Oil excsecs ask Congress to allow more U.S. drilling Options

[impala454]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...iz/5794229.html

WASHINGTON — Oil executives today challenged lawmakers to open more areas to drilling and send a signal to the world about the United States' resolve to deal with its own energy problems.

"If the nation set a goal of increasing domestic production by 2 (million) to 3 million barrels a day by opening up new sources of exploration and production, we could demonstrate to the world that we are in control of our own destiny," Shell Oil Co. President John Hofmeister told a Senate panel today.

Just last week, President Bush was unsuccessful in persuading Saudi Arabia to crank up its oil output significantly.

Chevron Vice Chairman Peter Robertson argued that the United States can't expect other countries to increase their production "when we limit our development without good reason."

pretty interesting note here:

With the U.S. economy slowing, motorists reacting to higher gas prices and use of ethanol on the rise, the nation's reliance on foreign oil will fall this year for the first time since 1977.

Hofmeister, pointing to government data, noted that imports made up 57.9 percent of U.S. oil consumption during the first quarter, down from 58.2 percent in the same period a year ago.

Now I guess we'll sit back and see if our congress can do what's necessary.

[theIncredibleEdi...]

I find myself driving slower on the freeways now. I just set my cruise control to 60-65 and say, "Fuck you if you think I am going too slow."

[Oasis]

I find myself driving slower on the freeways now. I just set my cruise control to 60-65 and say, "Fuck you if you think I am going too slow."

You do realize that MPG is based on RPM and not speed, right?

[Dogmeat]

You do realize that MPG is based on RPM and not speed, right?

Not entirley. It's based on engine load ... with fuel injected vehicles, they can actually operate at a given RPM on varying amounts of fuel ... it's kind of a new thing with modern engine control.

For instance, I can tow my snowmobile trailer at 65 mph behind my pickup in the same gear it would normally be cruising in at 65 at the same RPM .... I'd get about 16 mpg unloaded, but with the trailer I'd get about 9 ...

My old truck I used to get 21 mpg at 65 mph, at 75 I'd get 17 ..

You also have to take into account wind resistance on a vehicle increases exponentially with speed, which causes more load to be put on the engine ...

[chook]

Not entirley. It's based on engine load ... with fuel injected vehicles, they can actually operate at a given RPM on varying amounts of fuel ... it's kind of a new thing with modern engine control.

For instance, I can tow my snowmobile trailer at 65 mph behind my pickup in the same gear it would normally be cruising in at 65 at the same RPM .... I'd get about 16 mpg unloaded, but with the trailer I'd get about 9 ...

My old truck I used to get 21 mpg at 65 mph, at 75 I'd get 17 ..

You also have to take into account wind resistance on a vehicle increases exponentially with speed, which causes more load to be put on the engine ...

exactly. Variable fuel to match your load. Wind drag is exponential, that is why it takes so much more power for super cars to go from 160 to 165, and why your top end is slower.