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• Tech Talk - Conditions and Treatments in North Ghawar

  Recent Tech Talks have focused on the increased use of novel technology in Saudi Arabia as a means of recovering oil stranded during the waterfloods that have successfully sustained production over the past few decades. That technology is further expanded with the use of carbon dioxide injection as part of an Enhanced Oil Recovery program. The CO2 project has been in the works for some years, with an initial estimate that some 40 million cubic feet of CO2 would be injected daily into flooded areas of the Ghawar field. The gas will come from the Uthmaniyah Injection Plant and will be initially injected into seven wells in the Uthmaniyah section of Ghawar. The initial flood will be monitored, since it is important to ensure that the CO2 finds the oil that it will help flow to production wells. Aramco has also recently announced success with changing the make-up of the injection water being pumped into the fields to sustain pressure. By altering the ionic composition and salinity of this water, it has been possible to significantly increase the amount of oil that is liberated and thus recovered from the reservoirs. Ghawar is sufficiently large that it has been divided into different segments, and the conditions vary between them. Because of the differences between the various regions, the overall statement that Ghawar is producing some 5 mbd has to be read with a degree of caution, lest it be presumed that this has continued to be from the same regions of the overall field. (And while this article deals with oil production, it should be noted that Ghawar also produces around 2.5 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas a day.) Figure 1. Sectors of Ghawar with the date of discovery (Afifi) Ain Dar came on line in 1951 with an initial yield of 15.6 kbd of dry oil, and the field was given the overall name of Ghawar, from the Bedouin name of the overlying pasture, in 1952. The original well was still producing 2,100 bd of oil in 2008, having by then produced a total of 152 million barrels. Down at the other end of the field, the first Haradh well was put into production in 1964, and though mothballed for a while due to lack of demand, was still also producing in 2008, at a rate of 2,300 bd – for a total production of 24 million barrels. Shedgum 1 was brought onstream in 1954, and was sidetracked with a horizontal section in 2008, which brought production back to 3,700 bd. The first Hawiyah well went onstream in 1966, and by 2008 was still producing at 4,600 bd – having by that time produced some 51 million barrels of oil. Stuart Staniford and Euan Mearns have, among others at The Oil Drum, provided extensive sets of information on Ghawar over the years. For those who are not familiar with the region, Stuart’s early description is a good place to start. In this brief overview, I will not get into any of the details of those descriptions, though I will quote one or two of the most relevant highlights. The debate initially focused on the amount of the waterflood in different regions of the field, since it was possible, with extensive work, to extract information on the rate that the water was advancing, relative to the remaining volumes in the different regions. For example, in one of his earlier posts, Stuart showed the following sequence of profiles for the water progression across a section of the field at Uthmaniyah. This was followed by an additional response from Euan. Figure 2. Sections of the Uthmaniyah region of Ghawar showing the water flood progression. (Original source: Figure 12 of Al-Mutairi et al, Water Production Management Strategies in North Uthmaniyah Area, Saudi Arabia, SPE 98847, June 2006.) Stuart then continued this analysis into evaluating the conditions in North Ghawar (i.e. Shedgum and Ain Dar) leading him, based on figures such as this: Figure 3. Section through Ain Dar region, from Stuart Staniford,original source Alhuthali et al, Society of Petroleum Engineers Paper #93439, March 2005. This led him to accept a prediction from Fractional Flow, who had earlier noted that production in Northern Ghawar had fallen (in 2007) from the 2mbd oil and 1 mbd water of 2003 to 300 kbd oil and 2.7 mbd water in 2007, as follows: *90% or so of 'Ain Dar/Shedgum's 2mbpd could water out over the course of a few years. *We are likely somewhere in the midst of that process. *That is likely the explanation for most of the Saudi production declines we have seen since June 2005 (including the failure of Haradh III and Qatif/Abu Safah to raise production). The discussion at the time (which is still present in comments under the main papers) was fascinating, since it was based, inter alia, on information such as the speed at which the water front was advancing. Figure 4. Speed of water front advance in North Ghawar (Fractional Flow). The use of horizontal wells and MRC came late in the development of North Ghawar, which is why the use of carbon dioxide injection for EOR, smartwater injection, induced fractures, and long horizontal wells to capture otherwise stranded oil, will play a more important part in the production from the region. What these new technologies bring with them is the ability to go back into the older regions of Ghawar and extract some of the oil that was left in place during the original water floods. Because a number of them will be dealing with regions of the reservoir that are already flooded, so that the oil will be coming from wells with a high water cut, it is, in my opinion, unlikely that these will allow increases in production from the region, but rather it will sustain existing production levels somewhat further into the future than we (the collective wisdom of the TOD writers) have predicted in the past. But Ghawar is not just the original wells of the North, and I will have more to say about the field, and then about other fields in the country, in future posts. - 19 hours ago

• TheOilDrum.com Archive 2005-2011

  During the past seven years, TheOilDrum.com has hosted analysis and discussion surrounding the possibility and implications of a near term peak in global oil production and importance of energy to society in general. Out of the ~8,500 articles posted here (all searchable by keyword in upper left), the list below comprises what each author considered some of their most relevant content. The list is in alphabetical order, by last name of Oil Drum contributor. Click on the author's name to go to their list of selected articles. At the end of each section, a link is given to the complete list of all articles by that author. List of Authors Gail the Actuary Ugo Bardi Art Berman Jason Bradford Joules Burn François Cellier David Clarke Samuel Foucher Nicole Foss Big Gav Prof. Goose Nate Hagens Phil Hart Rembrandt Koppelaar Rune Likvern Euan Mearns David Murphy Heading Out Jérôme à Paris Engineer-Poet Robert Rapier Luis de Sousa Stuart Staniford Jeff Vail Chris Vernon List of Articles Gail the Actuary Oil Limits, Recession, and Bumping Up Against the Growth Ceiling. Write up of an introductory presentation, explaining our how limited oil supply is causing recession and lower economic growth. Are We Reaching Limits to Growth? Looks at our current financial and other problems, in relationship to Limits to Growth (from the 1972 book by that name). IEO 2011: A Misleadingly Optimistic Energy Forecast by the EIA Explains why the latest official forecast of the US Energy Information Administration appears optimistic. Kidding Ourselves About Middle East/North Africa Oil Production. Why claims about future high oil production from Middle East/North Africa are likely overstated. The Link Between Peak Oil and Peak Debt - Part 1 Why limited oil supply is likely to be associated with declining debt availability. What's Behind Egypt's Problems? Explains the connection between declining oil exports and Egypt's "Arab Spring." Is It Really Possible to Decouple Energy Growth from GDP Growth? Explores why growth in energy efficiency seems to have stopped after 2000. Also see Thoughts on Why Energy Use and CO2 Emissions are Rising as Fast as GDP The US Electric Grid: Will it be Our Undoing? – Revisited Why the US electrical transmission system has so many challenges, and the many obstacles to improving it. Social Security and Medicare Funding Issues: Even Worse when One Considers Resource Constraint Why Social Security and Medicare funding issues are even worse, when Peak Oil is considered. What Can We Learn from Gift Economies? Campfire post relating to a system where individuals gain status not by what they have, but by what they give away. There is plenty of oil but . . . There is a huge amount of oil that theoretically can be extracted, but the question is whether the cost will be cheap enough for us to be able to afford to extract it. If the oil is too expensive to extract, the shortage of oil seems to cause a recession, similar to what we are having now. Scientific American's Path to Sustainability: Let's Think about the Details Scientific American presents "A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030" in its November 2010 issue. I explain why it wouldn't work. Some Cautionary Thoughts about Wind Offers ten reasons why wind is not as an attractive an option as many think it is. Delusions of Finance: Where We are Headed Explanation of why my financial forecasts at the beginning of 2008 turned out to be correct. Peak Oil and the Financial Markets: A Forecast for 2008 A financial forecast for 2008 that in retrospect has proven accurate. Our World Is Finite: Is This a Problem? Post written before I became an Oil Drum staff member that lays out may of the major issues that I continue to write about. Read more posts by Gail the Actuary. (Real name, Gail Tverberg) Back to the top Ugo Bardi "Peak Civilization": The Fall of the Roman Empire A post attempting to apply system dynamics to the fall of the Roman Empire which - as far as I know - has not been done, so far. Cassandra's curse: how "The Limits to Growth" was demonized With its scenarios of civilization collapse, the book shocked the world perhaps more than Cassandra had shocked her fellow Trojan citizens when she had predicted the fall of their city to the Achaeans. Just as Cassandra was not believed, so it was for the "Limits to Growth" which, today, is still widely seen as a thoroughly flawed study, wrong all along. The Universal Mining Machine Why can’t we build a universal mining machine here, on Earth, and stop worrying about running out of mineral resources? Mind-sized Hubbert What is it, exactly, that causes production peaks for oil and for other non renewable resources? The dark side of coal - some historical insights on energy and the economy In this post, I start to tell the story of coal in Italy and how the fortunes of the country went in parallel with those of coal well until mid 20th century. The church, the peak, and my old watch A post about leaving something that lasts a long time and that doesn't need precious resources that can't be replaced. The post-peak car A fantastic account of how a 1970s Fiat 500 has been retrofitted with batteries and an electric motor to create the Post Peak Car. How to Drive your Elephant - Dealing with Complex Problems How elephant driving may be seen as as a metaphor for controlling complex systems. Peak Minerals A post taken from a report co-authored with Marco Pagani which examines the world production of 57 minerals reported in the database of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and makes the case for the peak and decline of many of these minerals in the near future. Peak Caviar "Peak Caviar" is another confirmation of how common the "Hubbert" behavior is. It doesn't matter if a resource is theoretically renewable, as sturgeons and whales are. If sturgeons or whales are killed much faster than they can reproduce, then they behave as a non renewable resource; just as crude oil. Read more posts by Ugo Bardi Back to the top Arthur E. Berman Arthur Berman talks about Shale Gas McMoRan Davy Jones Gas Discovery Co-written with Joshua H. Rosenfeld, this post looks at a significant discovery in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by the McMoRan Exploration Company that may contain 2-6 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas reserves. Shale Gas—Abundance or Mirage? Why The Marcellus Shale Will Disappoint Expectations Shale gas plays in the United States are commercial failures and shareholders in public exploration and production (E&P) companies are the losers. This conclusion falls out of a detailed evaluation of shale-dominated company financial statements and individual well decline curve analyses. BP Macondo Blowout - Static Top Kill vs. Bottom Kill: Weighing the Risks A post co-written with William Semple. Is the Drilling Moratorium Long Enough? No, Not Really The key issues around the drilling moratorium as I see them. What caused the Deepwater Horizon disaster? The blowout and oil spill on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico was caused by a flawed well plan that did not include enough cement between the 7-inch production casing and the 9 7/8-inch protection casing. The presumed blowout preventer (BOP) failure is an important but secondary issue. ExxonMobil’s Acquisition of XTO Energy: The Fallacy of the Manufacturing Model in Shale Plays Most analysts believe that the ExxonMobil acquisition of XTO Energy (XTO) represents a dramatic shift in strategy by the premier exploration and production (E&P) company, and a validation of shale plays. It is neither. The move represents a considered and deliberate choice that acknowledges diminished opportunities for the oil giant to add and replace reserves. Read more posts by Arthur Berman Back to the top Jason Bradford The Thermodynamics of Local Foods I wrote this in response to a slew of media attention that argued against local foods. However, based on thermodynamics, only a predominantly local food system will be sustainable in the long run. Ecological Economics and the Food System This is a summary of energy use in the U.S. food system placed in the context of ecological economics. Our current food system is structured inappropriately for long-term viability, and the kinds of shifts required to make it more enduring are discussed. Save it for the Combine Few people understand how critical certain technologies are to their survival and way of life. The combine allows one person to harvest the food for hundreds, saving enormous labor while using liquid fuels. I argue that any rationing of liquid fuels or use of biofuels be prioritized for the combine. The Food System and Public Policy Many in the U.S. like to think we live in a free market economy. But when it comes to development of the food system public policy explains much of what we see. The Food System and Resilience Resilience is a concept from ecology that can be applied to any complex system. When the current food system is examined using a resilience framework it is found to be very fragile. The essay concludes by outlining the possible emergence of more resilient food systems given new economic and energetic realities. Energy Descent and Agricultural Population This article includes a graph that combines data on energy use and percent rural population, showing that more energy in a society lowers the proportion engaged in farming. Given the shape of this relationship, can we make some educated speculations about shifting labor demographics in highly industrialized nations during energy descent? Scenario 2020: The Future of Food in Mendocino County I believe there’s the possibility of a near-term collapse of complex societies given a financial shock, perhaps precipitated or exacerbated by political and energy crises. This photo essay conveys this potential from an imagined future, with an emphasis on the food system. I have an interest in economics, in the broad sense, of how and why people and societies chose to invest and consume, and what this means for resources and the environment. The following three essays share a common theme: resources are only constrained in a world with exponentially growing demand for more stuff. Reducing demand is more important than increasing supply, and ultimately we have no choice. However, conscientious curtailment comes up against both engrained pyscho-social reward systems, which are largely explored in the first two essays, and the structure of our financial system, which is touched upon in the third. Finding Healthy Addictions Dopamine Returned on Energy Invested (DREI)? Advice to Pres. Obama( #6): Beware the Hungry Ghosts Read more posts by Jason Bradford Back to the top Joules Burn Khurais Me A River An early look at the development of the Khurais oilfield in Saudi Arabia using satellite imagery, reviewing past efforts to produce from the field. Ghawar Numerology: Drilling in Uthmaniyah An animated history of the drilling sequence in one part of the Ghawar oil field in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's Ghawar Isn't Sinking (but has apparently moved) A critical look at satellite imagery analysis which reached some faulty conclusions regarding the behavior of the Ghawar field upon depletion. Abqaiq and Eat It Too A look at recent developments in the giant Abqaiq field in Saudi Arabia using satellite imagery combined with published reports. Local Scientist Splits Water, Saves World, Gets On TV A skeptical look at recent claims of a breakthrough in water electrolysis to produce hydrogen. Five Easy Leases: Ghawar's Discovery Wells An in-depth look at the first wells drilled in the five operational areas for the Ghawar field, including their current status. Who Killed the Electric Gas Tank? A look at claims of a breakthrough in ultracapacitors for energy storage in electric vehicles. Saudi Aramco Loses Count, Drills Too Many Wells In Ghawar An satellite imagery analysis of Saudi drilling activity in the southern-most part of the Ghawar field, showing that more has been going on than publicly revealed. Lessons Left Unlearnt From 2003 Gulf of Mexico Near-Spill A look in the US Materials Management Service datafiles revealing a number of accidents and near misses which preceded the massive BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Crude Confessions: Massive Saudi Oil Spill in 1993? A look at how Saudi oil is transported out of the country in the context of claims of a secret oil spill. Read more posts by Joules Burn Back to the top François Cellier Ecological Footprint, Energy Consumption, and the Looming Collapse This article explores dynamic relations governing population growth, resource depletion, and world economics by means of a few simple modeling and simulation exercises. Is the 2000 Watt Society Sustainable in Switzerland? In this presentation, we discuss whether the 2000 Watt Society is at all sustainable, and if so, what it will take to keep energy supply at that level after the end of ample and cheap fossil fuels. The Slavery of Oil A review of a proposed methodology that would allow me to quantify the price level of crude oil at which our economies will stall. Read more posts by François Cellier Back to the top David Clarke The Failure of Networked Systems: The Repercussions of Systematic Risk Revisited Cascading collapse and why the corporate drive towards increasing efficiencies could be driving our interacting networked systems towards this mode of collapse. The Networking of Resource Production: Do the Networks Give us Warnings when They are About to Fail? The flaw in the techno-cornucopian dream: Modeling why and how a networked resource-extraction system fails. Read more posts by David Clarke Back to the top Samuel Foucher Analysis of Decline Rates This post offers a kind of reverse engineering of what numbers could be behind the long and detailed IEA decline analysis in their last report (2008 IEA WEO). A tentative decline structure for the post-peak Super-Giant and Giants oilfields is offered as well as a possible scenario for future production. Peak Demand or Peak Consumption? A Look at OECD Oil Demand In this post I show that the key driver behind the oil price increase since 2002 has been excess demand combined with unresponsive supply. Peak Oil Update - July 2009: Production Forecasts and EIA Oil Production Numbers An update on the latest production numbers from the EIA along with graphs/charts of different oil production forecasts. Estimating the World Production Decline Rates from the Megaproject Forecasts Having a good estimate of the decline rate of the resource base (most estimates are ranging between 2 and 6%/year) is fundamental for the precision of supply forecasts derived from megaproject database. Saudi Arabia: An Attempt to Link Oil Discoveries, Proven Reserves and Production Data This article is an attempt to apply the Hybrid Shock Model (HSM) on Saudi Arabia's oil production. In a nutshell, the HSM is trying to model the observed production profile from the discovery curve by simulating the different phases involved in the development of oilfields (initial discovery, planning, build, maturity). Why We (Really) May Have Entered an Oil Production Plateau We know that some countries (around 56) have seen their production peaked (also called type III depletion). The remaining group consists of 17 countries that have the potential to grow or maintain their current production (the type II group). I propose to apply the HL technique only on the total production from the the type III group and try to assess the future production decline coming from that group. An Update on Mexico's Oil Production--The Rapid Collapse of Cantarell by the Numbers Last year, I expressed my concerns about the eventual impact of a rapid collapse of Cantarell on Mexico's oil production. The last production numbers from PEMEX seems to confirm the rapid decline of Cantarell as well as the inability of the Mexican to rapidly bring new production online. The Loglet Analysis Most peakoilers on this site have been introduced to the logistic curve through the famous prediction of King Hubbert on the Lower-48 production. Fewer maybe knows that curve fitting techniques have been extensively applied by people that we may qualify as cornucopians. Ironically, the logistic curve is also used as a prediction tool for market share and technology substitution. A Different Way to Perform the Hubbert Linearization A quick post about a different manipulation of the logistic differential equation. By using the first derivative, we get a new way to perform the Hubbert linearization. Some results are given on Norway and the US oil production. Norway and the Parabolic Fractal Law Norway can be considered as the poster child of the Hubbert curve modeling approach with a production profile that is remarkably close to the logistic curve. Read more posts by Samuel Foucher Back to the top Nicole Foss Entropy and Empire This article is a discussion of the rise and fall of empire (in thermodynamic terms) and the process of imperial succession. The Resurgence of Risk Resurgence of Risk is a description of the developing credit crunch from its inception - an explanation of how we arrived at this financial crisis and where we are headed. Smart Metering and Smarter Metering Electricity metering is a significant means of addressing excess demand, but the high-tech metering solutions being proposed miss many opportunities because they pay no attention to psychological drivers. A MacKenzie Valley Pipedream? This piece assesses the prospects for the construction of a MacKenzie Valley pipeline through the Canadian north. Anaerobic Digestion in Ontario - A Regulatory Obstacle Course Renewable energy technologies wishing to connect to the grid face significant regulatory obstacles that add so much to project costs that project viability is threatened. Read more posts by Nicole Foss Back to the top Big Gav Concentrating On The Important Things - Solar Thermal Power While we spend a lot of time talking about traditional energy sources based on depleting resources that are extracted from the ground, I think its important to remember that the fastest growing sources of energy are solar and wind, and that these will never run out. Tapping The Source: The Power Of The Oceans A post examining the use of artificial islands to collect wind, wave, ocean current and solar power in the tropics, along with a more unusual energy source - harnessing the difference in water temperatures between the warm surface and the cold depths using a technique called OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion). Geothermal Energy: Geothermia Crossposted from my blog Peak Energy as the subject of geothermal power has cropped up in the comments a few times lately. Floating Offshore Wind Power An update on a post I did last year on the potential for floating offshore wind power, which looked at a number of different prototypes at various stages of development. The Limits To Scenario Planning A review of some common misconceptions about the Limits to Growth book. Iraq's Oil: The Greatest Prize Of All In this post I'll outline why I believe that Iraq probably has the world's largest oil reserves - or, as Daniel Yergin once said of the middle east, it is "the greatest single prize in all history". Natural Gas In Australia - How Long Will It Last? In this post I have a look at how much gas Australia has and how long it will last under a variety of scenarios. Coal Seam Gas In Australia In this post I look at recent events in the gas industry and what they mean for Australian gas production in future. The Hydrogen Economy and Peak Platinum A comprehensive review of the issues involved in the "hydrogen economy". Hubbert: King Of The Technocrats In this post I explore the Technocracy movement and Hubbert's role in it. Locabucks: Are local currencies a way to escape the liquidity trap? I look at the concept of local currencies (or "locabucks" as I'm now dubbing them), an idea which has its roots in the Great Depression as a mechanism for escaping the liquidity trap - and thus might be relevant again in the not-too distant future if present trends continue. Terra Preta: Biochar and the MEGO Effect In this post I have a look at modern day techniques to produce terra preta (often called biochar or agrichar) which have the potential to increase soil fertility, generate energy and sequester carbon all at the same time. Buckminster Fuller's Critical Path A review of Buckminster Fuller's last work, Critical Path. Is It Time For a 4 Day Working Week? In this post I look at various proposals to reduce the amount of time we spend at work, as a way of addressing energy, environmental and other issues facing us. Peak Oil And The Tea Party Movement In this post I have a look at the boost this (peak oil) is likely to give to populist politics and some of the possibilities for addressing this. Read more posts by Big Gav Back to the top Prof. Goose A Pretty Stunning Graph of World Cement Production (and China is Certainly Using It) This post updates Stuart's post about this two years ago (and yes, it's still a graph that will blow you away!) with two more years of USGS cement data, 2006 and 2007. From the Editor's Desk: Peak Oil, Heretical Thought, Complexity, and the Future of The Oil Drum Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the direction of The Oil Drum. Much of my thinking on this set of ideas has been brought about by some soul-searching, trying to understand the problems we face as a community, and then figuring out how to "positively push the future." Peak Oil, Persuasion, and the World Meme What insights can we claim from psychology to get those we care about, and even those we don't, to dig deeper to get to an understanding of the pillars of the problems we face, instead of trying to buy aluminum siding for a house slowly falling in on itself? Will Canada Fuel Fortress America? Will Canada complacently allow the US to pillage her resources as energy supplies become more scarce? Why the US Political System Is Unable to React to Peak Oil: Institutions I thought I would bring some pieces of the political puzzle together into a post on why I believe the US, at least at the federal level, will be overly slow to react to the problems of peak oil in both the short and long term. Was That Really Five Years? A summary and some thoughts about the fifth year of the Oil Drum's existence. The Oil Drum Celebrates Its First Year Today Read more posts by Prof. Goose (Real name, Kyle Saunders) Back to the top Nate Hagens The Psychological and Evolutionary Roots of Resource Consumption A (longish) exploration of how our evolved neural wetware predisposes us to compete for status and also allows us to be hijacked by novelty items/activities, many of which use alot of energy. A Net Energy Parable: Why is ERoEI Important? A story about how energy return on investment impacts an imaginary society of Sasquatches - highlighting the importance of biohpysical metrics for a civilization. Peak Oil: A View from Planet Talos An alien perspective on the resource depletion/human nature intersection. Living for the Moment While Devaluing the Future An examination of why we have evolved mechanisms to steeply favor the present over the future and why this is relevant to questions of resource depletion and environmental problems. Peak Oil - Whom to Believe CERAiously-Part 1 Highlights of the main differences between the energy cornucopians and those predicting a near term peak in oil production. Peak Oil - Why Smart Folks Disagree Part 2 More detail on the above post on supply side differences between energy optimists and realists. Peak Oil - Believe it or Not - Part 3 An overview of human cognitive biases that contribute to disagreement on resource depletion/climate change. Can We Be Happy Using Less Energy? Uhh Yes! An look at decreasing returns to more consumtion. Old Sunlight vs Ancient Sunlight - An Analysis of Home Heating and Wood Measuring the scale of US standing forest relative to US fossil fuel use for heat. ".......Dammit - We Wasted a Day of Sunlight" Peak Oil, IHS Data and The Broken Clock Peak Oil and Reflexivity and Peak Oil Soros theory of reflexivity, in light of oil depletion. Hedge Funds, Hurricanes and Energy Markets An overview of volatility and the small size of energy markets relative to financial capital. The 2008 IEA WEO Review (#1 in a Series) The first in a series examining the claims of the IEA annual energy report. Advice to Obama (#2) Yes We Can But Will We? A letter to the new President, outlining biophysical (supply) and evolutionary (demand) type thinking. Campfire What Do We Tell Our Children A letter I wrote to an 8 year old boy who asked about oil running out. I Don't Know A short piece looking at why we are so confident, even when we know very little. I Dream of GINI - Wealth Inequality During Resource Depletion Peak Oil, Peak Credit and Investments - So What the Hell Does One Do? An initial pass at rewriting the Capital Asset Pricing Model assumptions Whither The Oil Drum? An introspection on the purpose of sites like this, when the meme of peak oil has been generally accepted. Enter the Elephant A look at why facts matter very little in changing peoples behavior. 2010: The Year for Making ContactNew Years resolutions for myself, in light of current conditions. Dear Candidate-What Will You Do if Growth is Over? Read more posts by Nate Hagens Back to the top Phil Hart Meet Trev: A two-seater renewable energy vehicle I believe there is instead a bright future for a spectrum of 'micro' electric vehicles, from battery powered bicycles up to compact size cars, including this new concept car named Trev (Two-seater Renewable Energy Vehicle). International Energy Agency calls 'Peak' on OECD Oil Demand In World Energy Outlook 2009, the International Energy Agency seems to have dropped a bombshell that has been quietly (and politely) ignored. The Economics of Volatile Oil Prices Considering the fundamental nature of oil supply and demand provides a coherent explanation not just for the rapid rise in oil prices, but also the dramatic fall. The 2008 IEA WEO - Oil Reserves and Resources Despite significant changes, the 2008 IEA report still relies on inflated estimates of reserves from OPEC countries, overplays the contribution of reserves growth due to technology and predicts the reversal of a decades long trend of declining oil discoveries. Oil, House Prices, Credit? Three parts of the same story The long forgotten 'oil crisis' of just a few months ago has been replaced by a full blown 'credit crisis' - related events that represent the unravelling of half a century of unsustainable trends in oil consumption and debt. High-Tech Hitchhiking Could a hitchhiking scheme for the iPhone era work in practice and change attitudes to hitching a ride? How Technology Increases Oil Production How can you double something and still have ten times less than you started with? The answer to this question will help us reassess claims that advances in oil field technology will postpone the peak in global oil production. Oil Reserves: Where Ghawar goes, the rest of OPEC follows In May 2007, the work of Stuart Staniford and Euan Mearns culminated in a new and unprecedented assessment of oil reserves in Ghawar, the world's largest oil field. This article combines their assessment with additional information sources, to produce a revised estimate of reserves in Saudi Arabia and the other OPEC countries. Read more posts by Phil Hart Back to the top Rembrandt Koppelaar Carbon Capture and Storage: Economic Costs Revisited The effects on coal power plant economics of CO2 emissions capture. Carbon Capture and Storage: Energy Costs Revisited The effects on coal power plant economics of CO2 emissions capture. A primer on reserve growth part 1 What is reserve growth and why it is so difficult to measure? A primer on reserve growth part 2 A summary of various reserve growth studies. A primer on reserve growth part 3 A discussion on the reserve growth figures in the USGS World Petroleum Assessment 2000. Are Reserves of the Largest US Coal Field Overstated by 50%? A summary of the USGS 2009 reserve assessment of the largest U.S. coal field, Gilette in Wyoming. Read more posts by Rembrandt Koppelaar Back to the top Rune Likvern Europe and Natural Gas - Are Tough Choices Ahead? In this post, I present some graphs showing European historical natural gas consumption and supply, along with my estimates of future consumption and supply. Trends in World Oil Supply/Consumption and Net Exports/Imports In this post I briefly present the results from my analysis of absolute and relative trends in world oil (all liquids) supply, consumption, net exports and net imports between 1980 and 2009. Has OECD oil consumption peaked? I examine similarities and differences in oil consumption patterns of OECD and Non-OECD countries and offer my view as to what the future may hold. IEA WEO 2008 - NGLs to the Rescue? In this post, I will document that there is good reason to believe that the IEA WEO 2008 projections in the reference scenario overshoots the likely world production of NGLs by as much as 35 - 50 % by 2030. Has Fossil Fuel Consumption Within EU Peaked? As this post will show the likelihood that the EU’s fossil fuel consumption has peaked, back in 1979, is now very real. It will also compare the degree of net fossil fuel self-sufficiency between the EU and the USA as of 2007. Why UK Natural Gas Prices Will Move North of 100p/Therm This Winter This post presents the development of the energy mix for the UK, and how the UK in less than a decade went from being a substantial energy exporter to a substantial net energy importer. Read more posts by Rune Likvern Back to the top Euan Mearns Lies, Damned Lies and Government Oil Production Forecasts? Back in 2005 the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) forecast 2.84 mbpd oil production in Norway during 2009. I pointed out their forecast was rather optimistic. 2.3 mbpd was what actually came to pass. The NPD were 23% too high. The architecture of UK offshore oil production in relation to future production models This post, written in November 2006 provided a forecast for UK oil production employing bottom up and top down methodology. My forecast for UK oil production in 2009 was 1.53 mbpd. 1.45 mbpd was what actually came to pass. I was 6% too high. Flesh on the bones of Mexican oil production With Cantarell in free fall, this post tried to take a more holistic view of Mexican oil production, pointing out that nitrogen once destined for Cantarell would now be diverted and injected into neighboring Ku-Maloob-Zaap complex. Saudi production laid bare This post was written to counter Stuart Staniford who claimed "Oil production peaked in Saudi Arabia in 2005. Recent sharp declines in production are involuntary and Saudi Arabia has switched from swing producer to supply constrained producer." GHAWAR: an estimate of remaining oil reserves and production decline (Part 1 - background and methodology) GHAWAR: an estimate of remaining oil reserves and production decline (Part 2 - results) Ghawar reserves update and revisions (1) Estimates of the remaining reserves and future production in Ghawar, the worlds largest oil field, based on data gleaned from the internet by a host of eager bloggers. Crisis, what energy crisis? An overview of the best posts from the 12 months preceding July 2007. UK Energy Security A look at possible impacts of UK oil and gas production decline together with a range of appropriate energy policy responses. Saudi Arabia - production forecasts and reserves estimates An oil production forecast for Saudi Arabia using both bottom up and top down (Hubbert linearisation) techniques. Peak was forecast to be 2011. The European Gas Market A comprehensive look at where Europe gets its natural gas from (34 charts and maps) including forecasts that incorporate peak Norwegian gas production and decline of the supergiant gas field at Groningen in Holland. Daddy, will the lights be on at Christmas? A follow up to the European Gas market incorporating a forecast for Norwegian gas production produced by Rune Likvern. Why oil costs over $120 per barrel An examination of some of the fundamental causes of the run in oil prices that took place in 2008. Why oil costs over $130 per barrel: the decline of North Sea Oil An overview of North Sea oil production decline and its role in the oil price run of 2008. A State of Emergency An examination of the plunge in UK oil and gas production and its impact on the UK economy ahead of the 2008 crash. The Global Energy Crisis and its Role in the Pending Collapse of the Global Economy The slides I presented at a talk to the Royal Society of Chemists in Aberdeen, November 2008. The energy efficiency of energy procurement systems An overview of the energy return on a number of energy procurement systems together with a look at contradictory policies being pursued by OECD governments. The energy efficiency of cars A simple look at the energy efficiency of various vehicle propulsion systems including all electric, internal combustion, fuel cells and bio fuel. The financial return on energy invested An experimental examination of links between energy production, consumption, prices and GDP. The Chinese Coal Monster An examination of the phenomenal growth in Chinese coal production and consumption. How long can this go on? Read more posts by Euan Mearns Back to the top David Murphy EROI, Insidious Feedbacks, and the End of Economic Growth In this post I attempt to answer the following question: Is a return to long term economic growth possible? The True Value of Energy is the Net Energy "The true value of energy to society is the net energy, which is that after the energy costs of getting and concentrating that energy are subtracted.” - H.T. Odum (1973) Energy Transitions and the Next Paradigmatic Image of the World The most important question is “what is the next paradigmatic image of the world?” The Net Hubbert Curve, what does it mean? Cutler Cleveland of Boston University has reported that the EROI of oil and gas extraction in the U.S. has decreased from 100:1 in the 1930’s to 30:1 in the 1970’s to roughly 11:1 as of 2000. What does this mean? Further Evidence of the Influence of Energy on the US economy Gail, Jeff Rubin, and now James Hamilton of the University of California – San Diego have produced literature correlating either this financial collapse or recessions more generally with peak oil and oil prices. The take-away message of their work is that oil prices played a fundamental role in causing the current recession and many previous recessions. The Energy Return on Investment Threshold Due to the asymptotic nature of the curve at high EROIs, extraction/conversion processes with EROIs below 8 result in vastly different flows of net energy than those with higher EROIs. Read more posts by David Murphy Back to the top Heading Out Heading Out has written a long series of articles under the title of Tech Talks, running on Sundays. These recently deal with oil and gas resource availability in various parts of the world. Earlier, the articles dealt with techniques for extraction of oil and gas. After the Deepwater Horizon blow out, he wrote a series of articles dealing with the approaches to sealing the well. Link to a listing of posts by Heading Out. (Real name, Dave Summers) Back to the top Jérôme à Paris Ukraine vs Russia: Tales of pipelines and dependence I wrote the text below in late December 2005, i.e. just before the Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict, which had been simmering for a few weeks, blew open into the consciousness of the West. New Iraqi oil law: some facts on PSAs A post refuting some assertions about the new Iraqi oil law, which will allow foreign companies to invest in the oil sector via PSAs (production sharing agreements). A review of the underlying fundamentals of nuclear energy A review of the pros and cons of the nuclear industry. How To Get A Pipeline Built A primer on why and how pipelines get built - which essentially means how they get financed. Countdown to $200 oil meets Anglo Disease Oil has played a fascinating side role in my Anglo Disease series, allowing the debt bubble to go on for much longer than expected. But now, instead, it is accelerating the crash. Let me take you through the whole cycle. Fierce pride - yes it works! (or, first ever bank-financed offshore wind farm inaugurated!) A post about the windfarm which I helped finance two years ago which is now up and running. Countdown to $200 oil: $140 oil and speculation There are A LOT of good reasons why oil prices are going up. Let me show you just a few. The cost of wind, the price of wind, the value of wind In this post I try to clear some of the confusion that surrounds the economics of wind power, as this is an issue that is often used by the opponents of wind to dismiss it. Read more posts by Jérôme à Paris Back to the top Engineer-Poet Sustainability, Energy Independence and Agricultural Policy. If we are going to use biofuels, we need to re-think everything involved with them; the results may not look like anything we've ever seen. One engineer's advice for energy policy. An open letter to Obama on the path the country should take. H2CAR: Another blind alley We can make enough biofuel to replace oil, but at a price we cannot pay; this is NOT a solution. The Cogeneration Stopgap Generating electricity along with heat can stretch fuel supplies and bridge to the future. Energetics of cultivation: draft animals vs. combustion engines and the Haber process Tractors are more efficient than horses, and we don't have to breed or train them. Analysis of the Hon. John Dingell's carbon-tax proposal Talking back to a Washington insider who kept Detroit in the gas-guzzler business, who I voted against when my city became part of his district, yet who is making some sense. EPA economy ratings vs. the GM Volt: A square peg in a round hole Ruminations on why MPG loses its relevance in a world of watt-hours per mile. Photovoltaics: From Waste to Energy-maker How the dumps of phosphate mining can yield the material to power much of the world. Weathering the storm: making it through a natural-gas crisis. Lifestyle changes which may slash fuel demand by changing habits. Read more posts by Engineer-Poet Back to the top Robert Rapier We Won't Stop Global Warming I lay out the case that there isn’t really much we will do to stop the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. Does the Hubbert Linearization Ever Work? Debunking the use of the Hubbert Linearization as a tool for the prediction of peak oil. Peak Oil Interview: Misconceptions, Replacing Oil, and False Solutions An interview I did at that 2010 Global Footprint Network conference that discusses peak oil. What If Gas Cost $100 a Gallon? A thought experiment to see what people might really do in cases of extreme gasoline constraints. A Critical Examination of Matt Simmons’ Claims on the Deepwater Spill Debunking hyperbolic comments related to the deepwater spill. The Switch to Winter Gasoline and a Primer on Gasoline Blends Every year in late summer, you will start hearing references in the media about the conversion to winter gasoline. So what does this mean, and why does it make gasoline less expensive? The Price of Energy Just looking at the cost per BTU of many different energy sources. Sparking some interesting discussion. The Case for Higher Gas Taxes (and Lower Income Taxes) I make my case for why it would make sense to shift taxes from income to consumption of fossil fuels. Ethanol Blend E85 Case Study: Iowa Examines the question of why Iowa should use their own ethanol instead of exporting it. The Next Five Years: Peak Lite and the Current Oil Picture Seeking to explain why I think peak oil consequences would start to happen before peak oil. Refining 201: The Assay Essay Explaining what products are produced from crude oil, and how that relates to the assay of the crude. Why Not Nuclear Power? Exploring the case for expanded nuclear power. The Future is Solar Why I think solar power has to play a more important role in the future. Cellulosic Ethanol vs. Biomass Gasification Just explaining the difference in the two technologies that have seen the borderlines between them blurred. German Military Study Warns of Potential Energy Crisis A translation of major points from the Bundeswehr report. Read more posts by Robert Rapier Back to the top Luis de Sousa World Oil Exports: A Comprehensive Projection This article is a first simplistic (but comprehensive) assessment of World Oil Exports, here defined as the total amount of liquid hydrocarbons that are surpluses in producing countries. World Oil Exports [00] Introduction A 2008 update on the original 2006 assessment. World Oil Exports [01] Angola The next post in the series focussing specifically on Angola's oil reserves. World Oil Exports [02] Libya Same as above except Libya this time. A New Energy Policy for Europe Wednesday the European Commission released a series of Communications proposing a new revolutionary Energy Policy attempting to address EU’s energy challenges for the XXI century. This is a set of first comments to such proposals. Dialoguing with Dr. Peter Jackson of CERA: Is the Future of Oil Resources Secure? Some reflections follow regarding Dr. Jackson’s arguments and understanding of the Hubbert’s Peak. From sweet on the table to fuel in the tank: the millenary history of Sugar Cane A dive into the fascinating history of a plant that shaped the World. Marchetti's Curves This is a brief account of the Energy Substitution Model developed by Cesare Marchetti in the 1970s at IIASA. A few more thoughts on Saudi and HL There has been some discussion about how to apply the Hubbert Linearization (HL) to Saudi historical production in recent weeks at TOD. Trying not to fall into redundancy, let me have some loose thoughts on these models. Olduvai revisited 2008 This work tries to assess how the decline of Conventional Fossil Fuels may unfold and how can Mankind avoid the Road that may take us back to the Olduvai Gorge. IEA WEO 2008 - Fossil Fuel Ultimates and CO2 Emissions Scenarios An assessment of the WEO climate change statistics, co-authored with Euan Mearns. Energy Policy: SER-2 This log entry is the first of a series that will try to build a critical but constructive review of this crucial element of future Energy Policy in Europe. SER-2 [02] Memo on the Security and Solidarity Action Plan In the second installment of this series analysing the Second Strategic Energy Review (SER-2) by the European Commission, the focus is on to the Memo entitled “EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan”. SER-2 [03] Communication of the Security and Solidarity Action Plan This post tries to highlight important aspects that aren't referenced in the Memo and presents the implementation steps proposed by the Commission to put the Plan into practice. Planning for Europe's Energy Future: My Submission to the Commission's 2010 Consultation on Energy This document is a response to the Energy Consultation launched by the European Commission in the first half of 2010. This consultation is part of a process that shall take the Commission to a new Energy Policy Programme a few years from now. Interview with Jean Laherrère Some comments on the general Fossil Fuels depletion picture and our future beyond them. Read more posts by Luis de Sousa Back to the top Stuart Staniford 4%, 11%, Who the Hell Cares? A very early piece pointing out that the post-peak decline rate is really the critical variable in assessing the seriousness of peak oil - much more important than the date or height of peak, or the degree of warning of peak. This piece still seems pretty good to me. Hubbert Theory says Peak is Slow Squeeze. The first piece I wrote looking at the evidence that the post peak decline rate will probably be slow, rather than rapid. The Auto Efficiency Wedge A piece looking at the fact that at slow decline rates, it's reasonably forseeable that peak oil can be handled by ongoing efficiency improvements (not painlessly, but without complete disaster) Depletion Levels in Ghawar A major forensic analysis of the state of oil depletion in the Ghawar field of Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Saudi official oil reserve figures are over-optimistic. US Peak Oil Adaptation: Prognosis in a Credit Crunch Rather prescient piece from 2007 discussing the possibility that the credit crunch could collapse oil prices and slow adaptation to peak oil. This turned out to be pretty much what happened. Fermenting the Food Supply An argument against continued growth in biofuel consumption as an alternative to oil, on the grounds that the implications for food prices are likely to be very problematic. The Fallacy of Reversibility This piece argued that there is no evidence for the idea that peak oil will lead to a revival of local non-industrial agriculture. The reverse seems more likely - that industrial agriculture is being and will be strengthened by high oil prices. Powering Civilization to 2050 The first of three posts laying out a scenario for how we could get to a fairly close to carbon neutral civilization by 2050, without major collapse or disaster (if I was in charge in of the world). This post looked at energy, and argued that extrapolating the learning curve of solar power, it was possible to see energy becoming cheap again by 2050, based primarily on solar. Four Billion Cars in 2050? Second of the "2050" series: Guesstimates on how many cars there might be by 2050, and how they might be powered. Food to 2050 The third in the "2050" series: Whether there are likely to be limitations on feeding the world's population to 2050 in a cautiously optimistic scenario. Read more posts by Stuart Staniford Back to the top Jeff Vail Theory of Geopolitical Disruptions to Oil Supply Discusses several non-geological feedback loops that may have a dramatic impact on the course of resource depletion. Mexico, A Nation-State Dissolves Addresses the geopolitical instability in Mexico as a potential bellwether for the Nation-State structure generally, and its potential impact on oil production and exports. The Problem of Growth How the fundamental structure of our civilization demands perpetual growth and is therefore inherently unsustainable, as well as potential structural solutions. Oil Demand Destruction and Brittle Systems Argues that demand destruction tends to make remaining demand less elastic, and therefore makes systems more brittle and vulnerable to future supply shocks. Predator-Prey Dynamics in Oil Prices Argues that oil demand, supply, and prices can be modeled similar to predator-prey systems in nature. A series of posts on the potential for suburbia post-peak. A Resilient Suburbia? 1: Sunk Cost & Credit Markets A Resilient Suburbia? 2: Cost of Commuting A Resilient Suburbia? 3: Weighing the Potential for Self-Sufficiency A Resilient Suburbia 4: Accounting for the Value of Decentralization The Renewables Gap Discussion of the challenges of a societal transition to renewable sources of energy, and especially the "gap" between the beginning of massive investment and the beginning of significant levels of renewable energy generation. Read more posts by Jeff Vail Back to the top Chris Vernon Will Wartime Mobilisation Address Peak Oil? A look at Lester Brown's call for wartime mobilisation. Nuclear Britain Reviews the history and future of civilian nuclear power in Britain. Climate Change – an alternative approach Rather than attempting to reduce emissions be reducing demand, can the same be achieved by limiting fossil fuel production? Jonathon Porritt: Peak Oil and Climate Change Prominent environmentalist brings together these two issues. Goodbye Helium, Goodbye Brainscans Non-Renewable resource scarcity, the case of Helium. Read more posts by Chris Vernon Back to the top Some Notable Guest Posts Cutler Cleveland - Energy Transitions Past and Future Herman Daly: Towards a Steady State Economy Herman Daly on the Credit Crisis, Financial Assets, and Real Wealth Jay Hanson: America 2.0 Walter Youngquist: Unique Times -- and the Future Christopher Smith: Aviation and Oil Depletion Nick Rouse: Will Nuclear Fusion Fill the Gap Left by Peak Oil? Dave Pollard: It's Our Turn to Eat: How Politics Works and Why Activism is So Important Lester R. Brown: The Oil Intensity of Food Alan Drake: Multiple Birds – One Silver BB: A synergistic set of solutions to multiple issues focused on Electrified Railroads Debbie Cook: How Will Local Governments Respond to Large Increases in Energy Bills? Aaron Newton: The Four Day Work Week: Sixteen Reasons Why This Might Be an Idea Whose Time Has Come Glenn Morton: Holding Daniel Yergin and CERA Accountable Michael Vickerman: A federal energy policy: can it happen here? Brad Lancaster - Eight Principles of Successful Rainwater Harvesting Dave Rutledge: The Coal Question and Climate Change Jeffrey J. Brown: The ELP Plan: Economize; Localize & Produce Jean Laherrère: Arctic Oil and Gas Ultimates Jean Laherrère: Hydrates updated Jean Laherrère: Forecasts on Saudi Arabia liquids production Jean Laherrère: Update on US GOM from MMS, EIA and Scout Data Sterling Smith: Energy Vision 2050 Douglas B. Reynolds: Peak oil and the Fall of the Soviet Union: Lessons on the 20th Anniversary of the Collapse Back to the top This list isn't exhaustive nor final but what the authors sent in (and we are still missing a few authors). - 19 hours ago

• Drumbeat: May 26, 2012

  Q. and A.: Linking People’s Needs to Nature’s It has been a generation since the rise of environmental economics. Yet even after years of groundbreaking research and support from governmental agencies and nonprofits, the work of such economists has tended to be tangential to the aims of most large conservation organizations. But in the last few years Peter Seligmann, the founder and chairman of Conservation International, has made a major strategic change in his $250 million organization. After two decades of emphasizing the preservation of “hot spots,” or areas with a high level of biodiversity that are threatened with development, the group refocused on efforts to link environmental conservation to the economic self-interest of surrounding communities and countries. The move cost the 25-year-old organization some members, he acknowledges. Oil Rises on U.S. Consumer Confidence, Iran Inspections Oil rose on reports showing that U.S. consumer confidence gained and the United Nations’ atomic agency found evidence Iran boosted its output of enriched uranium that could be used for a nuclear weapon. Futures increased for a second day as the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment advanced to 79.3, the most since 2007. Iran almost doubled its supply of 20 percent-enriched uranium, to 145 kilograms (320 pounds) since February, the International Atomic Energy Agency said today in a restricted 11-page report seen by Bloomberg. Cheaper gas spurs more travelers this Memorial Day NEW YORK – More Americans will hit the road this holiday weekend than a year ago. And they'll have a bit more money to spend thanks to lower gas prices. Memorial Day kicks off the summer travel season, and since pump prices never reached $4 or $5 a gallon, as feared, economists says travelers are likely to dine out or shop more once they pull off the road. Mexico Oil Hedging Costs Rose 44 Percent Last Year Mexico, the third-largest supplier of oil to the U.S., paid $1.17 billion last year to lock in prices for 2012 exports at $85 a barrel, a 44 percent increase compared to hedging costs paid the previous year. Myanmar power protests put new reforms to the test BANGKOK—Protests in Myanmar over persistent power shortages have provided a test of how the country's elected but military-backed government will respond to rising expectations sparked by the past year's democratic reforms. Small demonstrations over the last week in Myanmar's two largest cities and several towns could be seen as an indicator of the new openness under President Thein Sein, who has overseen the country's emergence from decades of authoritarian rule and diplomatic isolation. China plans to exploit power-shortage protests in Burma Burmese people have been suffering power shortage for more than two decades. Although the military-dominated regime gains a large sum of hard currency by exporting the natural gas to neighbouring countries, it neglects sharing the indispensable power supplies to its citizens for twenty years. Gas prices this summer? Same as last, says expert Why have prices been declining lately? "Crude oil prices went too high," Oil Price Information Service Chief Oil Analyst Tom Kloza explained on "CBS This Morning: Saturday." "Basically, gas prices were too high. We get sloppy drunk every year, the trading community, and this was no exception." Fairbanks gasoline prices rise despite sharp drop in crude oil FAIRBANKS — A couple of months ago the gasoline price in Fairbanks was about 40 cents per gallon above the U.S. average. Today it is about 75 cents per gallon above the national average. Since Tesoro refines 80 percent of the gasoline in Alaska at Kenai and has three refineries on the West Coast, the recent price spike in Alaska may be fallout from the situation in California and Washington, where gasoline prices have also increased. Low natural gas prices continue to drive commodity chemicals industry The U.S. commodity chemical industry that manufacture chemicals linked to natural gas are expected to have a strong 2012, according to a Moody’s report issued today. The rapid growth of natural gas supply and low prices are driving the commodity chemicals boom domestically, even as economic slowdowns in Europe and China may well dampen the industry’s performance worldwide. Obama gets boost as gas prices drop “I think whenever you see gas prices decline, you will see these campaigns and parties switch to a different message, because that energy message doesn’t have the same bite it would have if energy costs were high,” said GOP strategist Tyler Harber, a partner with Harcom Strategies. “I think you will see gas prices and energy start to disappear from the daily message attacks from Romney and the Republicans until the gas prices begin to spike again,” Harber said. Nitish tells UPA come clean on oil price hike Patna/New Delhi (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hit out at the Congress-led UPA over the petrol price hike, and said that the ruling government is putting the blame on oil companies to avoid the responsibility and come out clean. "There has been an increase in the price of petrol. The Centre has taken this decision. Now, when there is revolt on this issue in the entire country, they are putting the blame on oil companies to avoid the responsibility and come out clean. It is for the first time in the history of this country that there has been so steep increase in the price of petrol," said Kumar. From Canada Down To Argentina, The Oil Flows As the wind whips across the scrub grass in southern Argentina, a crane unloads huge bags of artificial sand for oil workers preparing for the hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of a well. Water mixed with chemicals and tiny ceramic beads are then blasted underground at high pressure. This mixture helps create fissures, allowing oil and natural gas to flow. Energy analysts believe there are billions of barrels of oil and gas buried in a desert-like patch in Patagonia. Why Shell is betting billions to drill for oil in Alaska This summer, the energy giant will begin exploring off the icy coast of Alaska -- after years of resistance by environmentalists. The payoff could be the largest U.S. offshore oil discovery in a generation. Feds Invest In Deepwater Drilling Tech The Department of Energy has selected 13 projects to enhance the environmental safety of deepwater drilling projects, particularly by improving the cement casing process that investigators cited as a cause of BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. US Firmly Backing Nabucco Pipeline despite BP Criticism The support of the USA for the European gas transit pipeline Nabucco is unwavering regardless of British Petroleum declaring the project unviable. Gazprom eyes new partners for Shtokman gas project (Reuters) - The chief executive of Russian gas giant Gazprom said on Friday it is seeking new partners for the Shtokman gas project, which has been repeatedly delayed on disagreements over investment volumes. Alexei Miller also declined to directly address media reports that Shell may join the project. Iran Doubles Enriched-Uranium Stockpile, Goes Beyond 20% Iran increased its output of enriched uranium that world powers are concerned may eventually be used for a nuclear weapon, according to International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors. Gas project to be sped up in South China Sea CNOOC Ltd, the listed unit of China National Offshore Oil Corp, the country's biggest offshore oil producer, plans to accelerate the development of the Liwan gas project in the South China Sea with its partner Husky Energy Inc. Icahn Buys Stake in Chesapeake, Seeks Board Replacements Billionaire investor Carl Icahn bought a 7.56 percent stake in Chesapeake Energy Corp. and demanded new directors amid growing shareholder concern about management of the second-largest U.S. natural-gas producer. Turkmen leader sacks fifth energy minister in five years ASHGABAT: Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has sacked his oil and gas minister for incompetence, the fifth time in five years that he has dismissed the number one energy official, state media said Saturday. Oil and Gas Minister Bayramgeldi Nedirov was fired "for serious shortcomings in his work", according to a decree published in government newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan. Regulators: Oil leak in Alberta not all contained Regulators in Canada are investigating a substantial leak of oil and water from a feeder pipeline in the western province of Alberta and say the leak is not yet completely contained. Top Senate Democrat predicts no big energy changes this year Bingaman has been unsuccessfully pushing for adoption of a nationwide clean energy standard that would force power utilities to generate an increasing share of their electricity from sources that emit low greenhouse gas emissions. But Bingaman, the head of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, now concedes the political headwinds are too strong to push an ambitious clean energy standard bill through Congress this year. Coal plant operators find a convenient scapegoat in the EPA When in doubt, blame the EPA. That’s becoming the mantra of some Texas coal plant operators, who have found the federal Environmental Protection Agency the legal and financial equivalent of a rented mule – an unpopular bureaucracy they can berate as the cause of all their problems. Cuban, U.S. scientists breaking through some political barriers Cuban and American scientists have joined forces to protect wildlife and to study Caribbean weather patterns that fuel hurricanes, and in the process, they're chipping away at a half-century of government feuding, helping to bring the nations together for talks on vital matters such as what to do in case of an oil spill. Author Jeff Rubin on The End of Growth and titlesake Richard Heinberg High-energy Toronto author and blogger Jeff Rubin admitted that California-based author Richard Heinberg was “somewhat surprised” to hear from Rubin directly that both men had books at various stages of development called The End of Growth. “He was somewhat surprised, admittedly,” the former CIBC chief economist told the Georgia Straight in a sit-down interview on May 24. “I guess I would be if I was in that situation, too. But I just thought, it would just be too weird if I didn’t tell him.” Wheat Fields Parched By Drought From U.S. To Russia (Bloomberg News) Droughts withering wheat crops from the U.S. to Russia to Australia will probably spur the biggest reduction in global supply estimates since 2003 and drive prices to the highest in almost a year. Kansas, the top U.S. grower of winter wheat, is poised for its driest May on record, the state's climatologist estimates. Ukraine and Russia, accounting for 11 percent of world output, have endured drought conditions for three months, University College London data show. The U.S. Department of Agriculture may cut its global crop estimate by 1.2 percent next month, the biggest drop in a June report since 2003, according to the average of 18 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Beef, chicken, pork prices still climbing DENVER — The money you’re saving on gasoline may go toward buying steaks, ribs and chicken for the barbecue. Meat prices are expected to rise faster than overall food costs in 2012. Prices rose in the spring and may increase an additional 1 percent to 3 percent this summer. Grill masters will find bargains harder to come by as retailers attempt to recoup some of their higher costs. Brazil: President Vetoes Major Parts of Bill to Open Up Forests President Dilma Rousseff on Friday vetoed portions of Brazil’s new Forest Code, a bill drafted to open big areas of protected forests to large-scale agriculture. The decision by Ms. Rousseff, which removes 12 articles from the bill, alters legislation sought by powerful agricultural groups. Area's sea-level rise has fastest rate on the East Coast ONLEY — An inaugural interactive workshop discussing historic and future sea level trends and their implications for Virginia’s Eastern Shore is planned for June. “We’ve got the highest rate of sea level rise on the East Coast,” said Skip Stiles, executive director, Wetlands Watch, who will be making a presentation on the historic, current and future sea level changes and potential impact on the Eastern Shore. Time To Prepare: Rising Sea Levels Threaten Connecticut Coast Tropical Storm Irene hammered the houses in the low-lying Cosey Beach area of East Haven last August. Now, according to town officials, most of those homes are being rebuilt. This is understandable. But is it wise? Poll: Majority of N.J. residents call climate change a 'real concern,' want government to take larger role After a year of erratic weather, a large majority of New Jersey residents consider climate change and global warming a real concern — and they also expect government to start taking a bigger role in protecting the environment, according to a Kean University/NJ Speaks poll released today. Book review: Michael Mann’s ‘The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars’ When it comes to key warriors in America’s battle over the causes of climate change, few rival Pennsylvania State University professor Michael E. Mann. Mann, who directs the Penn State Earth System Science Center, led a 1998 reconstruction of temperature records going back thousands of years and showing that global averages had shot up in recent decades. Featured in a 2001 report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the chart resembled a hockey stick, with the ancient temperatures running along the handle and the latest figures rising sharply at the base. It sparked intense debate over the human contribution to global warming and transformed Mann from a geeky geophysicist into a public fighter in a bruising political and legal war over how to conduct science and public policy. Key question at climate talks: Is China poor? BONN, Germany -- Another round of U.N. climate talks closed Friday without resolving how to share the burden of curbing man-made global warming, mainly because countries don't agree on who is rich and who is poor. China wants to maintain a decades-old division between developed and developing countries, bearing in mind that, historically, the West has released most of the heat-trapping gases that scientists say could cause catastrophic changes in climate. But the U.S. and Europe insisted during the two-week talks in Bonn that the system doesn't reflect current economic realities and must change as work begins on a new global climate pact set to be completed in 2015. U.S. cut its carbon emissions in 2011 — but China erased the gains Yes, it’s true: Americans are slowly starting to tackle global warming. U.S. carbon emissions dropped 1.7 percent last year, according to the International Energy Agency. But that only went so far. Thanks to China’s fast growth, the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions hit record highs in 2011. - 39 hours ago