(and please excuse the use of incorrect terms to describe "energy" since I don't know what that is in oil).
Picture it this way:
Let's say it takes 100 Calories to extract 10 litres of oil.
This 10 litres of oil can only produce 50 Calories.
Even if those 100 Calories (produced by, say, burning natural gas) is worth less money than the 50 Calories from oil, it still cost more *energy* than it created.
The only reason to spend more energy going after the oil is because you need oil, not, say, natural gas. I think this is still terribly wasteful, though, and that we should find a better alternative or use the original energy source or whatever.
Does that explanation of what I mean make sense? Do be honest and I can try again. |
