Alabama's Buried Prosperity

Oct 29

6 min read

By Dean Odle

It's time for Alabama to stand on its' own. We need to produce wealth instead of relying on money from the federal government. And there is only ONE WAY to accomplish this seemingly impossible goal.

When I ran for Governor of Alabama from 2020-2022, I stood up against the shutdowns, the masks and vaccine mandates, as well as the unconstitutional requirement of having to buy a permit to carry a gun. I railed against government censorship and lies about the early treatment protocols for Covid-19. I also advocated for our state to get back to enforcing the 10th Amendment. I put forth a detailed plan for complete school choice that would have removed government control and released free market competition. And I had an economic plan as well.

During my research in 2020, I discovered the buried avenues of prosperity right under our feet. In fact, I could not believe that during my two years of campaigning and the four years since, I have not heard an Alabama politician ever talk about it. Nevertheless, when I started researching the topic, I came across an (AL dot com) opinion article from 2013 by J. Pepper Bryars entitled Drill Bama Drill! In the article, Bryars writes “Alabama should have a very profitable future in the Conasauga, Devonian and Neal shale formations in the upper middle part of the state. The Geological Survey of Alabama estimates that these formations may hold more than 800-trillion cubic feet of gas resources. That's a lot of gas waiting to be extracted, creating jobs and fueling economic growth.”[1]

After reading Bryars’ article, I checked his references. I went to the website of the Geological Survey of Alabama, and it confirms that they “…completed a three-year study on the geology and development potential of shale gas plays. The Black Warrior basin and Appalachian thrust belt of Alabama contain a diversity of emerging gas shale plays in Cambrian through Mississippian strata with gas resources that may exceed eight hundred trillion cubic feet (original gas-in-place).”[2]

In another place the Geological Survey of Alabama says, “Survey scientists are describing deeply buried reservoirs in southwest Alabama and in Alabama state waters. Survey scientists are identifying areas that may contain undiscovered oil and gas accumulations. The results of this study will help oil and gas companies find new fields in Alabama.”[3]

Propaganda Meant to Scare the Public

The rise of hydraulic fracking technologies and these untapped oil and gas reserves in the southern states of America deeply concerned OPEC nations. That led the government of Abu Dhabi to fund a documentary-like film in 2012 starring Matt Damon called “Promised Land.” That film demonized fracking and was used to create unfounded environmental fears in the masses. However, Investor’s Business Daily totally exposed the lies in the film and the EPA’s attempt to satisfy wacko environmental groups and the agenda of the globalists:

“In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency, under pressure from environmental groups, tried to manufacture a crisis in which hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, was said to have contaminated test wells in Pavillion, Wyo. Those claims and others made in the six-decade history of technology’s use have repeatedly proved groundless.

In 2011, the EPA released the non-peer reviewed report on Pavillion in which the agency publicly linked fracking and groundwater contamination for the first time. However, then-EPA administrator Lisa Jackson stated that there is ‘no proven case where the fracking process itself has affected water.’

Indeed, the EPA has also found no link between fracking and groundwater contamination despite claims in Parker County, Texas, and Dimock, Pa., the latter of which became a battleground in environmentalists' campaign against fracking and was featured in the anti-fracking documentary ‘Gasland.’”[4]

Despite this admission of the EPA, Alabama developed some of the strictest environmental regulations in the country regarding drilling in offshore waters. Furthermore, public opinion/opposition to fracking has also been an obstacle due to ongoing resistance from environmental groups and their sympathizers in state agencies. I did find out that Governor Robert Bentley was very much in favor of moving forward with more drilling and fracking in Alabama, but his scandal drowned out his energy policy until he had to resign. Since then, I do not remember hearing a word about increasing drilling from Governor Kay Ivey. Her only plan to increase state revenue was to increase Alabama’s gas tax (which my opponent in the Lt. Governor’s race Wes Allen voted for when he was in the legislature). Raising taxes is a Democrat move. True, conservative Republicans do not raise taxes.

Hartselle’s Large Petroleum Reserves

Another untapped area in our state is the “…Asphaltic rocks or ‘tar sands’ of Mississippian age crop out in north-central and northwest Alabama at various locations dispersed throughout a 70-mile-long belt that extends from central Morgan County westward to the far west-central part of Colbert County near the Alabama and Mississippi boundary. The development of this resource has been limited to surface mining for road construction material. The widespread Hartselle Sandstone contains the largest petroleum reserves, and these bituminous rocks are considered to have the best potential for future oil extraction operations.”[5]

The Hartselle Sandstone has been looked at for studied for decades. In 2014, we just did not have the technology to extract its’ resources in a way that would not severely damage the environment…but now we do. “Advances in fracking fluids and pressure monitoring have improved well performance and minimized environmental impact.”[6] For instance, todays fluids are made from non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients and there are also waterless fracking methods. The use of geosteering helps using tools like gamma-ray logging guides the drillers through the best path inside the rock to the sweet spots. Geosteering also helps them to avoid the problem zones underground.[7]

One of the most significant breakthroughs is the integration of automation and AI to create “intelligent” fracturing processes. For instance, Chevron and Halliburton have developed an intelligent hydraulic fracturing system that combines automated stage execution with real-time subsurface feedback. This optimizes the delivery of energy into the wellbore, improving precision and reducing manual intervention. Halliburton has taken this further with its ZEUS IQ™ platform, the industry’s first closed-loop fracturing solution. It uses AI and machine learning algorithms, trained on thousands of fracturing stages, to analyze data, adjust controls, and make autonomous operational decisions. The platform enables an autonomous fracturing spread, where operations can be controlled with a single button push, enhancing efficiency, well performance, and asset value through adaptive fracturing based on live subsurface data.[8]

This is why big oil companies already have incredibly detailed proposals to the state of Alabama to drill in some of our old wells with this new technology. One company I found with proposals to Alabama is Global Oil & Gas LTD. This company already has leases for oil and gas exploration and drilling in Alabama. They say that they “…are committed to sustainable resource development and clean extraction methods.”[9] They also state on their website that they, “…have secured agreements with all landowners, ensuring stability in mineral rights ownership and providing a strong foundation for our operations.”

It Is Time to Move Forward

As Micky said to Rocky after hearing Adrian say “WIN” he said, “What are we waiting for!?” Alabama could be winning economically if we pressed forward and increased our drilling for oil and natural gas. We simply MUST do it. It is the only way to dramatically improve the state’s economy, and it would help the poorest side of the state as well. Now is the time! And that is why it’s time to elect people who will boldly push forward the right things for Alabama. The same old cookie-cutter politicians have proven that they will do nothing.

An oil and gas boom in Alabama would attract all kinds of new businesses to our state and that would increase jobs. Money would flow into Alabama in all kinds of ways. And that new revenue would be used to get rid of Alabama’s property taxes and income taxes and the grocery tax. That’s my plan as the Republican Lt. Governor of Alabama. None of my opponents have put forth any type of economic plan with any real specifics to it. I put this plan forth in my 2020 run for Governor and I started getting phone calls from CEOs of oil companies. Just imagine where we would be now had I won four years ago. We cannot waste anymore time. It’s time to elect the candidate with real plans to fix or education system and our economy…and that candidate is Dean Odle for Lt. Governor.[10]