Replies

Evans-Prichard's article is wildly incorrect in virtually every statement on U.S. current and future petroleum production. I think the problem is that he doesn't understand the industry, but just shoots from the hip to meet his deadline. He confuses shale gas and shale oil. He massively overstates future production and flags 350,000 bbl/day as significant. Does he mean bbl of oil equivalent in gas? Gas production may replace some coal consumption over a decade or so, but nothing like E-P states. The U.S. is not dependent on Middle East oil, rather Venezualan and Canadian crude. The list goes on. So half of the article is incorrect. It fits with his thesis, though, so that may be the reason.

I'm disappointed with E-P. I have found his work valuable over the years, often exposing what the U.S. MSM would not.

The BCG material that he lifted is largely correct, but I smell a Democrat-induced theme that stimulus spending, money-printing and a weak dollar is good for America because it strengthens domestic manufacturing. You see GM prominently mentioned in the two BCG articles. This will be an Obama re-election theme.

I'm from Missouri on the entire article.

Shale gas and shale oil are great but consider this, one or two deep water fields can equal all the production of North Dakota and it takes a lot less in the way of resources to do it. It is also a lot less demanding in terms of land area and is much less visible.

The deep water Wilcox trend stretches for hundreds of miles in the Gulf of Mexico and if developed efficiently would put the Baaken to shame. On top of the Wilcox the underlying Carbonate section could dwarf even the Wilcox. Technology is being developed to access this potentially immense hydrocarbon bearing horizon but foolish and unreasonable regulations borne of Mocondo and dictated by the obastard administration are blocking progress in every way possible.

Because of the salt canopy over most of the Gulf of Mexico the liquid hydrocarbon window extends past 40,000 feet. This is a national treasure unique in the world so far. Salt and deepwater allow the temperature in the earth in this region to remain low and within the liquid hydrocarbon window to great depths.