New data: Israel may have 3rd largest deposit of oil shale in the world

March 12, 2011

tags: Israel energy, Oil

by Say It Ain't So

There’s an old joke that when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt, he made a wrong turn and missed all the oil. Well, it turns out that neither Moses nor G-d, made a mistake. Israel is on its way to becoming a energy Goliath.

Yes, good news is coming out of Israel. Imam Obama, you had better put away any sharp objects nearby before proceeding, because you are not going to like this.

According to one-time Israeli ambassador to the UN, Dore Gold, writing in the Jerusalem Post, a new assessment of Israel’s oil shale was released late last year by Dr. Yuval Bartov, chief geologist for Israel Energy Initiatives. Data indicates that Israeli oil shale reserves are much greater than originally estimated, and could be the equivalent of 250 billion barrels (that compares with 260 billion barrels in the proven reserves of Saudi Arabia). The assessment was presented at the yearly symposium of the prestigious Colorado School of Mines.

Independent oil industry analysts have examined the shale, and have not refuted these findings. As a consequence of these new estimates, the Post says, “Israel may emerge as the 3rd largest deposit of oil shale, after the US and China.”

Now, already the massive Leviathan and Tamar fields off the coast of Israel have been noted as among the world’s biggest recent gas finds, capable of meeting Israel’s energy needs for decades to come.

Gold adds that, “The Tamar field, which should begin production in 2013, is expected to supply all of Israel’s domestic requirements for at least 20 years. The Economist suggested in November 2010 that the recently discovered Leviathan field, which has twice the gas of Tamar, could be completely devoted to exports.

All the undersea gas fields together have about 25 trillion cubic feet of gas, but the potential for further discoveries is considerably greater, given that the US Geological Survey estimates that there are 122 trillion cubic feet of gas in the whole Levant Basin, most of which is within Israel’s jurisdiction. After the Leviathan discovery these numbers could go up further.

Sweet.

Additionally, as I posted here, a new study is currently underway near Israel’s Hula Valley that also has “significant” onshore shale-gas potential.

But it gets even better. When high quality shale meets with Jewish genius, the result can be utterly transformational. Dore Gold writes:

Shale deposits

“OIL SHALE mining used to be a dirty business that used up tremendous amounts of water and energy. Yet new technologies, being developed for Israeli shale, seek to separate the oil from the shale rock 300 meters underground; these techniques actually produce water, rather than use it up.

The technology will be tested in a pilot project followed by a demonstration stage. It will be critical to demonstrate that the underground separation of oil from shale is environmentally sound before going to full-scale production. The present goal is to produce commercial quantities of shale oil by the end of the decade.”

If Israel succeeds in developing a unique, environmentally safe method for separating oil from shale deep underground – and don’t worry, because Israel will succeed – the consequences of Her success will change the world’s energy map. Israel will share Her technology with America and Canada who possess immense shale reserves, and then the West can kiss the Arab energy hegemony good-bye.

(‘Course, that would only be the case if B. Hussein Obama and the Democrats are permanently thrown out of office, so we can’t get too excited. If energy continues to be left up to Liberals, America won’t have any.)

The JP article continues:

“The effect of the spread of this technology would be to shift the center of gravity of world oil away from Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf to more stable states that have no history of backing terrorism or radical Islamic causes. (In the Arab world, Jordan and Morocco have the most significant oil shale deposits.)”

12 Tribes of Israel

These new discoveries show that Moses knew exactly where he was going, and that G-d in His infinite wisdom was just waiting until His people returned to the Land that He promised them, and had developed the means to extract His gift.

~ The hidden oil was hinted at in the Torah ~

G-d says to Israel in Deuteronomy 32:13, that He would “…let them suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the flinty rock.”

To the Tribes of Zebulun and Issachar G-d said that they “shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.” (Deuteronomy 33:19)

And to the Tribe of Asher that he would “dip his foot in oil.” (Deuteronomy 33:24)

Jerusalem Post –  [...] There are two new developments in our energy sector that could well offset these trends and eventually alter our standing in the world, especially with respect to Europe.

First, the gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean, which began to produce commercial quantities of natural gas in 2004, are generally well-known. The Tamar field, which should begin production in 2013, is expected to supply all of Israel’s domestic requirements for at least 20 years. The Economist suggested in November 2010 that the recently discovered Leviathan field, which has twice the gas of Tamar, could be completely devoted to exports.

All the undersea gas fields together have about 25 trillion cubic feet of gas, but the potential for further discoveries is considerably greater, given that the US Geological Survey estimates that there are 122 trillion cubic feet of gas in the whole Levant Basin, most of which is within Israel’s jurisdiction.

After the Leviathan discovery these numbers could go up further. Perhaps for that reason, Greece has been talking to Israel about creating a transportation hub for distributing gas throughout Europe from the Eastern Mediterranean that will come from undersea pipelines.

What is less well-known, but even more dramatic, is the work being done on this country’s oil shale. The British-based World Energy Council reported in November 2010 that Israel had oil shale from which it is possible to extract the equivalent of 4 billion barrels of oil. Yet these numbers are currently undergoing a major revision internationally.

A new assessment was released late last year by Dr. Yuval Bartov, chief geologist for Israel Energy Initiatives, at the yearly symposium of the prestigious Colorado School of Mines. He presented data that our oil shale reserves are actually the equivalent of 250 billion barrels (that compares with 260 billion barrels in the proven reserves of Saudi Arabia).

Independent oil industry analysts have been carefully looking at the shale, and have not refuted these findings. As a consequence of these new estimates, we may emerge as the third largest deposit of oil shale, after the US and China.

OIL SHALE mining used to be a dirty business that used up tremendous amounts of water and energy.

Yet new technologies, being developed for Israeli shale, seek to separate the oil from the shale rock 300 meters underground; these techniques actually produce water, rather than use it up.

The technology will be tested in a pilot project followed by a demonstration stage. It will be critical to demonstrate that the underground separation of oil from shale is environmentally sound before going to full-scale production. The present goal is to produce commercial quantities of shale oil by the end of the decade.

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