Is Oil Shale The Answer?

alanburkhart.com ^ | 09-30-05 | Alan Burkhart

[neverhome]

Is Oil Shale The Answer?
September 30, 2005 by Alan Burkhart
With fuel prices skyrocketing many people are thinking that extracting petroleum from a soft rock known as oil shale may provide an answer to America’s energy woes by providing an additional source of crude. Although no one is saying that oil shale could replace traditional exploration, I have serious doubts about its viability. I’m not ruling it out, mind you, but if history is to be our guide we likely have little to gain and much to lose by sinking money into the expensive process of extracting oil from stone.

It isn’t alchemy. Shale contains high concentrations of kerogen, which is the precursor to hydrocarbons. Oil shale is plentiful in the Northwestern United States, some say plentiful enough to produce over two trillion barrels of crude oil. The Bureau of Land Management has as of this writing received nineteen nominations for leases on federal land to begin research and development for producing oil from shale. Ten of the nominations are in Colorado, eight in Utah, and one in Wyoming.

So… how do you get oil out of a rock?

[RightWhale]

Exxon, BP, Shell, the usual friends of civilization, will produce this oil when it is time to produce this oil.

[John Jamieson]

These rocks burn, that's good thing.

I expect that coal liquefaction will prove cheaper, but bring it all on.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Read of a company in Vernal UT all excited with what it claims is the best and most economical process to date. Supposedly it has passed all EPA requirements.

The enviro Nazis have always thrown a fit over what to do with the huge amount of waste residue oil shale processing produces, which is a contaminate. The new process leaves the waste in an inert form which can be used for road paving with just small additions of asphalt. It can also be used in construction for making cinder blocks, in concrete, fire proof building siding, or even for land fill purposes.

Hoping this method proves feasible beyond the laboratory phase. I would rather pay for American energy and the jobs which would come from it, than just continue giving more and more petrol dollars to a bunch of rag heads and other jerk offs abroad.

[ctlpdad]

Is it coal liquefaction? I've hear of coal gasification, and soil liquefaction under earthquake conditions, but not coal liquefaction. Not trying to be a dick, just never hear the term.

In any case, the wizards at Mega Oil know what price per barrel is necessary to extract oil from the shale. I have to beleive they are there, but are concerned if the price will stay as high as it is. I remember reading about oil shale as a kid, and they do have the big oils sands operation currently extracting oil way up in Canada.

[neverhome]

[I would rather pay for American energy and the jobs which would come from it, than just continue giving more and more petrol dollars to a bunch of rag heads...]

I was working in the oilpatch in the 80's when they started plugging producing wells in favor of importing Arab oil. A heckuva lot of Americans ended up jobless because of all the goings-on back then. There's a busy oilfield where I live now but I don't trust it. Feast one day, famine the next.

[Keith in Iowa]

Short-term, maybe. Long-term, we need alternatives to petroleum.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

I am retired oil field trash, the industry fell apart in the late 80's when OPEC over produced and drove a great many businesses and workers out. I pulled the pin in 91 when company made a good offer for enhanced early out package.

[John Jamieson]

"Coal Liquefaction (CO-06)
Coal is a solid material that is primarily carbon and hydrogen but may also have significant inorganic matter and absorbed moisture. Coal has only about half as much hydrogen and far more nitrogen, oxygen, and ash than petroleum does.

Coal liquefaction is the conversion of coal to produce synthetic fuels. To convert coal to synthetic fuels, a process has been developed that requires the coal to be in contact with a hydrogen environment at high temperatures and pressures.

The major objective of coal liquefaction is to produce synthetic oil to supplement the natural sources of petroleum. Liquid and solid products from coal can be used for fueling transportation vehicles, providing fuels for power generation, and yielding raw materials for chemicals. Operating commercial coal-liquefaction plants will be expensive, but their products should find a ready market when world oil production declines."

[ctlpdad]

Cool. Thanks for the info. Off to google more!

[ctlpdad]

Cool. Thanks for the info. Off to google more!

[neverhome]

[I pulled the pin in 91 when company made a good offer for enhanced early out package.]

I went from hauling oilfield machinery to hauling food products. No matter where the food comes from, people have to eat. OTR trucking has tons of regulatory headaches, but at least it's steady work.

[RightWhale]

It leaves a mountain of broken pottery. No reason not to use this, too, even though it is not particularly high grade gravel. It might do for footpaths and zen gardens.

[FDNYRHEROES]

IS OIL SHALE THE ANSWER?

Let me get this straight...Do you mean, Is oil shale the answer, the answer to the question, Is oil shale the answer?