Reply #4: Maybe [View All]

[Aqaba]

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but the actual amounts of petroleum in our shales/limestones in the west isn't the issue at all.

Here are some of the issues with mining oil shales for petroleum (this goes for the Canadian tar sands as well):

1. Very low EROEI (energy returned on energy invested). Its like using a gallon of oil to produce 1.1 gallons of more oil.
2. Very expensive to do with huge amounts of infrastructure to do it, although at these oil prices it probably is feasible to do it.
3. Requires *vast* quantities of fresh water. Perhaps the biggest overall obstacle.
4. If you think strip mining is bad for the environment, just wait til BushCo goes tearing up the land in the west for the oil shales.

If you really want to follow the world energy situation, read The Oil Drum on a regular basis.