Peak Oil Review — April 21st, 2008
An executive summary of weekly news from a US peak oil perspective, featuring:
– Production and Prices
– China
– Food vs. Fuel
– Brazil’s Giant Field
– Energy Briefs
Fossil Fuels
Paraguay and Mexico – Apr 21
Leftist ex-bishop ends Colorado Party rule in Paraguay
Lugo plans to re-negotiate electricity deals
Calderon pushes plan to reform Pemex
Oil bill protest shuts Mexican Congress
A tempest in an oil barrel
Mexico’s unfinished reform
Cynthia McKinney on Mexican oil protest
Middle East – Apr 21
Cheap energy in UAE is over
Mideast’s oil consumption driving prices up
Iran’s president says oil prices too low
Saudis put oil capacity rise on hold
United States – Apr 21
Al Gore – New thinking on the climate crisis
Obama, Clinton woo coal vote in primaries
Obama’s response on oil money
Government as the trustee of common assets
Geopolitics – Apr 21
The US, China, peak oil, and the demise of neoliberalism
What power looks like: meet the superclass
Energy industry – Apr 21
Abundant clean energy in your backyard: natural gas discoveries in US
Eni: Oil majors must rethink business
Oil majors forced to accept tough terms
Shell, Exxon face higher costs on carbon limits
Oil & commodity prices – Apr 21
Russian oil drop may be inflating prices
Weak dollar hits the poor
Why new oil price highs?
Surge in NG price stoked by new global trade
ODAC Newsletter – Apr 18
A digest of news and commentary from a UK peak oil perspective.
Is there life after oil?
James Howard Kunstler is America’s version of an Old Testament prophet, a stinging social critic who warns of dark days ahead if we do not change the way we live. (Interview)
Nikolai Baibakov (1911–2008)
ON A HOT DAY in July 1942 Joseph Stalin summoned before him a young mining engineer named Nikolai Baibakov. The supreme leader of the Soviet Union pointed out an obvious fact to his visitor. German armies were advancing into the Caucasus towards the strategic oil fields near Baku. Then came the dramatic gesture.
Stalin pointed two fingers at Baibakov’s head and said, “If you fail to stop the Germans getting our oil, you will be shot.” Then Stalin added “And when we have thrown the invader out, if we cannot restart oil production, we will shoot you again.”
World publics say oil needs to be replaced as energy source
A new poll finds that majorities in 15 of 16 nations surveyed around the world think that oil is running out and governments should make a major effort to find new sources of energy. Most think that future oil prices will be much higher.
ODAC Guest Commentary – Russian Production Decline: Why and what next?
In the first quarter of 2008, Russian production declined by 1% reversing a trend begun in 1998 that had resulted in a 58% increase in production from 6.2 MMBO/D to the current 9.76 MMBO/D. Actually, this was not the first decline in the ten year period, however, the slight decline in the first quarter of 2005 could clearly be attributed to an exceptionally cold period in Siberia and the reorganization and temporary drop in production as Rosneft took over Yuganskneft, the main producing asset of YUKOS.
