PITY THE POOR MALTHUSIANS:

Apache Corp. said it has discovered the equivalent of at least two billion barrels of oil in a new west Texas field that has the promise to become one of the biggest energy finds of the past decade.

The discovery, which Apache is calling "Alpine High," is in an area near the Davis Mountains that had been overlooked by geologists and engineers, who believed it would be a poor fit for hydraulic fracturing. It could be worth $8 billion by conservative estimates, or even 10 times more, according to the company. [...]

The company has begun drilling in the area and says the early wells, which produce more natural gas than oil, are capable of providing at least a 30% profit margin at today's prices, including all costs associated with drilling.

Some are so prolific that they can break even at a price of 10 cents per million British thermal units, according to the company. 

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