Posted on 02/04/2013 6:55:01 PM PST by neverdem
The United States is sitting on massive natural gas and oil reserves that have the potential to shift the geopolitical balance in its favor. Worries are increasing in Russia and the Arab states of waning influence and falling market prices.
Williston, North Dakota, is a bleak little city in the vast American prairie. It's dusty in the summer and frigid in the winter. Moose hunting is one of the few sources of entertainment. But despite its drawbacks, Williston has seen its population more than double within a short period of time.
The city is so overcrowded that new arrivals often have no place to stay but in their motor homes, which, at monthly parking fees of $1,200 (€880), isn't exactly inexpensive. And more people continue to arrive in this nondescript little town.
The reason for the influx is simple: Geologists have discovered a layer of shale saturated with natural gas and oil deep beneath the city. The Bakken formation, spanning thousands of square kilometers, has become synonymous with an American economic miracle that the country hasn't experienced since the oil rush almost 100 years ago.
North Dakota now has virtual full employment, and the state budget showed an estimated surplus of $1.6 billion in 2012. Truck drivers in the state make $100,000 a year, while the strippers being brought in from Las Vegas rake in more than $1,000 a night. President Barack Obama calls the discovery of Bakken and similar shale gas formations in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Utah a "stroke of luck," saying: "We have a hundred years' worth of energy right beneath our feet."
A Vital Nerve
The future of the American energy supply was looking grim until recently. With its own resources waning, the United States was dependent on Arab oil sheiks and erratic dictators. Rising...
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
This is absolutely not in the progressives’ play book. They will HAVE to find a way to stop it.
So far they are knocked back on their heels and reeling. But don’t count them out. I bet they are planning their assault on the industry as we type.
3.50 a gallon isn’t winning anything with me.
Ping
I read that headline a bit too fast at first. Major confusion.
Progressives would Nationalize energy production without a second thought..
Don’t think they are not thinking of it either..
Republicans to STOP them from doing it?...
SLAP SLAP... Wake up... get real here..
The pubbies are in epileptic seizure..
Unfortunately for them, there are very, very few credible examples of dangers. The attempts have gone nowhere. Thus fracking has gone gang-busters in the last couple of years.
Absolutely. But if facts don’t support their case they make up new facts.
This is wrecking the communists. Fracking is 1000 feet feet below water tables.maybe 2000 feet. leakage goes down. It has shattered their desire to kill this great nation,
My fear is that they will squander this resource by stealing all of the proceeds.
The energy resources is our ticket out of this financial morass we've created. Our only ticket.
I agree with you. The fact of the matter is that this will eventually be resolved one way or another by compulsion. Their position is so retrograde and Luddite, that in the long run it is most likely the left that will be obliterated.
Today Mary Fallin, the governor of Oklahoma gave her State of the State address.
The state fleet is being converted to natural gas fuel. Infrastructure is being developed for natural gas fuel dispensing.
One of the people working on this reported to her that he had driven one of the new vehicles about 200 miles and it only took about $5.00 of fuel to achieve.
Senate to introduce gun control bill without assault weapons ban
More Jobs and More Babies, Please (Without them, our social programs will fail)
Why an American ‘manufacturing renaissance’ wouldn’t create many manufacturing jobs
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
Senate to introduce gun control bill without assault weapons ban
More Jobs and More Babies, Please (Without them, our social programs will fail)
Why an American ‘manufacturing renaissance’ wouldn’t create many manufacturing jobs
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
Some truckers here might mke $100 thousnd a year. None that I know. The oil truckers might but I doubt it. My best guess is it’s the water haulers that could reach that level of income.
They stay out there for days at a time, shower and eat when they fuel. They are paid twenty four/ 7 . Sleep when they can, haul water when called
Water trucks like the kind that spray down roadside construction??
They will continue to look for other ways to defeat fracking but they will be stymied for some time IMO since most of their forces are marshalling in defense positions on gore-bull warming.
Thanks for the ping!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.