Texas Conservative Lobbyist News: US to become world’s largest oil producer by 2020
The following is a digest of an article originally published at FoxNews.com. The Texas Lobby Group is posting this summary as a public service for all Texans, Texas lobbyists, Texas political conservatives, government consultants, and other interested parties.
It looks as though in the next 7-8 years the United States will become the largest oil producer in the world. This is partly due to a massive and sudden increase in the use of shale gas and oil. Shale gas is also known as “kerogen oil”. It comes from a conversion of shale in it’s rock form. Shale is usually found on the ocean floor, and in river beds. It is a sedimentary rock that often is found beneath layers of mud, water, and silt. Use of this oil has opened up many more resources for energy. Around 2035, the United States is projected to be virtually self sufficient with it’s energy needs. Presently, the U.S. imports about 20% of the energy sources it uses. This motion towards full self sufficiency with energy in the United States will affect the global marketplace greatly.
“That is ‘a dramatic reversal of the trend seen in most other energy-importing countries,’ the Paris-based IEA said in its report. ‘Energy developments in the United States are profound and their effect will be felt well beyond North America — and the energy sector.’ Rebounding U.S. oil and gas production is ‘steadily changing the role of North America in global energy trade,’ the IEA said. For example, oil exports out of the Mideast will increasingly go to Asia as the U.S. becomes more self-sufficient. That will increase the global focus on the security of strategic routes that bring Middle East oil to Asian markets. Tensions between Iran and Western powers have raised concerns that oil exports from the Persian Gulf could be blocked in a potential conflict over Tehran’s alleged plan to develop nuclear weapons.”
The way we use and develop energy is rapidly changing. Wind and solar energy are increasing in popularity. Nuclear energy is becoming less favored in many places, as a result of fear of how dangerous it’s accidents can be. Nuclear waste is also very difficult to dispose of. There are many pros and cons out there, leading to great debate on what energy sources are the safest. most functional, and most cost efficient.
read the original article here.