During my last few months of Clinicals, I was driving all over the the immediate environs of Bakersfield doing Insurance Physicals. I had a couple of appointments that required me to do 5 in Taft CA, then cut across northeast to the other side of the valley, to Wasco, Shafter and Buttonwillow, where I had more appointments, then home, in a loop trip.
Somewhere west of I-5 while in desolate areas, I came across a long stretch of berms with large black rubber bladders. Hundreds upon hundreds. I was sure each could fill at least 3-5 train tanker cars.
At first it seems like an awful lot. Then I realized, if you can put it all in a bunch of big plastic bags, then there is a finite amount. The big signs said Naval Petroleum Reserves. I realized that if someone started to tap this oil, for anything other than for the Navy, then it as going to start to go fast. And not be replaced.
This was way back in 93, before Cell Phones, or before I could even afford a decent camera. I looked on Google maps, but the rez isn't high enough to actually see the bags. I'd say each was 20-30 ft thick, 100 ft long and 50 wide. 6 to a berm, stretching across the desert. Doesn't seem like so much, based onthe way Potato Head is giving it away.
uses 80 million barrels a day, is this still true?
