Quote from Sparohok:
Since Obama's tire inflation comment became an object of Republican ridicule, I thought I'd look at some actual data (a step Krauthammer obviously skipped).
EIA estimates no more than 200,000 barrels per day of incremental production from Outer Continental Shelf areas currently off limits. That's in 2030; naturally, in the near term there would be no incremental production at all.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/otheranalysis/ongr.html
Current gasoline consumption (the vast majority of which is in motor vehicles) is 9,286,000 BPD also according to EIA.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/basics/quickoil.html
So if the full estimated 2030 production came online tomorrow, it would be equivalent to only 2.15% of motor vehicle consumption. Most estimates are that proper inflation will save 3% or more of gasoline consumption. For example:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_253.html
Martin
Every bit helps. We are the 3rd largest producer of oil in the world. Without exploring, we really have no idea whats out there. The below if from a study from the Dept of the Interior, but is based on prices and technology that is seriously outdated, but still shows 66b to over 100b of recoverable oil. Also, based on your supposed logic, we should stop developing alternatives since they will only amount to a fraction of total energy usage once fully developed.
http://www.mms.gov/revaldiv/RedNatAssessment.htm
The MMS has completed an assessment of the undiscovered technically recoverable resources (UTRR) underlying offshore waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This assessment was based on information available as of January 1, 2003, including information obtained from new exploration activities.
The MMS estimates that the quantity of undiscovered technically recoverable resources ranges from 66.6 to 115.3 billion barrels of oil and 326.4 to 565.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The mean or average estimate is 85.9 billion barrels of oil and 419.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. These volumes of UTRR for the OCS represent about 60 percent of the total oil and 40 percent of the total natural gas estimated to be contained in undiscovered fields in the United States. The mean estimates for both oil and gas increased about 15 percent compared to the 2001 assessment. For the oil resources, the vast majority of this increase occurred in the deepwater areas of the Gulf of Mexico, while for gas resources the majority of the increase was in deep gas plays located beneath the shallow water shelf of the Gulf of Mexico.
These estimates represent the potential quantities of undiscovered hydrocarbons that can be conventionally produced using existing or reasonably foreseeable technology, without any consideration of economic feasibility. Current technology includes drilling in water in excess of 3000 meters (10,000 feet) deep and to subsea depths in excess of 9600 meters (31,700 feet).
MMS periodically conducts comprehensive assessments of the undiscovered oil and gas resources on the OCS. The last comprehensive inventory was completed in 2001, with an interim update in 2003 to reflect significant changes in natural gas potential in the Gulf of Mexico. The resource assessments also include production and reserve estimates for the OCS as well as estimates of undiscovered economically recoverable resources. Undiscovered economically recoverable resources (UERR), presented in the form of price-supply curves, represent the portion of the undiscovered technically recoverable hydrocarbons that can be explored, developed and commercially produced at given costs and price considerations.
The results of this assessment, published as a brochure entitled Assessment of Undiscovered Technically Recoverable Oil and Gas Resources of the Nationâs Outer Continental Shelf, 2006 is available in electronic form below or in printed form free of charge, as long as supplies last, from the MMS Resource Evaluation Division, 381 Elden Street, Mail Stop 4070, Herndon, VA 20170. (227 KB)
For more information, contact:
Chief, Resource Evaluation Division
381 Elden Street
Mail Stop 4070
Herndon, VA 20170
(703) 787-1628
2006 Assessment Publications:
Assessment of Undiscovered Technically Recoverable Oil and Gas Resources of the Nationâs Outer Continental Shelf, 2006 (Summary Brochure) (227 KB)
Planning Area Resources Addendum to Assessment of Undiscovered
Technically Recoverable Oil and Gas Resources of the Nationâs Outer
Continental Shelf, 2006 (127 KB)
Planning Area Resources Addendum with Pre-December 2005 Planning Area Configuration for comparison with previous MMS resource assessments
(120 KB)
Report to Congress:
Comprehensive Inventory of U.S. OCS Oil and Natural Gas Resources,
February 2006, Version 5-1-2006 (1.0 MB)
Estimates of Natural Gas and Oil Reserves, Reserves Growth, and
Undiscovered Resources in Federal and State Waters off the Coasts of
Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi (378 KB)
2006 Assessment Data Files: UTRR by Percentile by Region (45.5 KB)
UERR by Oil and Gas Price by Region (50 KB)
UTRR by Water Depth by Planning Area (50 KB)
Oil and Gas Resources in OCS Areas Unavailable for Leasing and Development (109 KB)
Previous Assessment Publications and Maps
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Last Updated: 08/06/2008, 09:35 AM