Jordan plans to reap benefits from oil shale
In previous posts, I have mentioned the revolutionary in situ extraction method for oil shale recently developed by Royal Dutch Shell that finally makes the extraction of oil shale not only economically viable but environmentally friendly.
The United States is sitting on the world’s biggest deposits of oil shale, mostly concentrated in the western states — estimated between 1 trillion and 2.1 trillion barrels of oil. By comparison, the total proven worldwide reserves today are estimated at 1.3 trillion. The U.S. accounts for 62 percent of the world’s total oil shale deposits.
Oil shale production in this country, however, is still barred by Congressional regulations and recent efforts to lift the barriers to oil shale production have been blocked by Congressional Democrats.
Of course, the U.S. isn’t the only country that stands to benefit from oil shale production. When I learned about Shell’s extraction technology, I knew it was only a matter of time before I saw this headline: “Jordan, Shell in talks to extract oil from huge shale reserves.”
Jordan, which has long been one of the most energy-poor countries in the Middle East, having no liquid petroleum reserves of its own, is covered in oil shale — an estimated 40 billion tonnes of it. With previous technology, it simply wasn’t economically viable for Jordan to extract this resource. But one of my Jordanian international relations professors this past spring told me that if they ever found an efficient way to extract oil from oil shale, it could make Jordan one of the wealthiest nations in the region, sparking an incredible renaissance for Jordan’s tiny economy.
That day could arrive in the near future.
Energy-poor Jordan said on Sunday it was in talks with Anglo-Dutch group Royal Dutch Shell on an agreement to extract oil from the desert kingdom’s 40-billion-tonne oil shale reserves. “Negotiations with Shell to sign a deal to process oil shale in Jordan are nearing an end,” said Maher Hjazin, head of the state-run Natural Resources Authority.
“If our plans succeed, it would be one of the country’s largest projects to help the Jordan become energy self-sufficient, with a possibility to export oil in the future.”
Jordan, which imports 95 per cent of its energy needs and struggling to meet growing needs, has the world’s fourth largest reserves of oil shale, from which petroleum can be extracted by distillation.
…JEA president Wael Saqqa said exploiting the 40-billion-tonne oil shale reserves in 26 areas of Jordan “would provide the kingdom with oil for the coming 700 years.”
Good for them.
I know that Exxon was gearing up to extract oil from shale on leases which they held in Colorado in ‘83 and ‘84. The venture was shut down rather abruptly in approximately 1985. I don’t know if the price of oil dropped or if governmental restrictions were the cause for the shut down.
…”recently” developed by Royal Dutch Shell.
That’s the key word “recently”. It is pretty stupid to rush into new technology until truly tested and proven.
Furthermore, I do not think that one thing should be done due to all the new leadership that will be placed in Washington in 5 short months. Why the rush. No one has done anything in 30 years, now it is life or death and can’t hold off for 5 months? This is a very serious sign of BS. What snake oil salesmen you Republicans have become under the Bush regime.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s a lot of hype in most shale oil talk. Consider this quote from the well-reputed Rocky Mountain Institute:
“Oil shale holds less energy per pound than a pile of municipal trash or cow manure . . . In fact, oil shale has roughly the same amount of energy per pound as a baked potato.”
http://green.yahoo.com/blog/amorylovins/53/the-perils-of-unconventional-oil.html It’s not like it’s a bunch of oil-covered rocks.
Further, since it takes a tremendous amount of energy to release the energy in shale oil, the enterprise will dramatically further the damage done by carbon-based climate change.
Conservation should be the first line of defense. By changing our life styles, we can save immense amounts of energy. Mining and processing shale oil should be placed toward the bottom of the list.
D:
Perhaps “recently” was a misleading word choice: This RDS extraction technology has been in development for almost two decades. The first extensive real-world testing was begun in 2004. It has been exhaustively tested since then — RDS is confident enough in its economic benefit to be marketing it worldwide. And trust me, the conservative and relatively modestly-resourced Jordanian government would definitely not be committing to investing in a project this huge unless they were sure it was going to pay off.
Erich:
Under old oil shale extraction methods, you’re right — hence why the oil shale project was abandoned in the early 1980s because it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t economically feasible. That’s why the RDS in situ method is so revolutionary — it allows for 1 million barrels of oil to be produced per surface acre of oil shale — 10 times the production capacity of the old strip-and-grind method. What’s more, the process stays economical at oil prices as low as $30 a barrel. The RDS extraction method also requires far less energy to extract oil from the kerogen in oil shale.
Alex,
Sounds great and, it is something that should be looked further into and considered AFTER our new leader and lawmakers are in place in Washington come January 2009.
Mr. Vieth, if oil shale extraction is a lot of “hype” why is it necessary for our government to forbid it? Congress hasn’t found it necessary to forbid energy extraction from “municipal trash, cow manure, or baked potatos.” Sorry to burst YOUR bubble, but conservation in the U.S. will not abate the growing appetite for oil in China, India, and other parts of the world. Any environmentally sound and economically feasible increase in U.S. production will be a key to our survival along with alternate energy, practical conservation, and smarter governance. A binge diet will not solve our long term oil gluttony.
OK Democrats, let’s not do this in our country. I know you would rather let other countries do this. WHY DO YOU WANT TO INCREASE OUR TRADE DEFICIT??????