America could become the worlds largest oil producer

Oil shale deposits in Colorado and neighboring areas of Utah and Wyoming are estimated to contain 800 billion recoverable barrels, three times larger than Saudi Arabia's proven reserves of conventional crude, and the equivalent of 40 years of U.S. oil consumption.
O'Connor said the company expects commercial production to be profitable as long as international oil prices are at least in the low $30s per barrel, far below the current $70 average.
Coaxing oil from huge U.S. shale deposits (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/09/04/MNGIEKV0D41.DTL)

I know this article is old, but this is the first I've ever heard about this. This would solve a lot of problems with the economy and gas prices.

Stansberry & Associates - Matt Badiali's Oil Report (http://www.stansberryonline.com/OIL/20060405-OIL-COL.asp?pcode=EOILG425&alias=200604OIL&o=354693&u=12851409&l=786897)
This has a lot more information about it, but its also a guy trying to sell you his magazine.

Of course, it wouldn't help with the greenhouse gas issue. Plus, I wonder what the process itself does to the environment? We're going to need new sources of oil even in the most optimist alternative fuels fantasy, so this would certainly help in that regard. Plus, the less money we give to OPEC, the better!

(I think Canada has huge oil shale deposits as well.)

Everything I've seen about that has been people trying to sell you some sort of stake in oil shale. Is there any legitimacy to this whatsoever? Just curious.

Of course, it wouldn't help with the greenhouse gas issue. Plus, I wonder what the process itself does to the environment? We're going to need new sources of oil even in the most optimist alternative fuels fantasy, so this would certainly help in that regard. Plus, the less money we give to OPEC, the better!

(I think Canada has huge oil shale deposits as well.)

You ponder these issues living in Houston? The Rockies would look like the "ship channel"
Interesting....though

You ponder these issues living in Houston? The Rockies would look like the "ship channel"
Interesting....though

Ha! Yeah, things are not exactly pro-environment down here... but at least we're making money off of all this! We're one of the only cities where rising gas prices is GOOD news! ;)

(Actually, moving to suburban Houston from Brooklyn was an environmental improvement. I've got tons of birds--egrets, hawks, falcons, songbirds--turtles, snakes, weird critters called "Nutria," and all sorts of amazing trees and plants. But I'm in the SW part of Houston, not the East or North East where the oil refineries are. It's pretty bleak out there.)

(Actually, moving to suburban Houston from Brooklyn was an environmental improvement. I've got tons of birds--egrets, hawks, falcons, songbirds--turtles, snakes, weird critters called "Nutria," and all sorts of amazing trees and plants. But I'm in the SW part of Houston, not the East or North East where the oil refineries are. It's pretty bleak out there.)

You wouldnt happen to live near a swamp do you.I ask because Nutria are found here in Maryland but only in brakish (sp) areas.I agree that they are weird critters.One of the largest Rodents out there.

Coaxing oil from huge U.S. shale deposits (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/09/04/MNGIEKV0D41.DTL)

I know this article is old, but this is the first I've ever heard about this. This would solve a lot of problems with the economy and gas prices.

Stansberry & Associates - Matt Badiali's Oil Report (http://www.stansberryonline.com/OIL/20060405-OIL-COL.asp?pcode=EOILG425&alias=200604OIL&o=354693&u=12851409&l=786897)
This has a lot more information about it, but its also a guy trying to sell you his magazine.

Very Very Very damaging to the environment harvesting Oil Shale. Also waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to expensive to legitimately consider it a viable resource because of two major factors. 1 refining shale into crude or usuable oil is a very expensive processs and 2 due to the regulations this country has in place now that if strip mine anything you have to replace to close to 80 % of its former habitat just make oil shale really an afterthought. I do believe the US could become the largest oil producer once we perfect deep offshore drilling, Theres pockets of Oil in the gulf that would make a middle eastern gusher look like some podunk oil farm in texas.

Very Very Very damaging to the environment harvesting Oil Shale. Also waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to expensive to legitimately consider it a viable resource because of two major factors. 1 refining shale into crude or usuable oil is a very expensive processs and 2 due to the regulations this country has in place now that if strip mine anything you have to replace to close to 80 % of its former habitat just make oil shale really an afterthought. I do believe the US could become the largest oil producer once we perfect deep offshore drilling, Theres pockets of Oil in the gulf that would make a middle eastern gusher look like some podunk oil farm in texas.

Hey, careful with the Texas reference! Always use capital letters when referring to the great state of Texas! :spank:

Hey, careful with the Texas reference! Always use capital letters when referring to the great state of Texas! :spank:

The only thing I ever knew to come out of Texas was... you get the point.

j/k, was just trying to pull some kind of analogy, only one I could think of.

Yeah, like Hail2Skins, it's my understanding that it is very, very costly to refine shale oil.