US surpasses Russia as world's top oil and natural gas producer

[dkf]

The US was on pace to achieve global energy domination on Friday, overtaking Russia and Saudi Arabia as the world's top oil and natural gas producer.

New estimates released on Friday by the Energy Information Administration showed America pulling ahead of both countries in oil and natural gas production for 2013.

The rise to the top was fuelled by new drilling techniques, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, which have unlocked vast quantities of oil and gas from shale rock formations – especially in North Dakota and Texas.

America was on track to produce just under 25m barrels a day of oil, natural gas and related fuels, the EIA said. Russia was just under 22m barrels a day.

America had already surpassed Russia in natural gas production last year, pulling ahead for the first time since 1982.

But this was the first year the US was on pace to surpass Russia in production of both oil and natural gas.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/04/us-oil-natural-gas-production-russia-saudi-arabia

[hunter]

1. You say that like it's a good thing.

If we had any sense fossil fuels would be outlawed.

Oh well, party on...

[Lint Head]

2. This makes the talking point that we need to "drill more" an out right lie.

All oil goes into the world market no matter how much we drill.

[FarCenter]

3. How dependent are we on foreign oil?

The United States consumed 18.6 million barrels per day (MMbd) of petroleum products during 2012, making us the world's largest petroleum consumer. The United States was third in crude oil production at 6.5 MMbd. Crude oil alone, however, does not constitute all U.S. petroleum supplies. Significant gains occur because crude oil expands in the refining process, liquid fuel is captured in the processing of natural gas, and we have other sources of liquid fuel, including biofuels. These additional supplies totaled 4.8 MMbd in 2012.

The United States imported 11.0 MMbd of crude oil and refined petroleum products in 2012. We also exported 3.2 MMbd of crude oil and petroleum products, so our net imports (imports minus exports) equaled 7.4 MMbd.

http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/article/foreign_oil_dependence.cfm

[daleo]

4. Better to be the top country in renewables

That's the future.

[dkf]

6. That was my great hope. Why build infrastructure for 100 years when renewables are endless?

Since we don't have that push and jobs are scarce, this is better than nothing.

[JohnyCanuck]

5. Of course like many other things in life, there is a trade off

Fracking produces annual toxic waste water enough to flood Washington DC
Growing concerns over radiation risks as report finds widespread environmental damage on an unimaginable scale in the US


Fracking in America generated 280bn US gallons of toxic waste water last year – enough to flood all of Washington DC beneath a 22ft deep toxic lagoon, a new report out on Thursday found.

snip

A number of recent studies have highlighted the negative consequences of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, which have unlocked vast reservoirs of oil and natural gas from rock formations.

There have been instances of contaminated wells and streams, as well as evidence of methane releases along the production chain.

The Environment America report highlights another growing area of concern – the safe disposal of the billions of gallons of waste water that are returned to the surface along with oil and gas when walls are fracked.

The authors said they relied on data from industry and state environmental regulators to compile their report.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/04/fracking-us-toxic-waste-water-washington

[dkf]

8. Energy production is dirty period. Yet we aren't about to stop using it.

[Champion Jack]

11. Yep, dirty and stupid

[Agony]

7. climate change be damned, collateral damage and all...

"World's estimated fossil fuel reserves must remain underground if the global community hopes to avoid 'climate catastrophe'"
https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/04/19-3

"
Consider this: If we're going to keep temperature rise below 2°C (a figure it increasingly appears is still too high to avoid some serious climate impacts, but it is internationally agreed to), then we have about 565 gigatons more CO2 we can send into the atmosphere over the next four decades or so.

Then consider: The amount of carbon contained in the proven coal, oil and gas reserves of national oil companies and private corporations is about five times higher than this, 2795 gigatons.

In other words, we simply cannot allow that fuel to be extracted and used, if we're going to preserve the climate in anything like a state we've grown accustomed over the recorded history of human civilization.
"

and then there is the direct collateral damage.

"Losing Their Water After Gas Drilling, Mannings talk about their water contamination."

&feature=c4-overview&list=UUfbfGPFJn5t3HvJcRNTvJxQ

and the drilling in Pennsylvania is at less than 5% rollout.

[NightWatcher]

9. drill here, drill now, $3.35 a gallon???

But Sarah Palin said it'd be a nickle if we'd drill here.

Keystone XL won't make it any cheaper either, dumbasses

[dkf]

10. Puhleeze. $4.35 a gallon here thanks to getting our supplies from the Asian market.