Oil problems: Drilling in Alaska

[Mountain-God]

As already stated, not enough oil in Alaska to make it worth it...

For it to be profitable, it must be carried out much as that in Siberia - where there is virtually no adherance to safety and environmental considerations.

Oil pipe breaks? Stop oil flow? No way, keep it pumping out 100sq2km slicks into the environment - pay the fines it's cheaper than adhering to regulations.

 

[zjl56]

We should toward alternative means soon. For now we should move towards biodiesel and ethanol.

 

[vikingruler]

don't kill the animals, don't drill in alaska. btw i'm not a PETA person i just like animals. also, as a couple people said drilling won't help us a lot it will just delay the inevitable which is running out of oil. i think all the money and scientists being poured into oil companies and producing hybrid cars, which is also just another delay, should work on mastering hydro and solar power. we won't run out of solar power, and when the sun blows up mankind we have another power source and be able to flee our solar system. hydro power won't run out, i think i mean all water is just reused so hydro power water should also be reused, anyone know more about that? solar cars have already been produced, they are covered in solar panels but it is progress and we could make a lot more if we just spend more money on those programs. i also know that numerous spots in israel use solar panels to power homes and a number of items use solar power in the u.s.

 

[amadeus]

Why should all the animal and plant life in the Wildlife reserve(which is where the oil is) be displaced because we are too short-sighted to find some other energy source?

Yes, all of Alaska is going to be shut off to animals and evacuated. We're going to uproot every plant and every deer and shove them into Canada.

The proposed area is less than .1% of Alaska.

 

[farting bob]

So RM, what is your idea to solve the long term problem of oil shortage? drill more and ignore the fact its going to run out, or try and gradually convert to using renewable sources?
Alaska isnt worth it, neither is coastal drilling i heard mentioned, both due to high setup costs and only a short term output before its dried up. Solar energy is the way forward IMO.

 

[amadeus]

My solution is to not install arbitrary rules. There wasn't a law that said the horse and buggy had to be replaced by a certain date. It simply happened as a result of technological and economic development. Same with just about every other new invention in history.

 

[IglooDame]

So RM, what is your idea to solve the long term problem of oil shortage? drill more and ignore the fact its going to run out, or try and gradually convert to using renewable sources?
Alaska isnt worth it, neither is coastal drilling i heard mentioned, both due to high setup costs and only a short term output before its dried up. Solar energy is the way forward IMO.

Just out of curiosity, why would BP (the primary driller on the North Slope now) be pushing so hard to open ANWR for drilling, then?

I'm not trying to make a point, I'm just perplexed.

 

[North King]

My solution is to not install arbitrary rules. There wasn't a law that said the horse and buggy had to be replaced by a certain date. It simply happened as a result of technological and economic development. Same with just about every other new invention in history.

Interestingly enough, our economy was *not* dependant on the horse and buggy.

We should toward alternative means soon. For now we should move towards biodiesel and ethanol.

That only transfers energy. It takes more energy to grow the stuff you put into it than you get our of it. And to refine it, and so on. Wind and nuclear look the most promising, at this point. Solar, after they refine it a bit.

 

[Mountain-God]

Yes, all of Alaska is going to be shut off to animals and evacuated. We're going to uproot every plant and every deer and shove them into Canada.

The proposed area is less than .1% of Alaska.

That's untrue - if you're going to put people's opinions downn, why don't you actually check your facts

 

[Babbler]

If it we have, I would support it. But I don't see that need; Alberta is enough.

 

[amadeus]

Interestingly enough, our economy was *not* dependant on the horse and buggy.

That's because we had a better way of moving goods - the railway.

 

[newfangle]

Alright guys, I'll let you in on the inside track here.

Northern Alberta is home to a lot of tar sands.
Here are some facts and figures:
-proven reserves match that of Saudi Arabia
-actual reserves are most likely significantly greater
-removing oil from tarsands has become a much more efficient process (~$20/brl)
-the oil extracted from said oil sands is of the 'light' crude variety, which is much more easily processed into car gasoline than so-called 'heavy' crude
-Canadian Oilsands Trust, an income trust that operates a 35.49% chunk of an oilsands giant called Syncrude could be easily purchased by a major US firm for ~12 billion dollars. Compare this with the $18 billion China was willing to spend on a US company. What does this mean? The US should really consider taking a more vested interested in the Alberta sands before China does.
-Massive pipelines are being constructed from the tar sands to the West coast of BC. Obviously this oil is NOT going to the US. One guess as to where its going.
-Alberta is close to the US. There are obvious economic benefits to this.
-Dick Cheney was scheduled to visit the sands this week but the trip was postponed due to obvious circumstances on the homefront. Mark my words, as soon as Cheney visits Northern Alberta there will be a HUGE buildup of interested in the region.
-And now for a little stock prices. Canadian Oilsands Trust is currently valued at $127 Cdn per unit. I bought it at $51 exactly one year ago. Most market analysts predict that once COS reaches maximum capacity (in less than one year when socalled "phase three" is initiated increasing the output of one of the major refining facilities by 50%), the price per unit will most likely rise to the $200-300 range. If a firm decides to pruchase the entire working share of COS for 12 billion, that corresponds to $200/share, which merely indicates that could be the lower end of the bidding.

So to summerize, a great deal of Americans oil woes may be found in Alberta. Its a friendly country completely free of turmoil. Add to that one of the freest economies in the Western world and you've got a recipe for ecnomic success.

Anyways, food for thought.

 

[luiz]

-And now for a little stock prices. Canadian Oilsands Trust is currently valued at $127 Cdn per unit. I bought it at $51 exactly one year ago.

You could have shared that information with me one year ago

Seriously now, that is interesting stuff and I'll do some research.

 

[Gogf]

Alright guys, I'll let you in on the inside track here.

Northern Alberta is home to a lot of tar sands.
Here are some facts and figures:
-proven reserves match that of Saudi Arabia
-actual reserves are most likely significantly greater
-removing oil from tarsands has become a much more efficient process (~$20/brl)
-the oil extracted from said oil sands is of the 'light' crude variety, which is much more easily processed into car gasoline than so-called 'heavy' crude
-Canadian Oilsands Trust, an income trust that operates a 35.49% chunk of an oilsands giant called Syncrude could be easily purchased by a major US firm for ~12 billion dollars. Compare this with the $18 billion China was willing to spend on a US company. What does this mean? The US should really consider taking a more vested interested in the Alberta sands before China does.
-Massive pipelines are being constructed from the tar sands to the West coast of BC. Obviously this oil is NOT going to the US. One guess as to where its going.
-Alberta is close to the US. There are obvious economic benefits to this.
-Dick Cheney was scheduled to visit the sands this week but the trip was postponed due to obvious circumstances on the homefront. Mark my words, as soon as Cheney visits Northern Alberta there will be a HUGE buildup of interested in the region.
-And now for a little stock prices. Canadian Oilsands Trust is currently valued at $127 Cdn per unit. I bought it at $51 exactly one year ago. Most market analysts predict that once COS reaches maximum capacity (in less than one year when socalled "phase three" is initiated increasing the output of one of the major refining facilities by 50%), the price per unit will most likely rise to the $200-300 range. If a firm decides to pruchase the entire working share of COS for 12 billion, that corresponds to $200/share, which merely indicates that could be the lower end of the bidding.

So to summerize, a great deal of Americans oil woes may be found in Alberta. Its a friendly country completely free of turmoil. Add to that one of the freest economies in the Western world and you've got a recipe for ecnomic success.

Anyways, food for thought.

Whether or not this is true, it's not an answer to our problems. We'll still run out of oil, and just postponing it won't do any good. Our solution is to find other fuels. There is enough oil in Saudi Arabia to last us until we can do that.

Ethanol and biodiesel can be made with nuclear power, solar, hydroelectric, or wind power. However, hydrogen, and possibly long-lasting batteries that are recharged at "gas stations" should be used once they can be developed.

 

[Masquerouge]

Drilling oil in Alaska is not the solution. What you want is get rid of anything making you dependent on oil.
Taking painkillers when you hurt is only good in the short term.

But I wish some government/company had the balls to flip the finger to the oil business and start REALLY researching other energy sources.
I mean, it's obvious there are LOTS of money to be done there. The only problem ?You have to be able to look 20 years in the future, oh my, what about my quarterly profits ??!!??

 

[FriendlyFire]

Yes, all of Alaska is going to be shut off to animals and evacuated. We're going to uproot every plant and every deer and shove them into Canada.

The proposed area is less than .1% of Alaska.

Unless of course there is an "accident" of some kind
Personally let them drill for oil but attacking the supply side is only part of the solution. It will buy us some additional time, we must put this to good use

 

[IglooDame]

That's untrue - if you're going to put people's opinions downn, why don't you actually check your facts

And if you're going to correct someone, it is customary to actually provide a source rather than an unsupported "you're wrong".

 

[North King]

That's because we had a better way of moving goods - the railway.

The point missed you by a mile, or you missed the point by a similar distance. The point is, it didn't matter, converting away from the horse and buggy, because, A) horse and buggies were not going to run out anytime soon so it could be rather gradual, B) when the horse and buggy system was replaced, we were not replacing our entire economic system.

 

[Cheetah]

And let's not forget that the railway is still a cleaner, healthier, faster and cheaper way of moving goods.

A good railway-system could probably help a lot.