A very similar chain letter is covered on snopes: http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/bakken.asp
The gist is that the first part, about the Bakken oil, is off by a factor of 100, it's around 3.65 billion barrels, not 500 billion. The link at the end of the email is for a USGS press release, and the correct estimate is given there. Also, the oil in this formation is not easy to recover; it requires hydrofracking. For more info, just follow the USGS link at the bottom. I recommend reading the FAQ too for more clarification. The second part is about a shale oil reserve, specifically the Green River Formation. Shale oil is not the same thing as crude oil. It is neither shale nor oil. Basically, you have to heat the rock to get out something resembling oil. It came from an ad for an investment newsletter, i.e. if you subscribe they tell you what companies to invest in to "get rich." Again, the links to read are: http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/bakken.asp http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911 -- Rich 2009/12/2 Tony Del Plato <[email protected]>: > Dear TC Sustainers: > Though this is not about our region, but it's a big enough story that needs > a response. So, if you're interested and knowledgeable about this "stash of > oil" in the American midwest, please contact me off list. This is being > circulated by a group of GE engineers who have contempt for > "environmentalists." One of them is an old friend who likes playing "devil's > advocate." > Thanks > Tony Del Plato > > > > *Subject:* OIL - you better sit down. (Please see info at link below) > > > Here's an interesting read, important and verifiable information : > > About 6 months ago, the >> writer was watching a news program on oil and one of the Forbes Bros. was > the guest. The host said to Forbes, "I am going to ask you a direct question > and I would like a direct answer; how much oil does the U.S. have in the > ground?" > Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, "more than all the Middle East put > together." > Please read below. > > The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only > scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big. >> It was a revised report (hadn't been updated since 1995) on how much oil > was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota, western South Dakota, > and extreme eastern Montana ..... check THIS out: > > The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska's Prudhoe > Bay, and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign > oil. The > Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion > barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable... at $107 a barrel, > we're looking at a resource base worth more than $5..3 trillion. > > "When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see their > jaws hit the floor. They had no idea.." says Terry Johnson, the Montana > Legislature's financial analyst. > > "This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found in > the past 56 years," reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It's a formation > known as the Williston Basin, but is more commonly referred to as the > 'Bakken..' It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota and > into Canada. For years, > U. S. oil exploration has been considered a dead end. Even the 'Big Oil' > companies gave up searching for major oil wells decades ago. However, a > recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakken's massive > reserves..... and we now have access of up to 500 billion barrels. And > because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost > Americans just $16 PER BARREL! > That's enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years > straight. And if THAT didn't throw you on the floor, then this next one > should - because it's from2006! > > U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in theWorld > > Stansberry Report Online 4/20/2006 > > Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the > largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION > barrels. On August 8, > 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In three and a half years of > high oil prices none has been extracted. With this motherload of oil why are > we still fighting over off-shore drilling? > > They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders,than > all the other proven reserves on earth.. Here are the official estimates: > > - 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia > > - 18-times as much oil as Iraq > > - 21-times as much oil as Kuwait > > - 22-times as much oil as Iran > > - 500-times as much oil as Yemen > > - and it's all right here in the Western United States . > > HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this? Because the > environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America become > independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of people > dictate our lives and our economy.....WHY? > > James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we've got more oil in > this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION > barrels untapped. That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil > in the world today, reports The Denver Post. > > Don't think 'OPEC' will drop its price - even with this find? > > Think again! It's all about the competitive marketplace, - it has to. > Think OPEC just might be funding the environmentalists? > > Got your attention yet? Now, while you're thinking about it, do this: > > Pass this along. If you don't take a little time to do this, then you > should stifle yourself the next time you complain about gas prices - by > doing NOTHING, you forfeit your right to complain. > > Now I just wonder what would happen in this country if every one of you > sent this to every one in your address book. > > By the way...this is all true. Check it out at the link below!!! > > GOOGLE it, or follow this link. It will blow your mind. > > http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911 _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
