Comments about ‘Report: West could displace foreign oil, gas imports’

The downside to recovering from shale is that ground water can easily get polluted. Poor workmanship and sloppy supervision and maintenance are the problem. Apparently the wells are cement lined to keep leaching from occuring. But if it is not done right the gas leaks out into the surrounding water table. Frackturing the rock requires some chemicals the industry won't talk about. We should not forget about the tendency for marginal producers to cut corners, get by on the cheap and have little or no regard for the people who live around the well sites. If you trust people are willing to poison you and your family then by all means, drill baby drill.

JLFuller, turn off your electricity, gas and start walking. Don't go to any stores or markets because their products require petroleum products. In simpler terms its back to the stone age for you, my friend.

We need to brake away from our current oil suppliers, some good and some not so friendly.
After the next election we'll have 100% Republicans in office; this will open the doors to oil investors to have free access to public lands.There are millions of dollars for them to make.
I'm glad I had the chance to see some of the unspoiled West before the developers get their hands on it.
Just hope its not in our National Parks.

Yeah, drill baby is alive and well.

To JlFuller I trust them more than I trust whatever your agenda is.

Oh my gosh folks, the oil producers are not going to destroy the national parks. Have you ever been to eastern Utah and western Colorado? There are no national parks there, just wide open country and lots of oil and gas. Those of us who live in this area look at the rigs and pumps as symbols of employment and economic growth. We drove from Vernal to Meeker Colorado recently, and there are a LOT of electric pumps that have replaced the older syphon type pumps. They take up much less space, and are less intrusive to the eye. So many people in our area are just hanging on, waiting for a change of administration so that we can go back to work. Lots of people have gone to ND to work.

We need to become independent from foreign oil and gas, but that won't happen if there are unreasonable restrictions. Most production companies are very careful to keep their locations clean, and to leave them clean after the rigs pull out. The local wildlife don't mind the pumps and tanks. They bed down next to them in the winter for warmth. I've got pictures of that.

Fuller agenda is people's agenda of not destroying the environment in rush to get oil. Let there be prudence and careful consideration to protect water resources which is much more precious and limited than oil. Like all petrolium production, oil sands operations can have an adverse effect on the environment. Oil sands projects can potentially affect: the land when the bitumen is initially mined and with large deposits of toxic chemicals; the water during the separation process and through the drainage of rivers.

In Alberta between 2 to 4.5 volume units of water are used to produce each volume unit of synthetic crude oil (SCO) in an ex-situ mining operation. Despite recycling, almost all of it ends up in tailings ponds, which, as of 2007, covered an area of approximately 50 km2 (19 sq mi). In SAGD operations, 90 to 95 percent of the water is recycled and only about 0.2 volume units of water is used per volume unit of bitumen produced. Source: Wikipedia which is further documented

We can do this only upon on conditions it is enviornmentally friendly and reclaim the land.

What do they mean by displace and for what purpose? The United States does not import oil, we already buy our own oil productions as imported oil.

Americans don't understand the oil industry stock market hedging system at all. Before hedging was allowed in the US, the US oil and gas prices for americans were held in check because our oil couldn't be sold to ourselves as imported oil.

Hedging changed that and the US oil industry instant trillion dollar profit margins and forced the american people to pay under 50 cents/gal to $2.00+/gal at the pumps in less than a year. This law itself created the biggest and longest years of inflation this country has ever seen, and it still continues to drive inflation for every thing related to the economy, life, and losing jobs.

It's also why oil and gas pricing was removed as a cost of living factor for this country, to hide the disaster it was doing to our economy. It still remains out of COLA costs, GNP, and every consumer price index. Our entire existence and inflation (food, health care, manufacturing, medications etc) is controlled by the inflated costs of oil.

Like all petrolium production, oil sands operations can have an adverse effect on the environment. Oil sands projects can potentially affect: the land when the bitumen is initially mined and with large deposits of toxic chemicals; the water during the separation process and through the drainage of rivers; and the air due to the release of carbon dioxide and other emissions.

Between 2 to 4.5 volume units of water are used to produce each volume unit of synthetic crude oil (SCO) in an ex-situ mining operation. Despite recycling, almost all of it ends up in tailings ponds, which, as of 2007, covered an area of approximately 50 km2 (19 sq mi). In SAGD operations, 90 to 95 percent of the water is recycled and only about 0.2 volume units of water is used per volume unit of bitumen produced,

So there are concerns. We can do this with environmental prudence. Obviously water is more precious than oil. It is the source we need to live. Utah is the second driest State in the Union.

A report written for the oil companies, by people incentavised by the oil companies; now that is a report worth trusting.

The people of the US needs these resources. Better we spend the money here in our own country and keep our own citizens employed instead of supporting despots overseas.

Simple solution:

1. Drill here, drill now
2. Raise taxes on oil-based products (including gas)
3. Use the tax revenue to heavily fund alternative fuel research
4. Pass a law: All cars must run on natural gas by 2025
5. Pass a law: All cars must run on non-fossil fuel by 2050

Come on...it's not that hard. If a simpleton like me can come up with the solution, why can't our politicians?

Article: "...federal policies that stymie growth, investment and expansion need to be abolished, and a moratorium on new and expanded layers of regulation should be invoked..."

Ah, those pesky regulations. So far they haven't kept the oil business from being one of the largest and most profitable industries in the world.

Drill, baby, drill! Then watch the oil we extract go into the global market where it is bought and sold as a commodity. Will it decrease prices? We'll have to wait and see. Stay tuned!

Drilling in the US won't solve anything. The market is being manipulated to keep global oil supplies low. If we want to get a handle on oil prices we need to end ENERGY SPECULATION.

I am a conservative Republican who likes to drink clean water and knows first hand that men crashing headlong into a money grabbing scheme can not be trusted. That is not a political statement but a statement of history and fact.

i am wondering where the interest in converting cars to natural gas is---from the comments i do not think anyone would spend their time on it let alone make kits for accomplishing the task---

i think automobile manufacturers should be providing natural gas power and states should be enabling of natural gas fill stations perhaps by fiat or rule making or perhaps by incentives---i have natural gas in my home for domestic use; why can't i fill my natural gas automobile tank with a hose in my garage?---the natural gas suppliers should welcome this new use in the home and for the vast majority of driving there would be no need to have a public fill station at all---

Government...get out of the way and let market forces work. And for crying out loud.......all these comments about destroying the clean air and water and national parks.....have any of you ever been to these areas? Give me a break....maybe a few jobs could be created as well.