Reader comments
Oil-shale projects are going ahead in Utah — for now

Bad move | 6:21 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

The writing is on the wall that the Obama administration will be investing into cleaner, renewable technologies for electricity and the electric grid. Electric plug-in cars are widely recognized as the next generation for America's transportation system. Utah entrepreneurs should be smart and invest where all the market signals are pointing -- Utah's geothermal and solar resources will be very valuable in the coming decade. Oil shale is such a high risk investment with policy and technological barriers threatening its realization at every turn!

Anonymous | 7:01 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

Rep. Matheson's support for this kind of activity, seemingly without realizing/addressing the potential downside (water use, ground water contamination, 3x higher CO2 production than traditional petroleum sources, environmental damage, etc), was the first time I've really been disappointed in one of his decisions. I'm not saying it shouldn't be developed necessarily, but we need to be aware of the true long-term costs/benefits of it's development.

Parker | 8:13 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

I dislike paying $4 a gallon as much as anyone, but unfortunately, that may be the medicine we need to take to overcome our addiction to oil from countries that hate us and use our money to try to destroy us. While gas was at $4, we actually saw some promising signs that we were starting down a path of energy independence. I am afraid that if gas stays at around $2, even the die-hards who are continuing development of oil-shale, and others, will quit before long.

I believe the main reason that the price of oil has fallen so quickly, is that the Arab nations have felt some economic heartburn from the decrease in demand, and are concerned that we may be getting serious about developing our own energy sources.

So, call me a heretic, but I am hoping that the price of gas will shoot up again soon. We need that motivation to develop our own sources - not only more drilling, but other types of energy, as well.

Comments continue below

Doomed | 8:21 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

Oil Shale will soon be considered as archaic as a covered wagon. Technology/production to extract and process flow into the energy pipeline is years away, and very, very costly. OPEC nations are laughing out loud at this silly attempt to compete.

Good move | 8:24 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

Bad move, do some research: the whole plug-in cars idea is pie-in-the-sky right now. Obama can talk all he wants to about them (and apparently he will), but there are vast techincal challenges that need to be overcome before there is a mass switchover.

For example, did you know that there's not enough nickel in the world to produce sufficient batteries so that every car in the U.S. could run on battery power? What's your (and Obama's) plan for overcoming that? We need a method of energy storage that doesn't involve batteries - do you have one? Compressed air is promising in this regard, but has major techincal obstacles of its own.

It's going to be decades before we have a viable alternative to oil. So in the meantime, guess what that means? Drill or die.

Paul | 8:33 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

I agree. Let's freeze in the cold, and wait for a breeze to generate a little electricity for us.

CougarKeith | 9:08 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

Obama is going to put a stop to any NEW DRILLING along with Peloci and Reid and the rest of the Democrats. They are into ELECTRIC, problem is long distance travel, how do you refuel an Electric car in minutes? Somehow Obama is the New Mesiah of the Earth, so he will have all the answers and the world and 75% of America will bow down to him. Sorry, but Oil Shale won't be part of the solution although it definately should be!

Knowitall | 9:14 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

The oil shale maybe a great opportunity, we do not know and will not until we develop the techn ology to recover the resources, only then can we make an informed decision.
The foreign oil is our only hope unless we develop more of our own technologies. It is nice to dream about and work towards wind, electric and solar but solar is far more expensive technology still than other alternatives. Electric is still 5-7 years away from making an impact on our need for power and wind is now supplying less than 5% of our countries needs. Where is the oil going to come from for the next 5-10 years?
An ostrich would put its head in the sand and not plan but I for one do not want to be held hostage by foreign oil again so lets get going, develop the technology and be an industry leader again.

Good | 9:56 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

We need to proceed with developing our own domestic oil reserves.

Face it folks, despite Ah-bama's goal of getting off oil in ten years is as realistic as his turning into republican.

Oil shale extraction technology is coming along. Take a look at what Shell is doing. In fact, they are piloting environmental friendly methods in Colorado.

Anonymous | 9:58 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

Drilling for the oile won't do anything for us when we only have 4% of the worlds oil.

TO: Doomed | 10:21 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

Don't know what your agenda is, but you can be sure that no Middle East nations are laughing at anything right now. They are worried sick about the rapid fall of crude oil prices. All the poorer oil-producing nations are shaking and scared as their fragile economies have been built on $100+ prices on oil.

That said, let's go forward with oil shale operations. Hard to know what we have until some promising technologies are tested and proven/disproven.

Cats | 10:45 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

Gosh! I wish I were as big an expert on the global energy situation as the rest of the bloggers here.

Dream on! | 11:01 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

With oil below $55 a barrel and investors taking historical high write downs were is the capital coming from? The 65 trillion in possible derivatives looses haven't hit yet and the peak of consumer debt defaults is still building. Laid off workers won't be able to met the interest payments on their credit cards.

is this helping | 11:08 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

Is this helping either way in 2009 prices are scheduled to go up past $4.00 whats the point if gas and oil will be going up. lets find a better way to fuel the car and power plants.

Bakken Oil formation | 11:27 a.m. Nov. 13, 2008

We have our own oil!!! Just google the Bakken oil formation in MT, SD, & ND. Even the Canadians are drilling into this formation.

It is the largest find of oil in North America in the last 50 years.

To: Cats | 12:58 p.m. Nov. 13, 2008

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that when your product loses 50% of its value in a matter of months - you have a problem. A big problem.

Come join with us bloggers and solve the problems. Legislative policy decisions are sometimes made on less information that what you see here.

Cameron | 1:36 p.m. Nov. 13, 2008

The ending paragraph of this article says it all:

"I would imagine that since neither oil shale nor oil sands are particularly low carbon-emitting technologies, that under a new administration they would be more likely to be penalized than they would be helped,"

It is our own policies and politicians that have prevented energy independence.

Have a clue | 7:43 p.m. Nov. 13, 2008

The US has 3% of the world's CONVENTIONAL oil reserves, but over 50% of the world's UNCONVENTIONAL oil reserves. There are only 1 trillion bbls of conventional oil remaining and that's if you haven't read "Twilight in the Desert".

Cameron is right, the handcuffs on industry are created in Washington D.C. and while they hold out for the "perfect" solution, we will be stuck in a far worse scenario than we just experienced, especially if Iran decides to mine the Gulf of Hormuz.

I was at the Oil Shale Symposium, there are solutions in the lab and in the field, but they are ignored by the media and the environmentalists repeat the same old mantras as 30 yrs ago like 5 bbls water per bbl of oil, which is complete fabrication for current methods.

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