Interior to propose expanding offshore drilling

The Interior Department has put the final touches on a five-year plan to expand oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore from Alaska and Virginia.

U.K.: Gas shortage warning as Government fails to act on storage

The failure leaves Britain’s energy policy looking threadbare and comes only months after Greenpeace successfully challenged the Government over failing to consult on plans for new nuclear power stations.

Gas storage is increasingly crucial to Britain’s energy needs because the country is moving to become dependent on fuel imports as the North Sea becomes exhausted. But the legacy of being able to rely on the North Sea means that the country has very little storage capacity.

Someone at PeakOil.com dug up these clips of gas shortages in Africa:

Ziguinchor - Gas Shortage

Gas shortage in Ilorin Kwara Nigeria

Venture Capital Rushes Into Alternative Energy

Money is flowing into alternative energy companies so fast that “the warning signs of a bubble are appearing,” according to a report on investment in clean technology by a New York research firm, Lux Research.

Analysis: Fight rages over Iraq oil law

Discussions turned contentious among the more than 60 Iraqi oil officials reviewing Iraq's draft hydrocarbons bill last week in the United Arab Emirates.

But the dispute highlighted the need for further negotiations on the proposed law that was stalled in talks for nearly eight months, then pushed through Iraq's Cabinet without most key provisions.

9 freed after Ethiopian oil attack

Seven Chinese oil workers and two Africans kidnapped during a rebel attack on a Chinese oil field near the Somali border were released Sunday.

Employees Threaten to Halt Petrobras Operations in Brazil

Workers at Brazil's state-owned oil and gas company, Petrobras, announced Thursday that they will go on strike halting operations in all of the giant's production units.

Ecuadorian troops win more power to end protests

Ecuador will increase the powers of security forces to break up demonstrations which can shut down output from oil facilities in the Amazon rainforest, leftist President Rafael Correa said on Friday.

Australia - Coal subsidies far outweigh funding for renewables: Greenpeace

Greenpeace has accused the Federal Government of spending billions of dollars on the coal industry and failing to subsidise cleaner energy sources.

ConocoPhillips Draws Attention in Defying Venezuela Over Oil Fields

ConocoPhillips (COP) raised eyebrows in Venezuela this week by skipping an event where it could have signed over the rights to run its local oil operations to state-owned oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PdVSA.

Industry watchers said the slight could mean Conoco is preparing for a legal battle if new contract terms offered in Venezuela's ongoing oil nationalization don't meet the firm's expectations.

U.S.-Chinese Cooperation in the Middle East Should Be Deepened

China isn't comfortable. The country's spectacular growth over the last two decades has made it ever more thirsty for energy, but policymakers are not sure they can secure their energy supply into the future. Rather than gain confidence as the United States has stumbled in the Middle East, many Chinese take U.S. problems in the region as a sign of Chinese vulnerability as well. Some in the United States feared China would soon stand out as a rival to U.S. influence, but in recent months, the Chinese government has shown an interest in being helpful. That cooperation needs to be deepened.

Russia to Get Dividend in Sakhalin-2 Deal

In addition to ceding a controlling stake in their flagship Sakhalin-2 project to the Russian state gas company last week, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and its partners also agreed to pay a substantial annual dividend to the Russian government as part of a deal to salvage the $20 billion venture, according to people familiar with the situation.

Nigerian Oil Production Remains a Wild Card

Nigerian oil production appears to have weathered post election tensions so far, but the tinder box nature of politics in the country suggests that a deterioration, if it comes, will be sudden.

Hydrogen fuel-cell cars in dealer showrooms by 2015, say industry experts

"I think people were a little bit naive then about how long it takes to get a technology into a car and then into the hands of a consumer," says Noordin Nanji, vice-president and chief customer officer at Ballard Power Systems, the Vancouver-based fuel-cell pioneer.

"You can't just put a new technology into a car and start selling it. It takes time."

Indian project shows solar power affordable-U.N.

A solar power project in India supplying electricity to 100,000 people will be widened to other developing nations after showing that clean energy can be cheaper than fossil fuels, a U.N. report said on Sunday.

The heat is on for greenhouse gas methane

Government policies and a U.N.-backed system of emission credits is proving a money-spinner for investors, farmers and big polluters such as power stations wanting to offset their own emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2).

The reason is simple: methane is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere and it is relatively simple to capture the gas from animal waste, landfills, coal mines or leaky natural gas pipes.

Canadian District Energy Association's 12th Annual Conference & Exhibition

Through the use of renewable fuels and highly efficient generating technologies, district energy is today's clean energy solution for communities across Canada. District Energy plays an important role in extending the benefits of renewable energy, constructing green buildings, urban planning, brownfield reclamation, supporting social housing, and encouraging economic development. For these reasons, more and more communities across Canada, and internationally are choosing district energy to meet their economic, conservation, and energy supply goals.

U.S. and China criticize climate report

The United States and China want to water down a proposed plan for fighting climate change, arguing that action to reduce greenhouse gases will be more costly and time-consuming than scientists claim.

US recognizes warming threat but drags feet on remedies

As the world's largest emitter of carbon-dioxide, the United States has shrugged off blame for global warming and continues to question recommended methods for slowing down the trend.

Qatar Oil Minister: High Price Due To Geopolitics, Not Shortage

Crude oil prices, which have rebounded to September highs, are mostly supported by geopolitics, not tight crude oil inventories, Qatari Oil Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah said Sunday.

"We have no indication of any shortage of supply," Attiyah said in a telephone interview. He added, therefore, there isn't any reason for OPEC to meet soon to review its oil output policy.

Road collapse creates driver nightmare

Transportation officials said they already had added trains to the Bay Area Rapid Transit rail system that takes commuters across San Francisco Bay, and were urging people to telecommute if possible.

In preparation for rush hour, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger authorized funding so that ferries, buses and the rail system could carry commuters free of charge during Monday's commute.

State officials said motorists who try to take alternate routes Monday instead of relying on public transportation would face nightmarish commutes.

Apocalypse later ... maybe: Once-strident commodities letter more subdued about oil

There was a time when I could rely on Outstanding Investments for a resounding apocalyptical quote. How about this, from two years ago: "... For every SIX barrels of oil currently consumed, only one new barrel is discovered. And that number is getting worse there were only 13 major oil finds (over 500 million barrels in reserves) in 2000, six in 2001 and two in 2002. There hasn't been any major oil discovery since then! And when the reality of higher prices hits with full force and I think it's coming very, very soon no one is going to find it more difficult to swallow than the spoiled, overconsuming United States. The crisis is truly devastating in scope and could end life as we know it in the United States."

Slick way to address oil thirst

Oil is the oxygen of our economy. What would happen if oil supplies dried up?

That's the story behind a new computer game launching today, "World Without Oil" at www.worldwithoutoil.org. This game, which can be played for free over the Internet, isn't purely make believe. It's meant to draw attention to the real possibility of an oil shock and what our country and the world have to do to prepare for it. The ideas that people come up with for surviving in a post-oil world in the game could actually pay off in real life if they lead to less consumption and more alternative sources of energy.

Korea: Surging Oil Prices Send Gasoline Up Yet Again

Soaring international oil prices have pushed up local gasoline and diesel prices, as well as city gas and electricity fees. The price of Dubai crude oil jumped to US$63.9 (US$1=W929) per barrel in April from $61.5 last year due to political instability in the Middle East and a shortage of oil reserves in the U.S., the world’s largest oil consumer.

Carolyn Baker: Super-Imperialism: The Shameful Legacy Of Liberal Democrats

When super-imperialism is fully understood, the “mystery” of illegal immigration will immediately be resolved. It is as if the international corporatocracy of world dominance functions like a giant broom sweeping the dispossessed into the United States where they are greeted by the domestic corporatocracy and further exploited as wage-slave laborers with all the accoutrements of “the good life, huaraches exchanged for vinyl sandals made in China and corn tortillas supplanted by “happy meals.” One can only wonder what this government’s policy will be when the dire consequences of Peak Oil and climate-chaos drought hit the fan. What then will be America’s border policy? Today, gorging itself on cheap labor, the corporatocracy sucks up taxpayer money to build meaningless border fences that it knows will not deter the illegal workers it needs, but when Walmarts have weeds growing in their parking lots and thousands of meat packing plants have shut down because only the very wealthy can afford to remain carnivorous, we will see how many new immigrants will be allowed to inhabit the U.S. and consume the last drops of its water and oil.

Pakistan: Drastic energy-saving measures on the cards

The government is set to introduce this week drastic measures for energy conservation, including closure of commercial activities after sunset and possibly two weekly public holidays, to overcome the energy crisis in the country.

Uganda: Uma Singles Out Transport, Energy As Priority for Govt Action

Ugandan manufacturers have singled out the dire transport conditions and the energy crisis as the most daunting to their businesses. They have expressed frustration at the pace of work by the government to rectify the problems. In its proposals to the government for consideration in the 2007/08 budget, the Uganda Manufacturers Association (Uma) has outlined several measures to allow them remain competitive in the country and in the region.

Power Rationing to Continue Today

Costa Rica's energy crisis continued to be felt Friday and Saturday as residents in some parts of country dealt with power outages, and more rolling blackouts are planned for today, according to the Costa Rican Electricity Institute's (ICE) Web site.

Nigerians lose N128bn yearly as power crisis worsens

Over $1-billion (N128-billion) is lost annually by Nigerians and businesses from the crippling power supply crisis, according to data from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

The loss stems from the extra costs incurred in providing alternative sources of power both by corporate organisations and small businesses as well as idle times during blackouts.

Germany to Become World's Most Energy-Efficient Country

The German Environment Ministry this week unveiled a set of highly ambitious proposals that would lead Germany to become the world's most energy-efficient country in the coming years.

Trend could spell trouble for malls

The American mall, with its department store anchors, culinarily challenged food courts, concrete shells and native denizen, "the mall rat," is becoming an endangered species.

One anchor mall is being built in 2007 and none are planned for 2008.

What is being built in massive quantities are "off-the-mall" retail and urban-friendly, largely upscale, open-air lifestyle and mixed-use retail centers.

Developer sees green in Belvedere community

Construction is set to begin on a massive new environmentally friendly development on a 207-acre historic property just north of Charlottesville.

The Belvedere project off East Rio Road in Albemarle County eventually will feature more than 700 energy-efficient homes in a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood.

'Perfect Storm' Brewing for San Diego's Water Supply

San Diego's two largest water sources -- the Colorado River and the Sierra Nevada range -- are at their lowest levels in decades, raising concerns that the arid region may face water shortages as soon as next year.