What difference would it make if you can't refine it ?

kevin1 · 08-01-2006, 08:49 AM

Oil exploration in the central Gulf

It may soon be possible for companies to explore for petroleum in the currently off limits central Gulf of Mexico , but what difference will it make if there's no way to refine it ? No new refineries have been built for decades , and the current refineries are allegedly operating at or very near capacity . Would this new oil even be any cheaper than buying it on the market , and is it enough to really make a dent ?

Your thoughts ?

Whitehorse · 08-02-2006, 12:40 AM

I've been consistent in posting that increasing refinery capacity should be an equal player along with using our own darn oil!

CalHunter · 08-02-2006, 03:11 AM

Agreed.

Champlain Islander · 08-02-2006, 05:30 AM

I feel it is all about the money. They haven't built any new refineries because they are extremely expensive. There isn't any good reason to cut into profits to make anything new when they are making record profits with the captive audience they have. I believe there will be a break through technology sometime in the future that will bypass the need for fossil fuel refinement. Why invest in a dead horse.....just suck the profits out as long as you can.

kevin1 · 08-02-2006, 07:12 AM

I hope you're right CI , but from what I've read lately there doesn't seem to be a cost effective alternative to them . Right now about the best we could hope for would be a sudden breakthrough in the refining process that allows a greater per barrel yield and less waste , and even then we'd be at their mercy . Most alternative fuels and technologies are stymied by lack of research funding , and are at least a decade away at best .

NCOutdoors · 08-02-2006, 07:42 AM

Quote:

It may soon be possible for companies to explore for petroleum in the currently off limits central Gulf of Mexico , but what difference will it make if there's no way to refine it ? No new refineries have been built for decades , and the current refineries are allegedly operating at or very near capacity . Would this new oil even be any cheaper than buying it on the market , and is it enough to really make a dent ?

Your thoughts ?

To me the most important part of find our own oil sources isn't to decrease the cost of gasoline. It's so we don't have to depend on VenezeulaÂ*and Middle Eastern countries to keep the machine running. Imagine how much more leverage we could have in the world if we didn't have to buy oil from these knuckleheads overseas.

It's idiotic to have any waters "off-limits." We oought to be drilling the hell outta every possible supply.

By the way, I did not know this but most of our countries imports come from Canada.

Tazman · 08-02-2006, 08:07 AM

Well here is one of the very few things I feel may be a conspiracy and here is how I think things will go. American oil companies have a ton of capped off wells along with known areas that contain tons of oil also.

American oil companies are simply sitting on this waiting for the middle east and other major oil producing regions of the world to start running short on oil.

Magically the US is sitting in the cat birds seat when we start untapping the wells and drilling known fields!

Now we have the rest of the world by the cahoonas!

Canuck_Buck · 08-02-2006, 08:14 AM

I hear ya Tazman, word is that Alberta Oil Sands now holds a trillion barrels worth. As they work the huge mines, they are discovering the deposits are much deeper than anticipated.

http://www.syncrude.ca/users/folder.asp

I don't think us North Americans need to worry too much for a long time.

Tazman · 08-02-2006, 08:37 AM

Oh man canuck, you Canadians had better be on the watch, remember we take over oil producing countries to lower our prices!

NCOutdoors · 08-02-2006, 09:03 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Tazman

Oh man canuck, you Canadians had better be on the watch, remember we take over oil producing countries to lower our prices!

LMAO!

good one . . .