4 ms·
It's not just economic cost, it's also energy cost (the EROI). It costs some % of a barrel of oil just to pump up a new barrel of oil. When that ratio is 100%
by saulpw 4y ago
It's not just economic cost, it's also energy cost (the EROI). It costs some % of a barrel of oil just to pump up a new barrel of oil. When that ratio is 100%, you can no longer pump oil for energy, though you might still pump it for the raw materials, or to convert a different source of energy into tasty gasoline.
So there probably always be oil remaining in the ground that costs too much energy to extract.
- rtpg 4y agoIn the “infinite energy” argument, there is some notion of “well I can use solar energy to get this oil, which has different characteristics, even if the energy is less overall”. Not all energy sources are fungible, right? But it’s a good point