Countrywide is moving all its mortgage origination activities under the umbrella of its federal savings bank, which would allow it to use deposits to fund loans, as well as let it borrow through the Federal Home Loan Bank system.

FORBES: Countrywide Is On Its Side

That said, it is impossible to predict how much of the unconventional deposits will be recoverable until well after the drilling starts, which is why it is crucial that foreign energy companies with the technology begin exploratory work.

FORBES: Poland: Fracing On The Rise?

The Office of Thrift Supervision considered WaMu well-capitalized on the day it was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and its deposits and assets sold to JPMorgan.

FORBES: Was WaMu Unique? Nope