- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
US shale drillers to reduce Permian emissions, increase reliability with nuclear reactors
Posted on 4/1/24 at 1:06 pm
Posted on 4/1/24 at 1:06 pm
quote:
(Bloomberg) – U.S. oil and gas companies including Diamondback Energy Inc. are considering small nuclear reactors to power drilling operations in Texas’s Permian basin, a move aimed at cutting carbon emissions and ensuring reliable access to electricity.
Diamondback, the largest independent producer headquartered in the shale-oil region, has signed a nonbinding letter of intent with Oklo Inc. to deploy small reactors for some of its future power needs, according to Diamondback President Kaes Van’t Hof. Oklo, which is developing an advanced fission reactor, has held similar discussions with other oil companies, its chief executive officer said in an interview.
Permian producers have increasingly shifted their operations from diesel generators to electricity supplied by the local power grid. But the Texas grid can be shaky, especially in remote parts of the oil patch. A drilling site with its own nuclear plant would offer reliability without greenhouse gas emissions, since reactors generate power without spewing carbon dioxide.
“Small nuclear reactors could make sense as a low-cost, low-carbon, high-reliability alternative energy source for a company like Diamondback whose energy needs continue to increase,” Van’t Hof said by email.
It won’t happen soon, however. Oklo and other companies developing small reactors are years away from delivering commercial systems.
Oklo’s 15-megawatt system would be far smaller than the conventional reactors used today, which typically produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity. (A megawatt is enough to power 200 typical Texas homes.)
Supporters say small nuclear plants would be a good fit for powering industrial sites, especially in far-flung locales. Some companies are also interested in tapping heat from reactors, such as chemical giant Dow Inc., which has said it’s planning to power a Texas facility with a system from X-Energy Reactor Co.
Nuclear power is increasingly seen by policy makers as a key part of the fight against climate change. While there’s a growing push to eliminate fossil fuels, Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte said it’s going to take a long time to curb the demand for oil. Incorporating nuclear power into the drilling process would help reduce greenhouse gases while oil is still needed.
“These fossil fuels are going to be produced. Do we want to burn carbon to produce them, or do we want to not burn carbon to produce them?” DeWitte said in an interview. “There’s a pretty obvious answer.”
LINK /
Posted on 4/1/24 at 1:34 pm to ragincajun03
They want to eliminate fossil fuels by using Nuclear reactors to power the extraction of fossil fuels; did I read that right?
Posted on 4/1/24 at 1:39 pm to ragincajun03
Diamondback ran me off a couple of times
Posted on 4/1/24 at 2:28 pm to ragincajun03
quote:
has signed a nonbinding letter of intent with Oklo Inc.
I wonder how much these little guys cost and how many homes they can run?
Posted on 4/1/24 at 2:42 pm to ragincajun03
I wouldn’t hate it if these were small molten salt reactors…
BTW if any oil companies are reading this and want to support research into this by professor in the area that co-oped at nuclear plant years ago, I’d be more than happy to consult on those projects. (Need to make up for what Bidenomics has done and continues to do to my bank account)
BTW if any oil companies are reading this and want to support research into this by professor in the area that co-oped at nuclear plant years ago, I’d be more than happy to consult on those projects. (Need to make up for what Bidenomics has done and continues to do to my bank account)
Posted on 4/1/24 at 2:55 pm to ragincajun03
There are a couple of California-based companies that have some very innovative technology for smaller & very safe reactors that will be changing all of our lives in the coming decades.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 4:24 pm to ragincajun03
You can’t build a nuclear reactor in less than 20 years in the United States. Period.
Just ask Georgia Power and South Carolina Electric and Gas.
Just ask Georgia Power and South Carolina Electric and Gas.
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News