ABSTRACT: Toward a Rational Plan for Energy Exploration, Research, and Development

Donald Towse

The United States is becoming a have-not nation in respect to liquid fuels. Whether or when this situation reaches crisis proportions depends on our national response.

A rational plan for energy exploration, research, and development must be based on needs, resources, and potential new supplies sufficient to provide for the nation's economy and security.

Based on current consumption and reserve-to-production ratios, the United States would need a 55% increase in reserves (about 15 billion bbl conventional oil equivalent) and annual additions of about 4 billion bbl to be independent of foreign sources.

Oil has been about 44% of the energy input in the United States; over 38% of that oil was imported and 63% was used in transportation, but liquid fuels research has been seriously underfunded.

Energy professionals can weigh the options and advise both government and industry where the priorities should lie. Coal, tar sands, methanol, and improved combustion are among the possible solutions; the downstream segments cannot be neglected. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract W-7405-Eng-48.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91003©1990 AAPG Annual Convention, San Francisco, California, June 3-6, 1990