Oliver did the math and determined that under the eastern lands of Montana lay a bed of the finest coal for turning into oil. It was low sulfur content and high water content lignite coal. He chose the word oil, rather than fuel, liquid fuel, and so forth. He said, “the common people understand oil.”
He knew the people of Montana and the United States would understand that the oil refinery-like products produced from the coal to oil process were the same set of products as com from the oil pumped out of the ground in the Middle East.
He thought they would welcome the idea that less imported oil meant fewer U.S. dollars in the hands of foreign terrorists. He said the reduction in dollars spent on warfare to protect Mid East oil would result in fewer deaths of U.S. soldiers. He would say, “No more blood for oil.”
Oliver believed the common people would rally behind the call to turn Eastern Montana coal into oil. He admitted that little if any of the coal would actually get turned into oil. His point was that the products that come from coal gasificatioin are basically the same products that come from refining oil.
“There’s enough energy in that Montana coal to last the United States four hundred years.”
Oliver had done the research and performed the mathematical calculations necessary to determine the 400 years, taking into account how many quads of energy (U.S. usage equals 100 quads) would be needed over that time span. He was very clear that “Coal to Oil” was an interim solution.
“During those four hundred years they need to convert to wind and solar energy. Coal is used in the ramp up phase.”
Oliver’s energy equation computed
four hundred years
as the time frame available, assuming now present demographic and energy consumption patterns continue over that time frame.
Eastern Montana coal could supply the needs for energy by every human living in the United States. Oliver worked with his friend Bill to come up with marketing materials that would sell the idea to the voters of Montana. They summed up the ideas in easily remembered equations like
Energy Independence = 400 Years
Oliver and Bill came up with lots of marketing information. Oliver wrote a letter to the Governor of Montana promoting the idea. The Governor delivered a speech based upon that letter. Various Montana papers printed the Governor’s speech.
The transcript of the Governor’s speech was virtually identical to the letter that Oliver had written. Bill had helped Oliver in some manner with the delivery of the letter to the Governor. Bill used the marketing information in his campaigns for public office. Bill worked very hard to sell Oliver’s idea concerning Montana
coal to oil
being the best answer to the short-term (400 years) need to eliminate United States demand for foreign oil.
If I recollect properly, Oliver computed the break even point at something on the order of forty dollars a barrel, including ALL of the costs of restoring the land surface of Montana to its former contour for those sections that are strip mined.
Knowing Oliver, he factored in every cost he could think of into his equationMontana Coal = 400 years energy independence
The Governor of Montana had a UofM professor verify the accuracy of the equation and they came up with 487 years instead of Oliver’s original 400 year estimate. Oliver smiled when he heard the news–off by four score and seven years having some special significance or perhaps a spot of humor.
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