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Shell investing billions in Alaska to chase ‘giant’ offshore opportunity
Calgary Herald ^ | December 16, 2011 | Lisa Demer

Posted on 12/19/2011 10:59:29 AM PST by thackney

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By producing in the Federal Waters miles off Alaska's coast, Shell and others would not be subjected to Alaska's high production profit tax.
1 posted on 12/19/2011 10:59:37 AM PST by thackney
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To: thackney

where is Obama to put the brakes on this...?


2 posted on 12/19/2011 11:00:49 AM PST by Mr. K (Physically unable to profreed <--- oops, see?)
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3 posted on 12/19/2011 11:06:20 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: thackney

Active Lease Map, Beaufort Sea
http://alaska.boemre.gov/Maps/2011_bf.pdf

Active Lease Map, Chukchi Sea
http://alaska.boemre.gov/Maps/2011_ck.pdf

asfsefea

4 posted on 12/19/2011 11:12:14 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Mr. K
where is Obama to put the brakes on this...?

Oh no, it's another potential oil boom in another Red State! Quash it immediately, Obama! (Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm)

5 posted on 12/19/2011 11:16:00 AM PST by ZOOKER ( Exploring the fine line between cynicism and outright depression)
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To: thackney

“Peak Oil” my ass. It will never, EVER run out.


6 posted on 12/19/2011 11:25:08 AM PST by montag813
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To: thackney

“The Burger field, part of a Shell naming theme that revolved around junk food,....”

Burgers are not junk food!!


7 posted on 12/19/2011 11:32:54 AM PST by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: montag813

Electric cars are a passing fad...


8 posted on 12/19/2011 11:33:46 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: ZOOKER

This is not a ‘boom’ in terms of the world oil market, it is more akin to a thermonuclear explosion.

Shell (and many other major oil companies) have known for years that the Beaufort and Chukchi contain the last easily exploited super fields on the scope of the great middle east fields. The reason this is not more widely known in the USA is our gov’t continues to shut down all efforts to drill there.

The question one has to ask is why our gov’t would prevent its citizens from $1 gallon gas, massive tax revenues, 10’s of thousands of jobs, and most importantly, the ability to choke off the islamofascist middle east from their petro dollars?

The answer is the strange confluence of envirowackos, ethanol producers, alternative energy product manufacturers (think GE and their windmills and solar, and gov;t bureaucrats. You can also throw in probably some middle east money that is being pumped into the so called ‘green’ movement to hire lawyers to tie up any of our domestic energy projects like this in the US court system.

The fact this article is not in a US newspaper is all the proof you need that our citizens have been brainwashed by the political class to think we only hold 2-3% of the worlds oil reserves, when the truth is this one field in the Chukchi could be larger than any field ever discovered in America.

I have written on FR about the Chukchi for the last 3-4 years and it seems even FReepers are blind to the riches we may have within our grasp. The Chutchi may be in frigid Arctic waters, subject to ice and fierce storms, but the fact is the wells will be drilled in water HUNDREDS of feet deep rather than the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico which was in 1000’s of feet of water and drilled over a mile below the sea floor into a highly pressurized deposit.

The last line of the story says it all.............”. “They are in shallow water. They are at low pressure, and they have what we call a margin. It gives you a lot of room to operate’. Translated that means easy to drill and safe to exploit. You would think a POTUS candidate would get a clue and teach the citizens what we have there for the taking. Instead, even some of the Republicans are so afraid of the envirowacko global warming lobby, they are afraid to broach the topic.

Newt says he would defy court orders he does not agree with. The Shell drilling fiasco of the last 4 years would be the best example I can think of where he could defy the courts and fast track our nation to energy independance and star the Islamists who wish to destroy our way of life.


9 posted on 12/19/2011 11:36:54 AM PST by milwguy
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA
Burgers are not junk food!!

They are if you make them properly.


10 posted on 12/19/2011 11:38:02 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: thackney

LOL (literally). I want one!


11 posted on 12/19/2011 11:41:46 AM PST by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

Here is information on the original drilling plan, before Obama and the courts mucked everything up. NOte that some of the drilling is done in water less than 150 ft deep and each well only takes 37 days to drill. Contrast this with the Macondo prospect BP drilled.......The rig started drilling a well at a water depth of 5,000ft in MC block 252 in February 2010, but exploded during drilling in April 2010. The rig was on fire continuously for three days...

The company will carry out the drilling of three wells in the Chukchi Sea in 2010. The drilling programme has been approved by Secretary Salazar in 2010. The OSR fleet will be ready or placed close to the drilling location by 2010. The Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit authorisations is expected to be processed by the EPA in 2010.

“Each well is expected to take 37 days to drill.”

The three wells will be drilled in three different oil and gas prospects, defined by Shell as Burger, Crackerjack and SW Shoebill, within five years. Burger lies 90km from the Alaska shoreline and has three probable drill sites situated in three different blocks, namely Posey 6714, 6764 and 6912. Drilling over the Burger prospect will be carried out by Discoverer.

Crackerjack and SW Shoebill both have one block each with a drilling site. They are located in the central self region of the sea Outer Continental Shelf planning area. The drill sites have water depth of 142ft to 149ft. Each well is expected to take 37 days to drill and will be plunged or abandoned based on drilling results.


12 posted on 12/19/2011 11:50:33 AM PST by milwguy
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To: milwguy
The question one has to ask is why our gov’t would prevent its citizens from $1 gallon gas, massive tax revenues, 10’s of thousands of jobs, and most importantly, the ability to choke off the islamofascist middle east from their petro dollars?

I have written on FR about the Chukchi for the last 3-4 years and it seems even FReepers are blind to the riches we may have within our grasp. The Chutchi may be in frigid Arctic waters, subject to ice and fierce storms, 

Great project and I hope it pans out but how does this translate into $1 gasoline for American citizens? Maybe you can tell be better but I think most of it would be sold on the world market and be refined elsewhere. Where does Alaska oil go these days? It is sent to other countries (so I belive)

13 posted on 12/19/2011 12:04:44 PM PST by dennisw (A nation of sheep breeds a government of Democrat wolves!)
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To: dennisw
Where does Alaska oil go these days? It is sent to other countries (so I belive)

Alaskan oil is used in the US. That has been the case for all the years of North Slope operation except for a few years around 1996-2000. At that time there was a glut of oil on the US West coast where the oil is normally sent to be refined. Even then only ~5.5% was shipped overseas.

I never understood why people pushed this myth. Have you looked at a map? The lower 48 is far closer than any market in Asia. And the west coasts imports lots oil.

It is 3,577 miles from Valdez, Alaska to Tokyo, Japan.

It is 1,274 miles from Valdez, Alaska to Anacortes, Washington. (largest Washington refineries)

It is 2,253 miles from Valdez, Alaska to El Segundo, California (major refinery near Los Angeles)


14 posted on 12/19/2011 12:15:09 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: dennisw

This one deposit Shell controls may hold 77 BILLION BBLs A find that size is 1/3 rd of the Saudi’s ‘proven reserves. A find that size would put huge downward pressure on world oil markets no matter where it was sold. Maybe not $1 gas because of all the excise taxes the fed and state gov’t levy, but cheap gas nonetheless. Ammanutjob could block the Straits of Hormuz and would not bother us. Keep American $ at home, creat 1000’s of great jobs,give us true energy independance, and raise massive tax revenues for the federal gov’t. If there are 77 billion bbls at $100 bbl that is half the size of the federal deficit, that gives you and idea just how massive this deposit could be.


15 posted on 12/19/2011 12:16:15 PM PST by milwguy
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To: milwguy
This one deposit Shell controls may hold 77 BILLION BBLs

I would like to read more about that claim if you have a link.

I believe you are refering to the possible reserves for the entire Chukchi Sea, not Shell's single field.

http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/chukchiseapermit/

Chukchi Sea reserves

The total reserves of the sea area are estimated to be in the range of four to 77 billion barrels of oil equivalent energy (boe) as per the MMS.

And that is the upper possiblity from a low of 4 billion.

16 posted on 12/19/2011 12:21:36 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: milwguy

Actually, the Burger field is not expected to contain oil at all. It is primarily a natural gas field with condensates (natural gas liquids and very light liquid hydrocarbons).

Summary of Economic Study of the Burger Gas Discovery, Chukchi Shelf, Northwest Alaska
http://www.alaska.boemre.gov/re/BurgerResources/Burger%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

(sorry, I didn’t find this one until after my last post, I should have searched first)


17 posted on 12/19/2011 12:25:35 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: ZOOKER

Did I read (or just dream) that all of the Execs. at Shell are voting for Obama in 2012? How can this be?


18 posted on 12/19/2011 1:44:56 PM PST by Mr. Wright (N\)
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To: Mr. Wright
all of the Execs. at Shell are voting

While there are lots of US offices for Shell Oil, the very upper management is not in this country. Shell is a Dutch company.

19 posted on 12/19/2011 1:56:26 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: thackney; milwguy

Thanks for clarifying the situation. California and Washington State oil refineries might be overwhelmed by this huge Alaska oil discovery and the enviro-wackos won’t allow the refineries to expand. This might force the oil to be sent abroad


20 posted on 12/19/2011 3:38:11 PM PST by dennisw (A nation of sheep breeds a government of Democrat wolves!)
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