Oil Surges Above $76 as BP Shuts Alaska Field, Largest in U.S.
Crude oil surged above $76 a barrel, the biggest gain in two weeks, after BP Plc said it will shut Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay field, where 8 percent of U.S. oil is produced.
Fossil Fuels
Peak Oil – Aug 6
Brunei: Sleepy sultanate prepares for rude awakening after oil /
A BBC view of natural gas supply /
An Interview with Bill Powers /
Feel The Beat: A Boschian Peak Oil Canvas
Transport – Aug 5
Salting the Earth (the viability of auto fuels and technologies) / Qantas challenged by soaring fuel costs / US carmakers suffer drop in sales / “Electric Car” director on Daily Show
Middle East at a crossroads
The unfolding crisis has enormous implications both for the world as a whole and for the small but growing community of people involved in preparations for Peak Oil. Mainstream reporting seems to miss much of the context of events and, when discussing the Middle East, the geopolitical struggle for control of energy resources nearly always forms much of that context.
…At the ASPO conference a well-connected industry insider who wishes not to be directly quoted told me that his own sources inside Saudi Arabia insist that production from Ghawar is now down to less than 3 million barrels per day, and that the Saudis are maintaining total production at only slowly dwindling levels by producing other fields at maximum rates. This, if true, would be a bombshell: most estimates give production from Ghawar at 5.5 Mb/d.
Peak Oil – Aug 3
King Abdullah’s First Year: A Personal Perspective /
Cantarell 2006 Production to Decline 8% /
Etopia News: PO interviews with Randy White, Dr. David Goodstein and Dan Bednarz /
Are we on the plateau? /
An end to subsidized parking /
Time for Action: A Midnight Ride for Peak Oil (Conference)
Gas inventory drops. Blip or the beginning of a trend?
The most recent natural gas storage update from the Energy Information Agency, covering the week ended July 21, packed an unwelcome surprise when it reported a net withdrawal of natural gas to the tune of seven billion cubic feet (bcf).
Peak Oil – Aug 2
When chaos replaces oil /
On the other side of the oil ‘peak’ /
Peak experience: Heinberg and Room in San Francisco /
Interview with Bryant Urstadt, author of recent Peak Oil article in Harper’s
Climate policy – Aug 1
Scientist publishes ‘escape route’ from global warming / Blair signs climate pact with Schwarzenegger / Potential leakage and toxicity problems with CO2 sequestration
Peak Oil – August 1
The Get-Ready Men (Kunstler review) /
Plans begin in Maryland for looming peak oil crisis /
Oil ‘addicts’ face painful withdrawal symptoms /
Along with Peak Oil, Peak Grain and Peak Water, the world enters crisis overload /
A thirsty world is running dry (Peak Oil and nuclear in Oz) /
Notes from Peak Speak 2
Coal – August 1
Coal May Surpass Oil as Better Bet on Demand for Cheaper Fuel /
China’s coal catastrophe /
China’s breakneck growth has become globe’s pollution problem, researchers say
The coming “war” with Canada
It is hard to imagine that the apparently benign unconcern for where the United States ends and Canada begins might suddenly be transformed into a pitched battle of words and deeds. And yet, that is almost certainly where these two old friends are headed.
Behind this looming turnabout is one very troubling development: Natural gas production in North America has leveled off.
The Chicago Tribune story on oil
Along with most who have read it, I was much impressed with the Chicago Tribune special segment on oil this weekend. I would highly recommend that you both read the articles and watch the hour-long video that accompanies them.
