Mosul hit by fuel shortage

The Iraq fuels commission tasked with providing fuel to the north of the country said the city of Mosul is paralyzed by a shortage.

Syria suspended fuel shipments March 22, which compounded the already heightened shortage brought about by war, smuggling, insurgent attacks and lack of refining capacity.

Azerbaijan should pump gas to Georgia in crisis only, Azeri Energy Minister says

"The agreement, we have with Georgia, is expiring in April. We are supplying Georgia with associated gas coming from Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli Field. The gas exports were planned for winter, was aimed to bail Georgia out of energy crisis. I think we should help Georgia when it sees a crisis. But, Azerbaijan should think about itself now too. The more we pump to Georgia, the less we will have for our needs," he underscored.

Senate seeks energy pacts with India, China

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved two measures seeking formal agreements with India and China on international energy crisis response mechanisms and engaging them in a dialogue on climate change.

Thailand looks to deadly nuts for biofuel

On a large tract of land in Thailand’s dusty northeast, Suwit Yotongyot hopes to make a fortune on jatropha, a plant with a poisonous nut that might hold the key to the nation’s energy troubles.

Power plant repair delay spells energy crisis in Bulgaria

Bulgaria may face electricity shortages because of delays in the rehabilitation of a major lignite-fired power plant, an official said Wednesday.

CCID Consulting Reviews China's New Energy Industry

Mexico overcomes skepticism about Brazilian biofuels

Brazil and Mexico agreed to expand cooperation in trade and energy, preparing for possible joint oil exploration and the development of ethanol fuel, the foreign ministers of both countries said Wednesday.

Getting off the Biofuel Bench

What is needed is an honest look at the resources available on a local scale, with each part of the United States and each part of the world doing its own calculus based on logistics and logic.

If the best "renewable" fuel we can think of costs more oil and water to produce than oil itself would cost, we should think again.

Book review : The Last Oil Shock by David Strahan

David Strahan’s book ‘The Last Oil Shock’ smartly covers the subject of Peak Oil in a way that makes it very educational to newcomers but at the same time sounding fresh and interesting to those well-read on this topic.

Ghana: Replace all energy consuming bulbs

The Energy Commission has recommended the replacement of six million incandescent lamps with contact fluorescent lamps throughout the country as a measure to conserve energy and help save the nation from the current energy crisis.

Hell and Hydrogen

No matter how well they're engineered, hydrogen cars offer no real answer to the imminent threats posed by global warming.

Odessa-Brody oil pipeline project not anti-Russian - Polish President Kaczynski

The Odessa-Brody oil pipeline project, which would ship Caspian oil to Poland and Europe, is not an anti-Russian project, and there is technical justification to include Russia in the project, Polish President Lech Kaczynski said Thursday.

Study adds to case for electrification of Auckland Rail

“The study develops a model to examine the impact of peak oil on different kinds of urban development and shows that urban forms with higher densities and better public transport, as opposed to urban sprawl, are best able to cope with escalating oil prices,” says Russel Norman, Green Co-Leader and Economics Spokesperson.

Strike continues to block oil tankers in France

Strikers at France's Fos Lavera oil hub are meeting port and Gaz de France officials on Thursday in a fresh bid to find a way out of a 16-day strike threatening fuel supplies to motorists and exports to U.S. markets.

Some refineries could start shutting down as soon as Friday if the dispute is not resolved, operators said.

"Greener" buildings could slow global warming

Better architecture and energy savings in buildings could do more to fight global warming than all curbs on greenhouse gases agreed under the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol, a U.N. study showed on Thursday.

Better use of concrete, metals and timber in construction and less use of energy for everything from air conditioners to lighting in homes and offices could save billions of dollars in a sector accounting for 30-40 percent of world energy use.

Many large cities at risk of rising seas

More than two-thirds of the world's large cities are in areas vulnerable to global warming and rising sea levels, and millions of people are at risk of being swamped by flooding and intense storms, according to a new study released Wednesday.

In all, 634 million people live in the threatened coastal areas worldwide — defined as those lying at less than 33 feet above sea level — and the number is growing, said the study published in the journal Environment and Urbanization.

Scientists say Antarctic ice sheet is thinning

A Texas-sized piece of the Antarctic ice sheet is thinning, possibly due to global warming, and could cause the world's oceans to rise significantly, polar ice experts said on Wednesday.

Australia launches forest fund to fight global warming

Australia Thursday committed 160 million US dollars to launch what it hopes will become an international fund to protect forests and fight global warming.

Prime Minister John Howard said the initiative would achieve a greater reduction in greenhouse gas emissions than if Australia bowed to pressure and signed up to the Kyoto Protocol.

More U.S. college students studying clean energy

Concern over global warming has more U.S. college students looking into careers in alternative energy, leading U.S. universities to add new courses on clean energy technologies and the environment.

Globalists Love Global Warming

We have a similar situation to the Peak Oil scam, which was created by the oil industry as a profit boon to promote artificial scarcity, and yet is parroted by environmentalists who grandstand as if they are in opposition to the oil companies.

Billions needed for Mozambique energy crisis

Mozambique will need about $5-billion (about R36-billion) invested in projects aimed at solving the energy crisis in the country, Vista News reported on Thursday.

Energy minister, Salvador Namburete told reporters in Maputo that the government was seeking to augment electricity generation in the country by opening up new hydro-electric and natural gas projects.

Ethanol won't yield independence

Unfortunately, there is no way to replace the 13 million barrels, not gallons, of oil we import each day. "Energy independence" using food crops is a slogan, not a policy.

The Peak Oil Crisis: Alternatives #1 – Wind Power

Very soon we are going to have a more electrified civilization with the energy coming from the sun, the wind, the sea, the molten core of the earth, biomass, and perhaps exotic biological reactions. Until these new technologies come into widespread use —a transition that will be expensive and will take decades to accomplish— there will have to be serious conservation to see us through.

Utility TXU slapped with $210 million fine

State regulators on Wednesday recommended $210 million in fines against TXU Corp. after an investigation accused the state's largest utility of manipulating the electric market to its own benefit.

The alleged market abuse was observed between June and September of 2005, according to the Public Utility Commission. It wound up costing consumers $70 million and earned the utility $20 million in extra profits, according to an outside expert whose report was released by state regulators two weeks ago.

Why Iran matters to oil markets

Tehran is ensnared in a growing dispute with the West. Traders are nervous it might pull its oil off the market.

The dirty secret about clean cars - Automakers push flex-fuel vehicles, get around efficiency standards

Canada wary of nuclear power for oil sands

Plans for nuclear power plants to supply electricity and steam to the Alberta oil sands should be put on hold until the full repercussions of using the technology are known, a Canadian parliamentary committee advised.

Ethanol: Time to steer away

A new paper by The Heritage Foundation's Ben Lieberman road tests the latest boondoggle from Washington and finds that its earth-friendly claims are seriously overblown. So, too, is the notion that using more ethanol reduces oil imports and lowers prices at the pump. Worse, increased ethanol use drives up other consumer costs.

World Biodiesel Output Growth May Slow

Global biodiesel production rose sharply in 2006, but growth should slow in the coming year as new German taxes cut demand, analyst F.O. Licht said in a report on Wednesday.

Energy companies rethink palm oil as biofuel

Once, palm oil was seen as an ideal biofuel, a cheap alternative to petroleum that would fight global warming.

But second thoughts are wracking the power industry. Can the fruit of the palm tree help save the planet — or contribute to its destruction?

Go West, oil hunters, but go mob-handed

HERE'S a good message for the domestic oil and gas industry: When looking for the goods in West Africa, it is better to hunt in a pack.

So says Beach Petroleum, Baraka Petroleum, ARC Energy and Adelphi Energy who have formed an alliance - which also includes the unlisted energy consulting and engineering firm Advanced Well Technologies - to take on the better equipped majors in the rush to lock up land both on and offshore in West Africa.

Canada looks to double oil sands output

Greg Stringham, vice president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said they have two possible outlooks for the future of Canadian oil sands; both involve increased production, it's just a matter of how much.

"Conventional oil production is slowing but oil sands will grow," Stringham said at the Energy Information Administration 2007 Annual Energy Outlook in Washington Wednesday. Under ideal conditions, by 2015 production is predicted to be between 2.9 million and 3.5 million barrels a day and between 3.3 million and 4 million barrels per day by 2020. In a constrained scenario, the number is slightly less.