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Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

General discussions of the systemic, societal and civilisational effects of depletion.

Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby Maddog78 » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 00:14:34

In 30 years of working in the oil industry I've never heard EROEI discussed or even mentioned when it comes to approving or continuing to operate a project.
It's just like rockdoc123 says. Forward economics.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby Maddog78 » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 00:17:17

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('kiwichick', 'r')ocdoc

why have so many rigs and projects stopped or been delayed?



Cash flow.
Those with large cash reserves like ExxonMobil etc. have actually increased their E & P budgets.
The small guys are operating on cash flow based budgets and operate a lot of rigs collectively, hence the down turn. About 1/2 the rigs are down in the US alone.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby shortonsense » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 00:18:48

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('kiwichick', 'r')ocdoc

why have so many rigs and projects stopped or been delayed?


Obviously it must be EROEI rather than the price of oil!!! :-D :-D
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby shortonsense » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 00:22:15

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'T')his discussion is pointless. I am not going to waste my time defending net energy analysis with you Rockdoc. I can see it is a waste of time.


I see....I see....a PATTERN!!

PStarr pontificates.
References involving experts ( or actual experts ) become involved.
PStarr claims discussion is pointless in the face of actual information.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby shortonsense » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 00:23:50

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Maddog78', 'I')n 30 years of working in the oil industry I've never heard EROEI discussed or even mentioned when it comes to approving or continuing to operate a project.
It's just like rockdoc123 says. Forward economics.


Practical examples and real experts 2, EROEI theory by those who don't understand the biz, 0.

Surprise on my part? None. :o
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby TheDude » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 03:24:15

Everyone from the energy industry seems to have the same evaluation of EROEI's practicality: :?: This was my initial impression of it as well, that it was popular among the ecological economics crowd but would make precisely no headway among the dollars and cents mindset of big industry. Imagine trying to talk about it at a boardroom full of your fellow six figure earners...it has value for sure but I think it's more productive to reemphasize the need for sustainability for the good of society, instead of trying to get people to wrap their heads around ultimate energy flows. You can reel them in with promises of profits along the way. Cash is king. Nate Hagens says EROEI has essentially no currency among politicians, either, and they're ostensibly the ones who're looking out for our long term well being. I repeat, ostensibly.

Ironically Dave Blume says in his ethanol book that EROEI was a concept cooked up by researchers on Big Oil's payroll to discredit biofuels. I don't think you can make a bioplastics equivalent of a tinfoil hat.
Cogito, ergo non satis bibivi
And let me tell you something: I dig your work.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby Blacksmith » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 06:03:01

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('kiwichick', 'r')ocdoc

why have so many rigs and projects stopped or been delayed?


iI guess to put it simply the majority of wells are drilled by smaller companies with limited cash flow, therefore they must burrow in order to continue with new projects or wait until they can get sufficient money from existing production.

Larger companies who do have sufficient capital or high cash flows will in times of low oil prices will do one of three things:

(1) Return dividends to shareholders and eventially liquidate the company (unlikely).
(2) Develop projects which they feel will produce the greatest returns in the future, costs are low now and rigs are available.
(3) Buy high quality existing reserves from the smaller companies with limited cash flow. Unfortunately this is the preferred option in most cases.

Oil sands are different since you are dealing with a industrial operation an oil factory if you like.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby shortonsense » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 09:43:57

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')
If the energy required to obtain energy is greater than the energy in the obtained energy source then you stop trying. Let me try it another for the thick of skull.



Please reference a single boardroom, planning meeting, or other oil and gas biz planning/scheduling event where people are deciding whether or not a project is going to be funded, where the decision is made to give a higher EROEI priority over a higher internal rate of return.

Just one, from your undoubtedly vast expertise on the topic, will do.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby Maddog78 » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 10:21:20

Hahaaa, water under the sand? That's the best you got?


A much better prepared troll? Wow, I made three posts in this thread.
What more do you want? I was relaying my experience based on 30 years of working in the industry.
You're right, this discussion is pointless.
You really think oil cos. say hmmm, can we get more EROEI on this project?

They are in business to make money not improve an EROEI ratio.
If the project makes money, it goes ahead or continues, simple as that.
Call me all the [explicative deleteds] you want, it doesn't change that fact.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby TheAntiDoomer » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 12:43:02

oh man p4brains you are just getting mowed down this thread, ouch.

go sit and the corner and think about what you have done:

Image
"The human ability to innovate out of a jam is profound.That’s why Darwin will always be right, and Malthus will always be wrong.” -K.R. Sridhar


Do I make you Corny? :)

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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby rockdoc123 » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 22:08:09

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')f the energy required to obtain energy is greater than the energy in the obtained energy source then you stop trying. Let me try it another for the thick of skull.


Nope again.....it's only when the cost of getting the energy out of the ground is greater than the potential return at that point in time that you stop. If you were correct then there would not be any SAGD projects on the go....and there are a lot of them.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby shortonsense » Sat 18 Apr 2009, 22:33:44

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rockdoc123', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')f the energy required to obtain energy is greater than the energy in the obtained energy source then you stop trying. Let me try it another for the thick of skull.


Nope again.....it's only when the cost of getting the energy out of the ground is greater than the potential return at that point in time that you stop. If you were correct then there would not be any SAGD projects on the go....and there are a lot of them.


I'm not sure the opinion of actual experts, facts, 150 years of historical behavior or even reality mean much in the world he's in Roc...just sayin....
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby dbuckley » Sun 19 Apr 2009, 21:12:11

Its amazing how poorly understood EROEI is.

Almost all of the time, EROEI is a complete irrelevance. This is because energy is just a analog for money, and then the equation becomes money returned over money invested. But, and the next bit is important, the exchange rate for energy for money invested is different than the exchnage rate for energy for money returned. Electricity costs less than oil. And there are additional terms in the equation. And energy is (effectively) unlimited, it just costs money.

EROEI becomes the only important factor when energy is limited. You have 100 litres of gas, should you burn that directly to stop your familiy from freezing to death, or use that gas to power a chainsaw to cut wood and then burn the wood. EROEI will answer that question.

Finally, batteries have an EROEI less than one, and always have had. If EROEI was the deciding force, then we would never have had batteries. But because batteries have properties we think are useful we are prepared to accept the energy loss to gain the utility of the battery.
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Re: Oil well producing %99 water and %1 oil and still profitable

Unread postby shortonsense » Sun 19 Apr 2009, 22:00:18

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', ']')You are confusing primary energy with an energy carrier. This is a common mistake for people who do not understand the importance and the method of arriving at eroei.


Pot...kettle...black.

Oil is a geological waste product, a thing which once decreased property values because it was such a nuisance.

Those who would pretend its a "primary energy" of some sort do not understand the unimportance and near accidental method of its creation, or even something as simple as sticking their head out the window on a sunny day as a means to experience the exact same energy, except in its plentiful and modern form, rather than the icky, stinky, polluting, and gooey historical stuff.

Lecture us on the suns EROEI PStarr, I would be fascinated to hear how peak solar will get us soon when half the hydrogen is used up!
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