Forbes online reports on a story first appearing in the WSJ. A secret PEMEX Cantarell Depletion study was leaked to an energy consultant in Mexico City indicates that the depletion of the second largest field in the world (and constituting 60% of Mexican production) may occur at a much faster rate then previously supposed.
Keith Cole of General Motors and Phillip Lampert of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition look at renewable fuel trends in the auto industry. With a push on to switch to biofuels mixture to replace oil dependency, Cole and Lambert give an industry view of flexfuels.
Jeremy Leggett is chief executive of solarcentury, the UK’s largest independent solar electric solutions company. Inteviewed by David Room, from Global Public Media, Dr. Leggett (who worked for over a decade in the oil industry) comments on both peak oil, and global warming.
Two interesting articles related to Peak Oil - the peaking of natural gas production in North America, already underway, and how this may influence foreign policy, and national rivalries to appropriate control of remaining supplies.
The Geopolitics of Natural Gas, by Michael Klare, professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College. (In the Jan 4 edition of The Nation).
Article covering a presentation at the University of Calgary’s Geology Dept., by Dave Hughes of Natural Resources Canada. He describes the Red Queen-like ever greater efforts involved at keeping natural gas production in North America constant. He estimates that Canada has a little over 8 years left in natural gas reserves.
The Spainish oil group reduced its reserves estimate by a quarter, as reported by the
Financial Times. Repsol YPF is one of the top ten global oil companies.
A Reuters story broken by Petroleum Intelligence Weekly indicate that internal records of Kuwaiti Oil Co. reveal that the remaining proven and non-proven reserves are roughly half of what has previously been claimed (48 vs. 99 billion barrels).
With Kuwait assumed to have had approximately 10 percent of the world’s remaining oil, the announcement would mean a 5% reduction in world reserves.
This, and tension with Iran sent oil climbing, and the DOW Index falling today.
Interesting projection by investment firm Kenneth J. Gerbino and Co. through 2020. Posted by the Houston Peak Oil Progressives.
A truly superb interview of Robert Hirsch, by David Room of Global Public Media on the topic of Hirsch’s report to the Department of Energy on the mitigation of Peak Oil.
Hirsch has an extensive and distinguished career in energy analysis, and is currently the senior energy advisor for Science Applications International Corporation . Hirsch’s report “The Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation and Risk Management” provides several peaking scenarios based on the timing of the event, and the necessary crash programs for society to adapt.
A number of House Representatives have formed a “Peak Oil Caucus, and have offered a resolution
“Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States, in collaboration with other international allies, should establish an energy project with the magnitude, creativity, and sense of urgency that was incorporated in the ‘Man on the Moon’ project to address the inevitable challenges of ‘Peak Oil.’ “
Oilcast has the exclusive of a Mexican national oil company’s senior engineer’s assessment of supergiant Canterell (their largest field, and one of the largest in the world), and the prospects for future development to replace declining capacity. This interview confirms the view that peak global production will occur in the very near future.