The Oil Drum

It's the people, stupid

For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, scientists came up with an “end of the world” scenario in the 1980s that had nothing to do with the U.S. or Soviets pressing a button. The doomsday delivery method, they feared, was overpopulation.

Twenty years later, symptoms of overpopulation’s strain on the system are headline news: thinning ozone, global warming, over-fishing, water shortages, peak oil….

Saudi Aramco expanding seawater plant

Once completed, the Qurayyah plant is expected to be the world's largest seawater treatment plant that will be used for oil recovery, with a capacity of 14 million barrels per day.

Little-known Russian company reportedly discovers massive Siberian gas field

The field, known as Angaro-Lenskoye, holds some 1.22 trillion cubic meters of gas according to Russian C2 reserve classifications, and 61.79 million tons of gas condensate according to C2 classifications.

Oil May Fall as Production Rises, Demand Growth Slows, RBS Says

Oil, which has dropped 27 percent from the record reached in July, may fall to $45 a barrel by 2011 as output increases and demand growth slows, said Royal Bank of Scotland Plc, the U.K's second-largest lender.

Exxon, Shell, BP May Say Profit Fell as Gas, Oil Rally Ended

Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc may report fourth-quarter earnings fell, the first time the world's three largest oil companies all reported a decline since mid-2002.

Global warming means millions of climate refugees

A decade or so ago, greens coined the term "climate refugees" to describe the future victims of global warming.

Today, experts say such refugees may already number in the millions and could reach 200 million by century's end, stoking tensions and potential for conflict.

Russian Government Okays Rules on Strategic Assets

The Russian government gave initial approval Wednesday to long-awaited draft legislation restricting foreign companies' access to Russia's natural resource wealth and select Russian industries, Russian news agencies reported.

Indonesian gas potential burns dimly

A series of contractual production-sharing and long-term-supply spats pitting the Indonesian government against multinational energy companies and big natural-gas importers in Japan has recently tarnished Indonesia's reputation as a reliable business partner. It has also undermined the gas sector's overall earning potential - crucially at a time when global prices have surged to near-record highs.

Dry Down Under

"These are ugly decisions, but you either drink water or you die. There's no choice. It's liquid gold, it's a matter of life and death," said Peter Beattie, premier of the northeastern state of Queensland.

Warming linked to stronger hurricanes

Global warming has made stronger hurricanes, including those in the Atlantic such as Katrina, an authoritative panel on climate change has concluded for the first time, participants in the deliberations said Thursday.

Young professionals and peak oil

Young Professionals are vulnerable to the shocks that Peak Oil will bring to our society, but we are also well equipped to tackle energy descent, perhaps more realistically than others who simplistically advocate alternative fuels and vague technological fixes.

The best method of carbon sequestration

Now that the Bush administration has admitted something every thinking person already knows--that the world is warming--and now that the administration is fully behind the search for alternative fuels, we can expect more talk about the benefits of carbon sequestration.

EU too Confident on Carbon Capture, Germans Say

German energy bosses and government officials question European Commission calls for mandatory use of carbon capture when burning coal after 2020, saying Brussels is too confident about the technology's future.

Tom Whipple - The Peak Oil Crisis: The Age of the Electric Car

It is time for some good news. In recent weeks there has been a spate of announcements about plans to develop electric cars and much better batteries to power them. Although few new models will be ready for sale in a couple of years, by the end of 2007 there should be many technology-proving prototypes driving around. This in turn should give us better insight into how soon electric vehicle technologies might become available and whether there will be limitations such as prohibitively high cost, inadequate performance, or shortages of specialized raw materials that might prevent their widespread adoption.

Marlboro College Launches MBA In Managing For Sustainability

Responding to the need to educate business leaders who understand the value of people and planet as well as profits, the Marlboro College Graduate Center is now accepting applications for its new MBA in Managing for Sustainability.

Nigeria: Government Creates 3 Energy Research Centres

Amidst rising energy crisis in the country, the Federal Government yesterday approved the establishment of three new national energy research centres that would ensure greater efficiency of the energy sector.

India should achieve energy independence by 2030

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Thursday said India should achieve energy independence by 2030 through hydel capacity, nuclear power and non-conventional energy sources like solar and wind power besides thermal power.

Biofuels 'superpower' Angola soon to be self-sufficient in food production - FAO

Decades of gruesome civil war, landmines, blood diamonds, hundreds of thousands of refugees, the total destruction of infrastructures, near state collapse... these are some of the common images that come to mind when we hear about Angola. But things are changing rapidly in the former Portuguese colony. The fragile peace struck between the ruling MPLA (formerly backed by the Soviets) and the UNITA (backed by the US), was strengthened by the death in 2002 of Unita leader Jonas Savimbi. Since then, the country has stabilized and has attracted foreign investors interested in tapping the country's large oil resources.

European fuel cell bus trials 'successful'

European trials of fuel cell-powered buses, currently taking place in nine European cities including London, have been hailed a success by the project's operators.

Building America’s Zero Energy Homes

Canada: Environment trumps economy, poll suggests

Pollster Allan Gregg said Canadians would be unlikely to tolerate a major downturn in the economy because of environmental policy, but people do seem ready to make some personal sacrifice.

Shell Oil president says energy abounds

The challenge in meeting increasing demand for energy isn't coming up with new sources of supply, Shell Oil President John Hofmeister believes.

"There's plenty of energy to be had," Hofmeister told a Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Washington Athletic Club Wednesday. That energy will come from current and emerging-technology options ranging from offshore oil and gas deposits to Canadian oil sands, Western U.S. oil shale, coal-derived synthetic gas, biofuels, hydrogen fuel cells, wind and solar, he said.

But Hofmeister warned, "The obstacles to getting it are man-made."

Oil: It's Back To Supply And Demand

The speculators who bid up the market last year are in retreat. So much for the new reality.

Turkey sends warships to Cyprus amid row over oil deals

Turkey has sent warships to international waters off Cyprus amid a growing row over oil and gas exploration deals the island's internationally recognised government signed with Egypt and Lebanon, the NTV news channel reported.

Japan Asks China to Halt Gas Output in Disputed Field

Japan asked China to halt any new production of gas from a field in the East China Sea claimed by both countries, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.

Aramco CEO Predicts Energy Use Rise

The chief of the world’s largest oil company predicted an increasing dependence on fossil fuels despite the emergence of alternative energy sources in a talk yesterday sponsored by the Harvard University Center for the Environment.

Gasoline prices have likely hit bottom, feds say

U.S. retail gasoline prices appear to have bottomed out now that crude oil costs are rising again, and pump prices are expected to start climbing, the government’s top energy forecasting agency said on Wednesday.

Al Gore nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Former Vice President Al Gore was nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his wide-reaching efforts to draw the world's attention to the dangers of global warming, a Norwegian lawmaker said Thursday.

U.N. panel to link warming to humans

The U.N. climate panel is set to issue its strongest warning yet on Friday that human activities are causing a damaging global warming likely to bring more heatwaves, droughts and rising seas.

Has the White House interfered on global warming reports?

More than 120 scientists across seven federal agencies say they have been pressured to remove references to "climate change" and "global warming" from a range of documents, including press releases and communications with Congress. Roughly the same number say appointees altered the meaning of scientific findings on climate contained in communications related to their research.

John Michael Greer: Technological Triage

Technological triage requires more complex judgments than the battlefield variety, however. Not all technologies are of equal value for human survival; it won’t do us any good to preserve video game technology, let’s say, if by doing so we lose the ability to grow food. Some technologies necessarily depend on other technologies—firearms, for example, presuppose a certain level of metalworking ability. Finally, technological triage involves four categories, not three. Alongside technologies that can’t be saved no matter what we do, technologies that are certain to be saved even if we do nothing, and technologies that will be saved if we act and lost if we do not, there are technologies that have gone out of existence but could be brought back and put into use if action is taken now.