USGS Estimates 20 Billion Barrels of Oil in Texas Wolfcamp Shale Formation

[Recursion]

https://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-estimates-20-billion-barrels-oil-texas-wolfcamp-shale-formation



Holy crap

This is the largest estimate of continuous oil that USGS has ever assessed in the United States.

The Wolfcamp shale in the Midland Basin portion of Texas’ Permian Basin province contains an estimated mean of 20 billion barrels of oil, 16 trillion cubic feet of associated natural gas, and 1.6 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, according to an assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey. This estimate is for continuous (unconventional) oil, and consists of undiscovered, technically recoverable resources.

The estimate of continuous oil in the Midland Basin Wolfcamp shale assessment is nearly three times larger than that of the 2013 USGS Bakken-Three Forks resource assessment, making this the largest estimated continuous oil accumulation that USGS has assessed in the United States to date.

“The fact that this is the largest assessment of continuous oil we have ever done just goes to show that, even in areas that have produced billions of barrels of oil, there is still the potential to find billions more,” said Walter Guidroz, program coordinator for the USGS Energy Resources Program. “Changes in technology and industry practices can have significant effects on what resources are technically recoverable, and that’s why we continue to perform resource assessments throughout the United States and the world.”

[itsrobert]

1. I don't see those coal mines reopening anytime soon.

Whatcha going to do, President Chump?

[Ford_Prefect]

2. Frack, Frack, Frack away! You have nothing to lose but the water you drink

and the air we all breathe.

[Wilms]

3. When do we invade?

[onethatcares]

4. so the Keystone and the DAPL

aren't needed anymore.

All the more reason to shut them down.

[Vinca]

5. Oh, goodie. We'll be able to destroy the planet even faster.