> The calculation goes like this I think:
>
> - There's 100 TJ worth of chemical energy in the form of crude oil 
> in a
> well.
> - To extract and refine it, you need 80 TJ.
> - Leaves you with 20 TJ of useful chemical energy from fossil fuels.

As the easily extracted material is expended it becomes more energy 
costly to get the rest. By the time you get to the Southern Ocean and 
Shale Oils it gets, they say, so energy expensive to do that you never 
win. So they say. The Southern Ocean promises vast reserves but it 
will be very challenging to access them.

Sooner or later Lunar Helium 3 is going to look downright attractive. 
We more or less have the technology now required to access it. (ie an 
order of magnitude improvement in our capabilities may be needed). 
Where we once sent a few men at  a time for a few days at a time we 
need to spend thousands for years. A "simple matter of engineering".

All we need now is to work out how to build something to burn it in.



        Russell 

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