instead of on the car lot due to lobbying from the oil companies. Doing the hard work to switch to those sources now will save us a major headache in the future.
New oil drilling will not help us with gas prices now anyway. New drilling would take a decade or more to even come on line to begin with.

All these are great, and I think we should do all of them. BUT, each one of those countries still needs oil and products that come from it. We should be getting as much oil as we can from ourselves. Keep the money here in America, not the middle east.

AF:salute:

[PostmodernProphet]

coal based oil fueled Hitler's war machine during WW2.....from a 2007 article....


According to the Department of Energy, oil needs to remain near $50 a barrel for liquid coal to be cost competitive.

Its biggest selling point: the huge amounts of coal in the United States, and the desire for a new energy source to wean us away from oil. The downside? Questions linger over how clean the technology is, as well as its cost.

Lawmakers are currently weighing all these issues as they craft energy legislation in this era of high oil prices, terrorism fears, and growing concerns over the potentially disastrous effects of unchecked global warming.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/20/news/economy/coal_liquid/index.htm

[Kathianne]

Well I'm more about looking for sudden and revolutionary change. I think clinging to fossil fuels and wasting time sucking every last drop out of the Earth and destroying the landscape is just going to put-off the inevitable catastrophic energy shortage. We have the technology now to power our homes, businesses and vehicles with nuclear and renewable power sources. I've seen cars powered with vegetable oil biodiesel, electric cars as good or better than any sportscar currently on the market http://www.teslamotors.com/, neighborhoods powered by methane refined from cow dung http://www.canada.com/theprovince/features/gogreen/story.html?id=4d70cd73-197f-4681-bc3a-a720b885441c, cars can be converted to use LP (propane), which is cleaner burning and higher octane and cheaper than gasoline. France is proof that an entire country can run on nuclear power with no incidents. Iceland runs a large part of its power grid on thermal heat from the Earth. There is wind, solar and hydro power. The Chinese run most if not all of their urban hot-water heaters on solar power http://www.psfk.com/2008/06/solar-water-heaters-in-china.html. Brazil has invested millions, if not billions into sugar-cane ethanol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil. Not to mention the great energy-storing car technologies that our car companies are purposefully keeping in the test lab instead of on the car lot due to lobbying from the oil companies. Doing the hard work to switch to those sources now will save us a major headache in the future.
New oil drilling will not help us with gas prices now anyway. New drilling would take a decade or more to even come on line to begin with.
Ok. How long before the 'new' possibilities come online? How long is too long for old technologies? 2 years, 5 years, 10 years? What if the outside guesses of 10 years, were reduced to 3 because of incentives? Then ok?

Bottom line, the US needs to start development of all possibilities, yesterday. If in the meantime, something is developed better than fossil fuel, great. If not, asap we'll be online and able to refine. Not happening under Obama.

[MtnBiker]

New drilling would take a decade or more to even come on line to begin with.

How do you know that?

[namvet]

It costs up to three times more to refine shale as it does liquid oil reserves because it can't be simply pumped out like liquid reserves. Not to mention, getting the infrastructure up and running would take a decade or two.

why is it no matter how dark, you keep pulling down the shades????