Alaska: Very large shale oil discovery made (Fairbanks: mineral rights, homes)

[RayinAK]

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Large discovery of shale gas oil made on North Slope (http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/17654730/article-Large-discovery-of-shale-gas--oil-made-on-North-Slope?instance=home_news_window_left_top_3 - broken link)

FAIRBANKS — North Slope shale formations could hold as much as 2 billion barrels of oil and 80 billion cubic feet of natural gas, putting the deposits among the country’s largest according to a study released Friday.

U. S. Geological Survey released its first-ever report that estimates the potential for undiscovered shale oil and gas deposits that have traditionally been locked away in hard-to-reach mineral formations, but could be tapped with today’s technology.


Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Large discovery of shale gas oil made on North Slope

[SityData]

Ssssh! Not so Loud... JOBS!!

[warptman]

Originally Posted by SityData

Ssssh! Not so Loud... JOBS!!

Better get your boys up there!

[Rance]

Gad's, I may have to go back to work on the slope.

[starlite9]

That is cool! Wonder how the Presidents new energy policy is going to handle this? He just made a speach saying he was going to go after energy production, that said after he closed down off shore drilling and the Keystone project. Oil dripping everywhere and he will still ignoe it as being viable!

Still people will believe him.... I think in the olden days guys like him were called "Snake oil salesmen", promise all sorts of cures but delivered none.

Rance, you may end back here yet in spite of the President!

[LadyAuke]

This should be fun.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by LadyAuke

This should be fun.

Not to worry about Alaska. There aren't any neighborhoods in the areas mentioned in this thread. Well, maybe a few skyscrapers full of people and offices (about a million people), but that's all

[Rance]

90% of the locals here in northcentral PA, have or have had gas in their water wells ever since they started drilling water wells around here. It's naturally occuring. We have many locals working on our drilling rigs in some form or another, that confirm that.

There have been instances where less than reputible operators or drilling contractors have performed shady casing cement jobs and have caused migrating gas to contaminate water tables and wells. The state of PA has pretty much run those out of the state or banned them from any further drilling here. Fortunately the company I work for goes well above and beyond DEP expectations to ensure we don't create those issues. Most of the complainers are the folks that A: don't own their mineral rights, or B: didn't get an offer to drill on or into their property. We've had to deal with a few false claims over the last couple years. We personally drill surface and intermediate sections with plain creek water so as not to introduce any chemicals into potential water zones. It's pretty simple stuff really. The frac'ing takes place over a mile below surface in this state. So unless there is an issue above ground while frac'ing, such as piping or valve failures under pressure, there is no spill or water zone contamination.

I don't know the depths as of yet the shale in Alaska. But as strict as Alaska is with drilling you can be rest assured such issues will be taken into consideration and mitigated long before drilling would ever be allowed.

NY had allowed drilling at one point. Before I ever started working down here, and then shut it down. I believe they have approved drilling but not the frac'ing again. And that being the case it will most likely be awhile before anyone starts drilling in NY again. Ohio is now opening up drilling so there should be plenty of work over this way for a few more years. And with the pay as good as it is here, I don't see myself working on the slope ever again. I'll just keep bringing money back to AK to counteract those that make it and take it out of AK.

[arctichomesteader]

Well, with the U.S. using over 6 billion barrels a year, that's about enough for 1/3 of a year.

[Dakster]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Well, with the U.S. using over 6 billion barrels a year, that's about enough for 1/3 of a year.

When you put it in that perspective... It really is a drop in the bucket.