Bakken Oil Reserves
My father-in-law received an email forwarding an article entitled, “World’s Biggest Oil Reserves In S Dakota, E Montana”, posing itself as a “7-7-9” United States Geological Survey article. I went to the USGS.gov site and couldn’t find the article in their 2009 “newsroom” but found the April 8, 2008 article which was referenced. While the 7/7/09 article and the hyperbole it contains may be contrived, the data referenced and the link given are real. You may safely click on the link. http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911
It seems that the author of the contrived article apparently accurately (giving the benefit of the doubt without using a calculator) extrapolated the ‘08 article facts into comparisons with the world in order to give an enhanced understanding; there is no such expansion of thought in the ‘08 article.
The USGS article states that there are an estimated 3.75 billion barrels of oil in the Bakken basin, but conditionally: “Technically recoverable oil resources are those producible using currently available technology and industry practices.” The technology in 1990, when the last previous survey was made revealed only 151 million barrels available with the technology at that time. The reserves haven’t changed, but the recovery methods have. What methods have been added? At least one of the methods is chemical injection. The chemicals leach into the aquifers. Western Colorado environmentalists have been and are currently fighting this method because of the effects on the water supply.
I think it’s unfair to obfuscate the issues by using the unilateral term “environmentalists” without also naming the issues which are the crux. If … and it’s a BIG IF … oil is available without harming our fresh water supplies, then I might be for extracting it. Oh, it would cost a moose or two, and perhaps a hitherto unknown species of gnat, and it might cost a tree or two, but water is to me a more valuable resource than oil, especially with the population growth we are seeing right now. I can’t re-hydrate my body with oil, so driving my car seems supercilious. (I’ve waited soooo long to use that word!)
That all being said, our Government should be compelled to make some hard … and perhaps unpopular … choices about harvesting our oil reserves and about the building of nuclear energy plants. Did you like the segue?
Nuclear energy is the way to go in the long term for all the right reasons: cost/kwh, pollution, delivery system, etc. Oh, and the buzz about Yucca Mountain, NV not being a good idea for storing nuclear waste? It seems that now, after much hemming and hawing, word leaking out of Congress indicates that they are ready to “sacrifice” the potential harm to 1,100 NV residents for the good of the 100 million others who live near where the nuclear waste might otherwise be stored. That’s not really a hard decision now, is it? Generals and Admirals have been making those decisions for milennia.
On this day in history: 1908 – Henry Ford’s first Model T, the“Tin Lizzie”, rolls off the assembly line, costing $850; 1990 – The skeleton of “Sue”, a Tyrannosaurus Rex was discovered in Faith, S. Dakota
On a positive note: Just when you might be tempted to be cynical about the veracity of human beings, a refreshing waft of good news arrives. As reported by the London Evening Standard, Surangie Joseph misplaced her shoulder bag in the London Underground while being a tourist. Her bag was turned in to one of the previous stations through which she passed. By an anonymous Good Samaritan. With all $3,800 in cash intact. Wow!
Blessings.