Friday, January 4, 2013

Obama will claim credit for this, but we can all thank fracking instead

US drilling boom for shale oil is remaking America’s energy picture and has brought net oil imports to a 20-year low
"As recently as 2006, domestic crude oil accounted for only about 40% of U.S. oil consumption and imports for 60%.  In only six years, those shares of U.S. oil consumption have almost reversed, with domestic crude oil supplying almost 60% of America’s oil consumption this year, as the share of foreign oil has fallen below 40% in recent months.  As the WSJ points out, the drilling boom in shale-rich states like North Dakota and Texas, thanks to advanced drilling technologies, is completely “remaking the U.S. energy picture,” and in the process remaking the U.S. economy."

And I'm sure that if the Matt Damon film, "Promised Land" does to the oil industry what "China Syndrome" did for nuclear, that will all come to an end.

Matt Damon’s Anti-Fracking Movie Seemingly On Its Way To A Flop  "Matt Damon has become something of an anti-fracking activist. His new movie, Promised Land, takes aim at oil and gas drilling technique, no doubt hoping to do for fracking what The China Syndrome did for nuclear energy.
"The movie is about an oil industry land man who is out to swindle property owners into letting oil companies “frack” (drill for oil”) on their land." This post then refers us to:...

Rotten Tomatoes says, "The earnest and well-intentioned Promised Land sports a likable cast, but it also suffers from oversimplified characterizations and a frustrating final act." 48% didn't like the movie and 40% did in this review.

CNN: Damon's film 'Promised Land' overlooks fracking's boon to U.S.  "Instead, the film falls back on many conventional anti-capitalist themes. The "only reason you're here is 'cause we're poor," declares a farmer to Butler at one point."
...."The energy boom is bringing jobs and increased tax revenues back to rural America and not just to the pockets of big energy companies, as Damon and his co-writers would have you believe."
William Bennett

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