Posted on 01/02/2007 10:21:37 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Right. My "billion barrels" is from talking to an oil geologist here who is familiar with their discovery (as well as being one of the few geologists predicting oil finds in the Great Basin for at least 10 years) and how much more exploration they need to do to nail down the really big numbers. A billion is explained to me as "safe" based on the information/science there now, and greater estimates will take more exploration and a lot more money.
I've grown up in the oil industry and such an area. San Juan county gives the USA huge chunk of natural gas.
From time to time I've ran across folks in the industry who have been in a position to know. They've affirmed such a deliberate secret locking away of oil resources to varying degrees.
In this part of Ohio we have had several oil booms (and busts) over the past 100+ years, and thus we have a fair amount of oil producers. I've talked to several of them and they all say that the US govt policy is to preserve as much of our oil as we can---just as you say---for the day when the others run dry.
Thanks for the confirmation.
Interesting.
Yeah, no zot for you. I'm with you.
I dunno. The Gub'mint can't get a postcard delivered on time one time out of ten... I have a hard time believing that more than 3 people can get together, form policy that would be disastrously unpopular if true, and quietly implement that policy across a double handful of states with wildly varying personality types in managerial control... across a gereration or two.
But I'm a cynic.
The evidence indicates otherwise.
And, I have seen the government capable of keeping incredible things secret when it makes up it's mind sufficiently to do so.
OK, I'll bite. Excluding the Manhattan project, and including the effect of new communication measures such as email, name me a couple, if you would. Thanks!
I first became aware of this when I sought to have an oil/gas well on my property. I discovered that the tax breaks, of which I was well-aware because of having grown up here and being familiar with the local oil boom of the 50's-70's, no longer existed. In fact that is what caused the boom to bust in the late 70's.
Because oil and gas exploration is still, but less profitable (and more risky), it continues, nevertheless. That is, if you're good at the business. I speak with these remaining oil developers on a weekly basis (since I'm still pursuing my own well). What I've learned from these tried and true, professional oil developers is that the govt., despite its public posture, regards the security issue of oil/gas availability as something which must be safeguarded above all other issues.
Thus, local oil/gas exploration efforts are hampered by at least two conflicting forces.
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