‘Secret energy revolution’ could hasten end to dependence on foreign oil

A wealth of new technologies — from underwater robots to 3-D scanners to nano-engineered lubricants — are transforming the energy exploration industry in ways that will hasten the end of America’s reliance on Middle East oil.

That’s the take on America’s “secret energy revolution,” according to a report in the Washington Guardian. And the proof is in the balance sheets: According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, monthly imports of oil peaked in Sept. 2006 at 12.7 million barrels per day and has declined 40 percent since then, to 7.6 million barrels in Nov. 2012.

That’s partly due to falling demand, as the U.S. economy contracted and drivers with smaller wallets balked at the high price of gas. Cars became more fuel efficient as well, often powered by batteries rather than gas. But it’s also largely due to the increased production of oil on U.S. shores, the IISS said.

“Rising production of liquid fuels in the United States accounts for 60 percent of the fall in U.S. oil imports since 2006 and nearly 100 percent since 2010,” the group reported. If the trend continues, the U.S. could become oil independent in the coming years, they added.

What’s led to such a surge? An assortment of new technologies and innovative means to tap the oil trapped in shale rock formations, helping sip every last drop from deep wells beneath U.S. soil.

“Nanoengineered materials, underwater robots, side-scanning 3-D sonar, specially engineered lubricants, and myriad other advances are opening up titanic new supplies of fossil fuels, many of them in unexpected places … perhaps most significantly, North America,” wrote Vince Beiser in Pacific Standard.

The problem for domestic oil has never been a lack of supply, surprisingly. It’s been the inability to tap into that oil, Beiser noted. Fracking is the most high-profile means of doing so, a method for pumping pressurized, specially treated mud into the dense shale formations that trap oil and gas. Fracking has brought with it real environmental concerns, however, including charges that it increases the risk of earthquakes and pollutes ground water.

But there’s no doubt the process succeeds in getting fuel out of the ground. “Fracking is about as popular with the general public as puppy kicking, but it’s very big business,” Beiser wrote. American shale gas production totaled 320 billion cubic feet in 2000; in 2011, the number was 7.8 trillion.

That’s by no means the only innovation.

To hit some of the deepest ocean wells, Houston’s FMC Technologies wants to move oil production to the bottom of the ocean, with special undersea robots built to survive the incredible pressure at those depths.

“We are not far from this vision. Maybe 15 years,” Paulo Couto, a vice president of technology for FMC, told Pacific Standard. Other companies are using chemistry to tweak the mud shot down pipes into the ground to lubricate the path for drills, and using new means to detect the pockets of oil that do lie nearby.

“The dynamics of abundant fuel supplies will be a catalyst for major geo-political shifts,” the Washington Guardian wrote.

11 Comments on "‘Secret energy revolution’ could hasten end to dependence on foreign oil"

J-Gav on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 1:36 pm 



Here’s a little secret about the “secret:” It’s a scam to get investors to come into these hugely expensive, risky and desperate ventures as the oil majors have all watched their reserves dwindle by 25% on average over the last 9 years.

J-Gav on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 1:38 pm 



Sorry, I meant production, not reserves …

Hugh Culliton on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 2:52 pm 



How could I tell that this bullshit came from Fox News before I saw the tag line? None of these super high-tech ideas can alter the basic physics of peak oil. Nor will they do anything other than shave a little more net return off of the EROEI ratio. J-Gav’s right, this is sort of talk is a scam to milk a liitle more money out of investors desperate to avoid reality for as long as possible.

Kenz300 on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 3:06 pm 



Faux Noise is promoting the oil and coal industries.

That is all a part of their agenda to support the top 1%.

They keep promoting fossil fuels as Climate Change continues to grow.

The GOP — Greed Over People.

They will do all they can to maintain their PROFITS and try to eliminate any competition form alternative energy sources.

Faux Noise is not NEWS. It is an infomercial for the top 1%.

shortonoil on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 4:58 pm 



The “Secret” is that most of what is being produced from the shale deposits is not crude oil; its condensate!

http://www.rbnenergy.com/dont-let-your-crude-oil-grow-up-to-be-condensate

Here at the “Hill’s Group” we are using Exergy Analysis (also known as Availability Analysis) to calculate the state of the world’s crude oil reserves. This has allowed us to determine its depletion state, crude’s future pricing, and production levels. It also allows us to evaluate condensate from the point of view of its energy delivery capabilities. A barrel of 60 deg. API condensate can only deliver 69% of the energy that a barrel of 36 deg. light sweet crude can deliver.

The article was correct; ITS A “SECRET”!

J-Gav on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 6:00 pm 



Shorton: You’re right, it’s supposed to be a secret but doesn’t seem to be anymore, at least at the Eagle Ford, where it’s obvious it’s just another industry (+ Texas Railroad Commission) lie.

Norm on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 6:10 pm 



Hooray ! Infinite Oil ! Everybody go buy a brand new Dodge Ram 2500 4×4 extended cab.

Kenjamkov on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 7:29 pm 



The new “nanotech” is going to leech into the food supply and destroy whole ecosystems because nature has no defense against it.

shortonoil on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 7:56 pm 



“Most known retrograde gas-condensate reservoirs are in the range of 5000 to 10000 ft deep,at 3000 psi to 8000 psi and a temperature from 200 F to 400 F.”

Chapter #2
http://edces.netne.net/files/Roussennac01.pdf

Most shale oil reservoirs fit this description, including the Bakken. PVT curves indication that most of the shale production is probably condensate and gas. What appears to be the major driver for this production is the use of the condensates as a diluent for the Canadian bitumen. The energy that it can deliver to the end consumer is probably too insignificant (>20,000 BTU/gal) to be a driver for the economy.

J-Gav on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 11:02 pm 



Shorton: why does that not suprise me in the slightest? I think you may have understood that any market that means anything is rigged from the outset.

shortonoil on Sat, 9th Mar 2013 11:59 pm 



Whether or not the markets are “rigged”, or the economy is being forced in a particular direction because of physical constraints which are beginning to arise from depleting fossil fuels is difficult to determine. Those doing the “rigging” may feel that their actions are the only possible alternatives which are available to them. That is, in fact, probably the situation – whether they know it or not.

This is the first time in history that the entire world has had to deal with the advanced depletion of a critical commodity. It is not surprising that society doesn’t have the foggiest of notions on how to handle the problem. Until we develop some workable approach, our continuance will remain a matter of random chance. At the present, probably only one in ten million have much of an understanding of the dilemma. The jubilant opinion of the author of the above article certainly seems to supports this view.