Next Generation continues to examine the economic potential of drilling the Monterey Shale and finds more reports at odds with USC's study projecting millions of new jobs.

The oil industry has been inflating its projections of jobs that could be created by a potential new California oil boom, according to independent economists who have reviewed the industry’s research and who say the state should cast a more skeptical eye on claims of a potential new oil boom in the Monterey Shale.

Much of California’s current petroleum output is categorized as heavy or extra-heavy oil, meaning it is more viscous and requires more energy and time to refine into fuel than lighter grades of crude. In many ways, it is similar to the thick “bitumen” petroleum that comprises Alberta’s tar sands.

Predictions for California’s oil industry emissions are also complicated by the lack of clarity about which production methods will be used, and at what depth. Some of these variables could make the Monterey Shale output cleaner than current California crudes, while others would make it dirtier.

With elected officials and energy experts buzzing about the potential for a major boom in oil production from California’s Monterey Shale, little attention has been given to the risk that a new oil boom could undermine the state’s plans for addressing climate change.

Next Generation researcher Robert Collier investigates the risks of hydrofluoric acid, a chemical which may be the key to unlocking the Monterey Shale and developing its vast oil deposits.

Acidizing is a powerful oil production technique that could lead to an oil boom in California's Monterey Shale, but little is known about its potential risks.

An explainer on the difference between the two types of acid treatments.