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Arctic oil drilling: Beyond the myths
Boston Herald ^ | 2/28/02

Posted on 02/28/2002 12:54:45 AM PST by kattracks

The energy bill coming up in the Senate this week offers the chance for at least one major improvement in energy policy, the exploration for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

The issue has prompted environmentalists to generate too many scare stories. The beauty of the refuge and the welfare of the wildlife using it would be no more threatened by oil exploration and production than they are in the two dozen other wildlife refuges where oil and gas have long been produced.

The importance of the refuge is not that its oil will replace imports - there simply isn't enough there. The importance is the influence on the world price that such a large field (some estimates say 16 billion barrels, rivaling the giant Prudhoe Bay field nearby) would have. There is only one world market for crude oil, and the last barrel produced sets the price for all of them. In other words, it's an essential insurance that makes price increases caused by OPEC's production shenanigans (the real oil threat to the U.S. economy) far less likely.

Proponents of drilling will offer an amendment along the lines of what the House approved in the bill it passed last year. Sen. John Kerry has promised a filibuster against it. With the aim of winning votes to defeat Kerry, the Bush administration may propose a smaller exploration area than what is in the House bill (500,000 acres vs. 1.5 million; the entire refuge is 19.6 million acres, almost the size of Maine).

This is a good example of yielding on a non-essential in the service of the larger point, and gives the drillers a chance to bring out an important fact: Modern production methods have less impact on the environment than ever. Slant drilling techniques can reach huge underground areas from one point. If there is oil there (you never know unless you look) all the needed production platforms would occupy an area smaller than Logan Airport.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: energylist; enviralists
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To: all4one
I'm with you. I am tired of our dependency on the arrogant kingdoms in the midlle east. We will pay a far bigger price if we don't tap into our natural resources now.
21 posted on 02/28/2002 9:54:47 AM PST by FR_addict
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To: jdub
"It is flat, desolate, and pretty much nothing but permafrost."

No, no, they also have mosquitos big enough to stand flat-footed and . . . Never mind. :)

22 posted on 02/28/2002 10:01:55 AM PST by walden
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To: Puppage;Wright is right!
Disturbance does not necessarily mean that more animals die or that animals are necessarily hurt. BUT, if animals were mating at certain before the pipeline, and then at a higher rate after directly because of the pipeline (a non-natural occurance) this population has been disturbed.


Wright, I'll have you notice the polar bear dens designated by green dots, and the carabou density in the proposed drilling area.

Like I said before, I'm not against drilling. It would just be nice if we can do it with as minimal damage as possible. Relax guys.

23 posted on 02/28/2002 10:09:59 AM PST by realpatriot71
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To: Stand Watch Listen
bttt
24 posted on 02/28/2002 11:32:16 AM PST by Free the USA
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To: kattracks
What kills me is that the Pusian Gulf is a very fragile environment too. Should more drilling take place there? Where is an environmentalist when you need one?
25 posted on 02/28/2002 11:47:02 AM PST by smithson
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To: all4one
Time to buy a bigger SUV, and buy stock in the drilling company that sets-up the first platform. I am behind any American initiative that will help get the Middle Eastern oil monkey off our back.

Those two sentences are completely in opposition to each other. The oil companies are the ones buying oil from Saudi Arabia.

The fastest and most effective way of reducing or eliminating our dependence on Persian Gulf oil would be to cut back consumption. There is no way that the ANWR can provide enough to even replace the Persian Gulf oil.

26 posted on 02/28/2002 12:12:37 PM PST by Looking for Diogenes
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To: smithson
What kills me is that the Pusian Gulf is a very fragile environment too. Should more drilling take place there?

That place is already trashed. Would you prefer to keep spilling oil in an already oil-saturated foreign land, or start spilling it in a pristine part of the US?

27 posted on 02/28/2002 12:14:50 PM PST by Looking for Diogenes
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To: realpatriot71
Like I said before, I'm not against drilling. It would just be nice if we can do it with as minimal damage as possible.

I agree. All the oil in the earth that can be practically removed will be removed at some time and in some way. Proponents of drilling say that modern drilling techniques are far superior to those of even 10 years ago. Great. Think how much better they will be in another 10 years. Let's wait until then.

28 posted on 02/28/2002 12:17:01 PM PST by Looking for Diogenes
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To: Puppage
But to say that they thrive due to the so-called warmth given off by the pipeline is asinine.

Why is that asinine? If these animals like warmth and/or warmth increases their fertility, then warmth (from whatever source) can conceivably help them thrive. Right? I don't understand your objection.

29 posted on 02/28/2002 12:26:37 PM PST by Dr. Frank fan
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To: Looking for Diogenes
The fastest and most effective way of reducing or eliminating our dependence on Persian Gulf oil would be to cut back consumption.

Why is Cutting Back On Consumption necessarily "faster" or "more effective" than Increasing Production? I suppose that in an extreme way you are correct. If we reduced our Consumption to 0 then we would immediately reduce our dependence on Persian Gulf oil. But, I don't think that's what we want to do.

There is no way that the ANWR can provide enough to even replace the Persian Gulf oil.

This is true, but I don't see how it is relevant. Why must we "replace" the Persian Gulf oil? I'd settle for giving it some competition, lowering prices, reducing their ability to blackmail us, etc.

Also, since your goal now seems to be to "replace" Persian Gulf oil, can we assume that you would favor opening ALL federally-owned lands to drilling, WHEREVER it is deemed that oil might be present?

Would you prefer to keep spilling oil in an already oil-saturated foreign land, or start spilling it in a pristine part of the US?

Who said anything about "spilling" oil? Try to keep up. We want the oil, because we use it for our economy. We don't want to "spill" it.

Also, please define "pristine". Then kindly explain to us all why it is of the utmost importance that lands remain in this mythical "pristine" state for some reason. After all it seems to me that the bottom of a volcano is "pristine". Ditto for a mudslide.

And, same goes for godforsaken frozen tundra. All of the above are "pristine", as far as I can tell. Why should we care?

Oil is important to sustain our lives and for our prosperity. It exists in underground deposits. Why not go get it? Because you have a quasi-religious attachment to land which is "pristine"? Silly, childish, dumb.

30 posted on 02/28/2002 12:34:33 PM PST by Dr. Frank fan
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To: Stand Watch Listen
Thanks, some great information here.
31 posted on 02/28/2002 12:52:38 PM PST by PaulJ
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To: Dr. Frank
Why is Cutting Back On Consumption necessarily "faster" or "more effective" than Increasing Production?

It is faster because we can make reductions in consumption more quickly than we can add new production. It is more effective because we can make a bigger difference with reduced consumption than with increased production. In addition, moving to more efficient vehicles will have a lasting effect.

Why must we "replace" the Persian Gulf oil? I'd settle for giving it some competition, lowering prices, reducing their ability to blackmail us, etc.

I was responding to a post that suggested reducing or eliminating our dependence on Persian Gulf oil, which most of us think is a good idea. It already has plenty of competition. If the prices were any lower domestic production would drop, because we have higher production costs (especially in Alaska). The Arabs will always be able to hold back oil, if they are willing to stop getting paid for it. They aren't in a position to lose the revenue.

We don't want to "spill" it.

No we don't. But it happens anyway. It is an inevitable part of drilling, pumping, and shipping oil.

Oil is important to sustain our lives and for our prosperity. It exists in underground deposits. Why not go get it? Because you have a quasi-religious attachment to land which is "pristine"? Silly, childish, dumb.

Of course we should get it. And we will. As I posted here, in time we will get all the oil that is humanly possible to extract. But how and when are matters for economic and government policy.

32 posted on 02/28/2002 12:58:22 PM PST by Looking for Diogenes
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To: Looking for Diogenes
It is faster because we can make reductions in consumption more quickly than we can add new production.

For one thing, we can shut down our economy fairly quickly by destructive government policy, but it takes a few years to clear the hurdles (bureaucratic, personnel, production..) required to start drilling for oil. Ok, I think I get it. And the reason we should do this, when there is oil in the ground just waiting to be gotten, is....?

It is more effective because we can make a bigger difference with reduced consumption than with increased production.

Pretty vague statement. We can "make a bigger difference" reducing our consumption by .0000001% than if we increased our production 1000000%? I don't think so.

It really depends on the extent to which we do these things, now, doesn't it? Of course by being vague enough you can gloss over that fact.

In addition, moving to more efficient vehicles will have a lasting effect.

Can't argue with that. Feel free to buy yourself a more efficient vehicle. (What's that? You want to force me to as well?)

Feel free to invent a more efficient vehicle. (What's that? You don't know how?)

If the prices were any lower domestic production would drop, because we have higher production costs (especially in Alaska).

Why is that hmmm? Couldn't have anything to do with the fact that some people have a quasi-religious attachment to "pristine" pieces of frozen tundra.

[spilling oil] But it happens anyway. It is an inevitable part of drilling, pumping, and shipping oil.

True. That's life. What are ya gonna do? Never drill for oil? I guess we also shouldn't grow wheat cuz the fields might burn....?

As I posted here, in time we will get all the oil that is humanly possible to extract. But how and when are matters for economic and government policy.

Economic policy, of course. Why government policy?

P.S. Still waiting for your definition of "pristine" and explanation why land must remain in this "pristine" state....

33 posted on 02/28/2002 1:11:37 PM PST by Dr. Frank fan
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To: Puppage
All living things exploit every advantage their enviroment provides them. The Caribou being good as being Caribou have used the pipeline to their advantage. I remember when the greenie wacko's predicted the extinction of the caribou due to the disruption of their migration path's.

As usual they were wrong.

Same if we drill in the ANWAR. Watch what the greenie wacko's predict and rest assured the opposite will happen.

34 posted on 02/28/2002 1:14:06 PM PST by Leto
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To: kattracks
But what about the baby Harp seals? Wouldn't this open up this area to seal hunters? Couldn't they use the same roads to go up there and slaughter the baby seals? parsy.
35 posted on 02/28/2002 1:22:56 PM PST by parsifal
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To: Puppage
Yeah....I guess God made it that way because before the pipeline they all died, huh?

Since there is oil under it, obviously it wasn't a perma-frost wasteland when "God Made It."

36 posted on 02/28/2002 1:32:54 PM PST by Ditto
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To: Looking for Diogenes
There is no way that the ANWR can provide enough to even replace the Persian Gulf oil.

It's not about replacing Persian Gulf Oil. The article, is the first I have seen in the popular press that correctly stated the reason.

"There is only one world market for crude oil, and the last barrel produced sets the price for all of them."

Finally, someone in Mainstream land understands the pricing mechanism of a commodity market.

As a cartel, OPEC does not decide the price of oil. They decide how much they will pump and the market sets the price. The more oil on the market, the lower the price.

37 posted on 02/28/2002 1:40:30 PM PST by Ditto
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To: Looking for Diogenes
I have a similar attitude. I'm a bit baffled why this is such a dogmatic issue for the GOP.

I would also like to see more emphasis on alternative fuel sources.

38 posted on 02/28/2002 2:10:24 PM PST by realpatriot71
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To: Looking for Diogenes
Ahhhhh, but I want to keep the jobs in the U.S., including the automobile industry and the oil industry. If you remember the so called oil crisis of the 70's, that is when the smaller imports became popular and Americans lost jobs to foreign markets.

I'll also get a big boat to pull, so that the SUV can be justified.

39 posted on 02/28/2002 2:46:00 PM PST by all4one
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To: parsifal
Couldn't they use the same roads to go up there and slaughter the baby seals?

Let us hope.

40 posted on 02/28/2002 2:56:58 PM PST by eddie willers
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