The Alaskan Oil Reserves

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look at the Alaskan oil reserves and how these reserves offer a potentially large resource and a possible solution to the energy needs of the United States. This paper also reviews how using these reserves could mean possible exploitation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

From the Paper:

" The National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A), is situated between the foothills of the Brooks Range and the Arctic coastline, and is about 120 miles from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). (Rosen, Y. 2003. ) The Bureau of Land Management ( BLM) estimates the area will"... supplement production from the Alpine fields, which hold 429 million barrels and have a daily oil output of about 100,000 barrels." (US OKs Commercial Drilling in Alaska Oil Reserve) In terms of geography the oil in the petroleum reserve" lies in reservoirs only about 50 feet thick, stretched across an area 300 miles wide and 200 miles from the coast inland to the Brooks Range. In ANWR, the oil is largely concentrated in reservoirs as thick as 300 feet." (Big oil numbers for Alaska)
At first glance there seems to be very little reason not to make use of these oil reserves. The US Geological Survey estimates that the reserve contains between 5.9 billion and 13.2 billion barrels of oil. (US expands oil exploration in Alaska). Other estimates are that the area "... is expected to produce between 5.7 billion and 16 billion barrels of oil for decades." (Murkowski L. 2005)"

More papers on The Alaskan Oil Reserves:

• Essay # 4232 : "Gas and the Alaskan Oil Reserves: A Mistake"
• Research Paper # 75755 : "Alaskan Oil Drilling "
• Argumentative Essay # 112031 : "Arguments Against Drilling for Oil in Alaska"

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