More fuel for thought

On Apr 14, 9:48 pm, wrote:
On Apr 14, 6:10 pm, "Matt W. Barrow"
wrote:



wrote in message

...

On Apr 14, 5:02 pm, "Private" wrote:
I just found this on another forum, facts not verified, no commentary
made.

Huge Dakota oil pool could change energy climate debate

By Dennis T. Avery
web posted April 14, 2008

Al Gore is launching a $300 million ad campaign to support the banning
of fossil fuels. But our faith in man-made global warming will now be
tested by news that up to 400 billion barrels of light, sweet crude
oil for America's future can be pumped from under Manitoba and North
Dakota. That's more oil than Saudi Arabia and Russia put together.

The US Geological Survey begs to differ:

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911

They say 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels. At our current rate of consumption
-- about 20 million barrels per day -- that would last us about 6
months. Not sure where the 400 billion figure comes from.

USGS said that Northern Slope Alaska would be depleted by about the early
80's, too.

Back in the early 1900's, they aid we would run out of oil by 1920...then
1940...then 1960...then...

According to their press release, "USGS worked with the North Dakota
Geological Survey, a number of petroleum
industry companies..." to reach this assessment. It's difficult to
imagine that petroleum companies, of all people, would underestimate a
potential oil reserve by a factor of 100 to 1.

If I am not mistaken, current world consumption is about 85 million
barrels per day. The 4 billion barrels will last 50 days. I don't
understand the reason for celebration.