Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post

Micah Foehammer · 11-02-2004, 04:22 PM

Backtracking a bit, here is a summary from the USGS circa 1999 detailing the estimated recoverable volume of oil and associated natural gas from the ANWAR region.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/p...l/preface.html

Pay PARTICULAR ATTENTION to the method by which the in place hydrocarbons are calculated. This is an ENTIRELY statistical method and at best represents an educated guess. How do I know? Because I do this for a living! The USGS figures for in-place hydrocarbon are done without any true hard data. As MagiK so correctly points out, you need to be actually explore the area to find out what the truth is. So far, government restrictions have prevented gathering of seismic data or drilling of COST tests (stratigraphic tests of the subsufrace) to truly evaluate the exact potential or lack of it.

Other articles worth reading:

http://www.geotimes.org/may01/anwr.html

http://www.carlist.com/autonews/opec.html

And a quick note here - the US government has some of the most FAVORABLE royalty treatment for oil companies in the world. The US government takes a small percentage of all oil found as a "royalty" tax from oil companies. The royalty rate is roughly 12.5% and recent discoveries which fall below a certain size threshold are totally exempt from all royalty until their production excedes the threshold. Compare that with countries where the government skims a massive 85+ % off the top.

Greater potential exists in the Athabasca oil sands than in the ANWAR. Read this:

http://www.sepp.org/weekwas/2003/May3.htm

*whew* now that was a data dump .....

11-02-2004, 04:22 PM	#23
Micah Foehammer Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice Join Date: November 15, 2001 Location: Asheville, NC Posts: 3,253	Backtracking a bit, here is a summary from the USGS circa 1999 detailing the estimated recoverable volume of oil and associated natural gas from the ANWAR region. http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/p...l/preface.html Pay PARTICULAR ATTENTION to the method by which the in place hydrocarbons are calculated. This is an ENTIRELY statistical method and at best represents an educated guess. How do I know? Because I do this for a living! The USGS figures for in-place hydrocarbon are done without any true hard data. As MagiK so correctly points out, you need to be actually explore the area to find out what the truth is. So far, government restrictions have prevented gathering of seismic data or drilling of COST tests (stratigraphic tests of the subsufrace) to truly evaluate the exact potential or lack of it. Other articles worth reading: http://www.geotimes.org/may01/anwr.html http://www.carlist.com/autonews/opec.html And a quick note here - the US government has some of the most FAVORABLE royalty treatment for oil companies in the world. The US government takes a small percentage of all oil found as a "royalty" tax from oil companies. The royalty rate is roughly 12.5% and recent discoveries which fall below a certain size threshold are totally exempt from all royalty until their production excedes the threshold. Compare that with countries where the government skims a massive 85+ % off the top. Greater potential exists in the Athabasca oil sands than in the ANWAR. Read this: http://www.sepp.org/weekwas/2003/May3.htm whew now that was a data dump ..... __________________ “Every tavern’s an opportunity, I say.”