The truth about ANWR...at least according to the USGS in 1998 (W. J. Clinton, President). Where it is. Where did they want to drill. How much oil is there. How did opponents come up with their statistics.
geology.cr.usgs.gov
ANWR the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has an area of about 30,000 square miles, and is located in the far North-Eastern section of Alaska. When the Refuge was created, the Congress set aside 2,300 square miles (the management, to be decided upon later), known as section 1002, inside ANWR's borders. This was done, because of oil was thought to be there, and Congress wanted the option to use the area, if needed. Section 1002 is located in the far northwest corner of ANWR along the "North Slope" it runs about 20-40 miles wide (North to South), and about 100 miles long (east to west). Within section 1002, there is triangular shaped area called the Undeformed area - which looks like it occupies around a third to a quarter of the area of Section 1002 (800 square miles?). It is in this part of section 1002 where the greatest amount of the oil is thought to be. The ANWR Wilderness Area, occupies about 12,500 square miles and is to the south and west of Section 1002.
The USGS in 1998, estimated that 10.4 Billion Barrels of recoverable oil, were in Section 1002 of ANWR (with a 95% probability there was more than 5.7 Billion, and 5% probability there was more than 16.0 Billion barrels). This number includes State and Native American controlled regions (the State controls offshore rights, and the Natives occupy lands surrounded by Section 1002. Excluding State of Alaska and Native areas, there are estimated to be between 4.3 Billion and 11.8 Billion Barrels (mean of 7.7 B) in Section 1002. The amount of oil estimated to to be in the Undeformed area is estimated to be between 3.4 and 10.2 Billion Barrels (mean of 6.4 Billion).
Opponents use 3.4 Billion Barrels and 6 months supply when talking about ANWR. What they mean, is hypothetically, if all other sources of oil are stopped (imports, domestic oil, Prudhoe Bay and other North Slope Alaskan oil), 3.4 Billion Barrels would supply 6 months of oil (at current consumption). As you can see, the 3.4 Billion, does not include at least another billion barrels (in State and Native hands) that probably cannot be gotten to unless at least the undeformed part of Section 1002 is opened. Also, they use the lowest numbers in the USGS estimates. |
