Huge Oil Reservoir May Lie Under Northern Plains

[The Instructor]

Huge Oil Reservoir May Lie Under Northern Plains
Thursday, April 10, 2008


BISMARCK, N.D. — The government estimates up to 4.3 billion barrels of oil can be recovered from the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota and Montana, using current technology.

The U.S. Geological Survey calls it the largest continuous oil accumulation it has ever assessed.

An assessment by USGS in 1999 found the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge had 10.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil, said Brenda Pierce, a geologist for the agency.

The Bakken Formation encompasses some 25,000 square miles in North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

About two-thirds of the acreage is in western North Dakota, where the oil is trapped in a thin layer of dense rock nearly two miles beneath the surface.

Companies use pressurized fluid and sand to break pores in the rock and prop them open to recover the oil.

Donald Kessel, vice president of Houston-based Murex Petroleum Corp., said he believes the Geological Survey's assessment of how much oil can be recovered in the Bakken may be a little on the high side.

"That's a lot of zeros," Kessel said Thursday.

Kessel said his company was the first to get a producing well in the Bakken in North Dakota three years ago. The company now has about 20 producing wells.

The report released Thursday by USGS was done at the request of Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., over the past 18 months.

A study by the USGS in 1995 found 151 million barrels of oil could be recovered from the Bakken using technology at that time.

"This is great news," Dorgan said of the new report. "This is 25 times the amount of the previous assessment."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,349728,00.html

[Region 15]

You would think with news such as this the price of oil would drop, but it won't. Now, if someone predicts(now in April) that 2008 will be have more hurricanes then normal, the price per barrel will raise several dollars. Good news is simply overlooked or ignored.

[orange-n-brown 365]

come on I'm sure we could figure out how to tap into that and take care of all of us where's Jed Clampett and his trust ole gun

[orange-n-brown 365]

well he was pretty good at hitting that cause up through the ground come a bubbling crude Oil that is

[The Instructor]

Old Jed moved to Beverly Hills and bought a mansion.

Why didn't he ever buy a new car?

They kept riding around Beverly Hills in that old jalopy.

[orange-n-brown 365]

I never did understand that one... I guess granny couldn't find one with a perch

[The Instructor]

We should start drilling immediately!

[kantuckyII]

mine post is far better..more direct and includes the very important warning! Of course..someone didn't read the warning and waded in there anyway

[The Instructor]

You need to sharpen your stick a little more.

[kantuckyII]

Well, I didn't wanta draw blood. He's a pretty good fellar, just havin' a wee bit of fun

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Well, I didn't wanta draw blood. He's a pretty good fellar, just havin' a wee bit of fun

I took it all in good fun and hope others did to.

[alabama mike]

Let's build a refinery. It would be nice if Governor Strickland would/could get one built in southern Ohio. If I am not mistaken (except with my wife, you married men can back me up on this) I think it has been since the mid 70's since the last refinery was built.