We live in an oil patch. We are literally surrounded by wells. This is in northeastern Kansas, not someplace most people think of when they think of oil patch.
So, oil is up to $130 a barrel. Most of that price hike is caused by supply concerns. Not that there isn't plenty of oil in untapped reserves (leave aside the varying predictions of when the supply will be exhausted or the claims of the guy who says it might be almost inexhaustable...) but therein lies the rub.
Untapped.
Not because we don't want to, but because we can't.
Not because we don't have the tech, but because we won't let ourselves.
Because, well, Greenies and the Congress (both parties, over time) don't want us to. For varying motives.
Well, you see high gas prices. My neighbor sees... opportunity. And he's loyally trying to do what he can to help you all out.
He's drilling wells on his property. That would be the property that abuts ours.
He's got two in, two dry holes, and one drilling. Mind you, there've been no 'gushers' - no oil has yet shown up as an oily sheen in the creek that runs between us and then across my pasture and along the cliff, before heading off to Stranger Creek, the Kaw, and then the Missouri.
From the size of his horseheads, I'm guessing three barrels a day. Two wells is 6 barrels, assume (really dangerous in the volatile market) an *average* wellhead price of $100 for the year (also a swag at accounting for production and storage costs) - he'll gross $219K for a year.
Not bad for doing nothing more than just paying the electricity bill for the two horseheads bobbing up and down, up and down.
Just look at that despoiled and distressed landscape. Horsehead on the left (not yet in place on the well) and that blue thing on the right... is the drill rig, just despoiling the view. Not.
It *is* noisy, however.
I own the mineral rights. I'm waiting for $200 a barrel. Alternatively, I could invade.
Wait. That didn't work out so well for Saddam. Well, except for the whole "Oil for Food" scam he ran with the UN. Hmmmmmm.
And before we waste bandwidth on it - yes, I know arctic tundra and permafrost areas are far more sensitive than flyover country occupied by bitter, clingy people who probably deserve what happens to them as despoilers of the land. Heh. I appreciate my land a lot more than any city dwelling enviro who visits unpaved dirt on weekends and two weeks a year, I assure you.
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