High fuel prices: shale is the answer

[Cyclefrance]

Let's hope they're right. It was a major and sustained price hike back in the 70's that made North Sea exploration viable. Before this, the relatively expensive technology for achieving deep-water drilling in adverse condition was prohibitive. Oil shale has long been an area where cost-effective and successful extraction was the obstacle. Maybe this crisis is strong enough to justify the spend that will see the problem solved on a longterm basis.

[Griff]

"Where will they put the refineries?", asked Mr. Nimby.

[smoothmoniker]

Originally Posted by Griff

"Where will they put the refineries?", asked Mr. Nimby.

Put it

here .

Ronnie Reagan put a stop to alternative energy research back in 1980. The Western slope of Colorado was all set to go with the oil shale thing back then when the plug got pulled. I have camped in spots on the Uncomphaghre Plateau where I could literally set the rocks on fire because of the amount of oil shale present. The problem is that a very beautiful part of our country would be ecologically devastated, but its only a matter of time IMO. Refineries could be built in either Denver or Grand Junction.

[Cyclefrance]

The second item (currently) on this link gives more info on Shell's technology (being used in China) and oil shale reserves/recovery.

This article quotes prices for oil having to be sustained in the range $70-$90 to justify shale oil extraction - seems more realistic to me than the $30 quoted in the other article.

[mitheral]

Originally Posted by Cyclefrance

The second item (currently) on this link gives more info on Shell's technology (being used in China) and oil shale reserves/recovery.

This article quotes prices for oil having to be sustained in the range $70-$90 to justify shale oil extraction - seems more realistic to me than the $30 quoted in the other article.

Oil sands are very viable at $30. I wonder how much more difficult shale is than sands.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Cyclefrance

Let's hope they're right. It was a major and sustained price hike back in the 70's that made North Sea exploration viable. Before this, the relatively expensive technology for achieving deep-water drilling in adverse condition was prohibitive. Oil shale has long been an area where cost-effective and successful extraction was the obstacle. Maybe this crisis is strong enough to justify the spend that will see the problem solved on a longterm basis.

You are forgetting where most of the solution came from back in the 1970s. American cars were averaging under 10 miles per gallon. Homes were routinely constructed without insulation because energy was so cheap. Even in the 1960s, a large block V-8 American car did upwards of 17 MPG. So what changed? Japanese demonstrated 1960 American technologies in superior vehicles. Suddenly America cars were averaging over 20 MPG.

So what happened. Congress protected SUVs. SUV now average something like 12 MPG. Want to solve a shortage of energy. Look what happened in the 1970s. America threw bean counters into the rubbish. Patriots (also known as innovators) were finally empowered (sometimes by Federal law) to sell innovations that had been possible ten and more years ago. Suddenly America stopped importing more than 50% of its oil. New sources of oil had little to do with it. Innovation and the resulting efficiencies mostly solved the oil crisis.

This lesson of history is largely ignored by the former oil company executives that now dominate the George Jr administration and their spin.

Previously, a discussion about Horsepower per liter demonstrated how grossly inefficient American automobiles really are. It explains why an American consumes more than twice the energy every day to do the same thing as any Frenchman, German, Brit, Japanese, etc. You can assume that maybe one in ten consumed energy unit acutally moves that vehicle. Look at those numbers. Burn ten units of energy to only get one useful unit of work. It demonstrates why innovation and the resulting increases in efficiency have long been available - and stifled by a country that promotes a 1968 technology engine in SUVs, pickup trucks, and other examples of anti-American products.

As demonstrated repeatedly in history, the solution is always found first and formost in innovation. Innovation is exactly what the George Jr administration is not promoting in things like their recent Energy Bill.