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Peak Oil & AlienWorld News |
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June 29, 2009
As Iraq Stabilizes, China Eyes Its Oil Fields
Keith Bradsher
HONG KONG — As the world’s second-largest and fastest-growing consumer of oil, China is showing increasing interest in oil fields in a country that has until very recently seemed to be firmly in the American sphere of influence for natural resources: Iraq.
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June 29, 2009
Overpopulation curiously omitted from debates on environment and energy
Bob Nightingale
An article by James Kanter on the New York Times website "Farming for 9 Billion People" explores how to feed so many people by 2050, while minimizing the impact on the environment. He cites the research at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that the planet's caloric needs will double by 2050. The questions his article asked are "can it be done?" and "how?"
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June 28, 2009
Updated Today: News, POW & Blog
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June 28, 2009
BP shuts alternative energy HQ
Terry Macalister
BP has shut down its alternative energy headquarters in London, accepted the resignation of its clean energy boss and imposed budget cuts in moves likely to be seen by environmental critics as further signs of the oil group moving "back to petroleum".
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June 27, 2009
Competition for remaining oil will be fierce
Stuart Long
Author’s note: I wrote this column in 2004, and it was published under the heading “$2 gas may soon seem cheap.” I add some current thoughts at the end.
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June 26, 2009
Iran’s Unrest Shows Power of Economic Sanctions
William R. Hawkins
Iran’s S upreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the theocratic Guardian Council continue their violent suppression of those protesting the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a vote that looks to have been rigged on a massive scale. Pro-democracy demonstrators have suffered hundreds of casualties as security forces have swept them from the streets. "Those arrested in recent events will be dealt with in a way that will teach them a lesson," said Ibrahim Raisi, a judiciary official.
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June 26, 2009
Survivalism grows popular in Valley
Ryan Randazzo
As the recession lingers, some Phoenix-area residents are shifting attention from their financial troubles, including falling home values and shrinking retirement savings, to stockpiling food and ammo.
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June 21, 2009
Greens told no alternative to fossil fuels
Dominic O'Connell and Jonathan Leake
LISTEN to ministers and green campaigners and you would think that we are on a happy path to greener energy, with renewable sources of power freeing us from reliance on fossil fuels.
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June 20, 2009
Electric cars seen as killer app for smart grid
Martin LaMonica
WASHINGTON--Where you see an electric car, your utility sees a battery on wheels.
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June 20, 2009
The Coming Oil Crisis
Mohammed J. Herzallah
Canadian economist Jeff Rubin has a somewhat oracular reputation. Since 2000, he has predicted a massive oil-price spike, and he was among the first in 2007 to prophesy that oil would soar over $100 per barrel (a few months later, he said $150 a barrel and was basically proved right again). Now, even though oil has dropped considerably from its peak, Rubin warns that it's bound to skyrocket once more and cause another, even greater economic crisis. In his new book, Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller, he lays out how this energy crunch will occur—and why it will spell the end of globalization.
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June 20, 2009
Another War on the Horizon?
Giorgi Kvelashvili
For outsiders and even for mere observers of Russo-Georgian relations, it seems nothing serious is happening. President Saakashvili of Georgia has been routinely touring his country talking about developing infrastructure, enhancing an investment-friendly climate and salvaging Georgia's struggling wine-producing industry and farmers in Kakheti, Georgia's important viticulture region.
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June 19, 2009
Peak flow rates, not peak oil?
Kate Mackenzie
Neil McMahon at Bernstein Research says it’s not peak oil, but peak well flow that is the problem. He does however touch on similar themes advanced by peak oilists; namely that remaining oil reserves are becoming more difficult, and expensive, to recover. He recounts the phenomenal flow rates of some of the most famous ‘gushers’ of bygone days, notably the Lucas I well at Spindletop, Texas.
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June 18, 2009
The Peak Oil Crisis: The Year of the Dollar
Tom Whipple
Our peak oil crisis is morphing into a dollar crisis. Despite record inventories, and millions of barrels sitting in anchored tankers, oil prices continue to rise. Earlier this week the average price of gasoline rose to $3 in California and many are predicting that the rest of us will be seeing $3 gasoline later this year.
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June 15, 2009
The 2012 oil crunch vs. Cash for Clunkers
Engineer Poet
World oil production is beset by declining fields and stagnant investment, and Saudi Arabia is predicting a new price spike even higher than the one in 2008. In the midst of this looming crisis, HR2751 is set to saddle the USA with a brand-new crop of gas-guzzling vehicles.
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June 15, 2009
Rising oil prices will buy off democracy
William Rees-Mogg
Dictatorships, as well as democracies, depend on money, although North Korea and Zimbabwe would like to prove the contrary. Dictators have their own constituencies and their constituencies have their own costs.
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June 12, 2009
AlienWorld Attends UTS Lecture by Prof. Aleklett from ASPO
Michael Pinilla
AlienWorld sent two representatives to attend the UTS talk, “Peak Oil by 2012? Will Sydney’s Public Transport System Cope?” in Sydney last Thursday. Guest speakers for the evening were Prof. Kjell Aleklett from ASPO, Councillor John McInerny from the City of Sydney and Gary Glazebrook from UTS.
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June 12, 2009
Petroleos Mexicanos will struggle with oil rate even with new water removal facilities
Michael Lynch
The Rigzone Newsletter on June 12 quoted Peter Millard of Dow Jones Newswires who reported that Mexico’s state oil company has an improved outlook on production from Cantarell and Ku Maloob Zaap oil fields. Together the two fields produce over half of Mexico’s 2.7 million bbl/day output. Ku Maloob Zaap has now overtaken Cantarell as Mexico’s largest producing field. Cantarell has declined to one third of its peak level. Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is now beginning to correct past negligence at Cantarell. The company is reopening wells that produce high volumes of water. This year, Pemex opened an oil/water separation plant at Dos Bocas, a seaport near Cantarell where crude oil is exported. While average water production at Cantarell is 7%, some wells produce at a 40% cut. It is the water production that caused the decline of Cantarell. Reopening of the wells has not yet improved production. April production fell to 713,036 bbl/day from754,063 in March. The problem is still there.
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June 11, 2009
It's Official -- The Era of Cheap Oil Is Over
Michael T. Klaire
Every summer, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy issues its International Energy Outlook (IEO) -- a jam-packed compendium of data and analysis on the evolving world energy equation. For those with the background to interpret its key statistical findings, the release of the IEO can provide a unique opportunity to gauge important shifts in global energy trends, much as reports of routine Communist Party functions in the party journal Pravda once provided America's Kremlin watchers with insights into changes in the Soviet Union's top leadership circle.
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June 11, 2009
Electric Vehicles May Fail to Achieve Mass Adoption Without Support
Matt Mattila and Jenn Wilson
When President Obama announced his commitment to increase America’s fuel-economy standards to an average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, a collection of stakeholders who historically have not shared a unified vision stood behind him. Today, these automotive executives, elected officials, environmental leaders, union representatives and others largely support a new, fuel-efficient direction for the United States transportation industry.
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June 10, 2009
The Peak Oil Crisis: A Letter From Baghdad
Tom Whipple
A couple of weeks back the peak oil community received a letter from an officer serving with our forces in Iraq.
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June 9, 2009
Obama Spoke to Muslims for Oil, Not Humanity
Kevin Gosztola
Obama's speech to Muslims, which he made during his trip to the Middle East last week, may have seemed like it was made to show America shares "principles of justice and progress, tolerance and dignity of all human beings,"- but more precisely, this was a speech to the Muslim world that Obama made so America could ensure access to Islamic oil.
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June 9, 2009
Water Scarcity and the Western Oil Shales
Jeremy Miller
Vast technical and environmental challenges have long stood in the way of commercial oil shale production.
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June 9, 2009
Magnetic field and electric grid collapse – the New Energy imperative
Dr Michael Salla
One of the major puzzles facing space weather scientists is the Earth’s weakening magnetic field. As the magnetic field weakens, so too does the Earth’s natural defense against harmful solar and cosmic radiation. In December 2008, NASA scientists discovered a huge breach in the Earth’s magnetic field that was far larger than anything observed previously. The weakening magnetic field and emergence of giant breaches will allow far more solar energy to enter into the Earth’s atmosphere than anytime in known history. As this happens, the planet’s electric power grid systems could face systemic collapse. Space Weather scientists have been convening workshops and issuing reports on the prospects of electric grid collapse from severe solar storms. As the magnetic field continues to weaken, introducing independent off-the grid energy systems using renewable energy sources as a lifeline for humanity becomes an imperative. Among the least understood but potentially most beneficial sources of renewable energy are “new energy” technologies.
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June 7, 2009
Oil: The rise and fall . . . and rise
Edward Silver
Oil's surge to near $70 a barrel has stoked fresh debate about what's driving the market -- and where prices may be headed if the economy is turning up. Edward Silver, a former Times staff writer who keeps a close eye on the energy market, offers some context on the latest price action, and the global supply/demand equation:
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June 7, 2009
Some see doomsday, not economic recovery
Jim Stratton
The old woman walked into a Leesburg gun shop two months ago and explained her situation.
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June 5, 2009
In alternative energy, a new China Syndrome
David Sarasohn
Rather than spend Congress' Memorial Day weekend working on his barbecuing, Rep. Earl Blumenauer went on a road trip: He traveled to China with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and came back with some unsettling news.
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June 5, 2009
Russia: crisis is past peak, but not yet over
Catrina Stewart
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that the world has escaped the worst of the global economic crisis but warned that Russia could face a second crisis if it fails to break free of its dependence on oil exports.
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June 5, 2009
Peak oil’s impact on energy policy
Don Stowers
In the past week, I’ve read several interesting commentaries that give pause for thought. Just this morning, Raymond James sent out its weekly newsletter with an observation about peak oil. Marshall Adkins and the folks over at Raymond James’ Houston office noted that global oil production peaked sometime in the first quarter of last year.
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June 4, 2009
The Peak Oil Crisis: Watching a Mega-Crisis
Tom Whipple
In the last few weeks there have been a number of developments that may provide an insight into the next few years - but first let's review.
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June 4, 2009
Towns in transition
Fritz Mayer
SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Back in the summer of 2008, when gasoline was selling at more than $4 a gallon, the end of cheap oil seemed perilously near. People switched from oil furnaces to coal, and sales of sport utility vehicles plummeted.
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June 4, 2009
Toyota Prius tops monthly auto sales in Japan
Mari Yamaguchi
TOKYO—Toyota's Prius was the No. 1 selling vehicle in Japan for May, clinching the top spot in the domestic market for the first time and overtaking Honda's new hybrid, the Insight, which fell to third.
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June 4, 2009
23rd Asia-Pacific Roundtable: Energy security 'may spark war'
Adrian David
KUALA LUMPUR: Energy security is a growing issue in shaping the relationship between emerging, thirsty economies and that of the resource-rich countries.
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June 3, 2009
Militarization of the Arctic. Canada: Battle Line In East-West Conflict Over The Arctic
Rick Rozoff
Referring to newly released documents, though not revealing what they were, a major Canadian press wire service reported on May 26 that the government plans to acquire a "family" of aerial drones over the next decade.[1]
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June 1, 2009
GM looking for alternate funding for fuel-cell car development, says executive
Steve Mertl
VANCOUVER, B.C. — General Motors is committed to developing a hydrogen fuel-cell car despite its bankruptcy and a huge cut in research dollars for the zero-emission vehicle, a company executive said Monday.
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June 1, 2009
Walter Kohn and Tam Hunt: A Call to Action on Peak Oil
Walter Kohn and Tam Hunt
We are being lulled to sleep by temporarily low oil prices caused by the global financial crisis. In fact, low prices may lead to an increased level of consumption and accelerated exhaustion of oil reserves.
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