ODAC Newsletter – Feb 4
Nervousness about the mounting political turmoil in Egypt kept Brent blend above $100/barrel this week. There is concern not only about oil deliveries through the Suez Canal and the Sumed pipeline, but also the wider context…
Geopolitics & Military
Why oil matters more than rubber
In an interconnected global world, revolutions in far away countries can cause strategic realignments or economic problems that will affect us all.
Dmitry Orlov: Peak oil lessons from the Soviet Union
Dmitry Orlov, engineer and author, warns that the US’s reliance on diminishing fuel supplies might be sending it down the same path the Soviet Union took before it collapsed.
Peak oil notes – Feb 3
A midweek roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Developments this week
-Risk to energy supplies
Mid-East unrest could increase global phosphorus threat
Two Australian experts in global phosphorus have warned instability in the Middle East and North Africa could threaten world food security, due to the high proportion of global phosphate rock reserves in the region.
Eyes on Egypt – Feb 1
– Analyst sees little Egypt oil and gas impact
– Q&A: Suez Canal
– U.S. envoy tells Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step aside
– Egypt’s Unrest May Have Roots in Food Prices, US Fed Policy
– Soccer clubs central to ending Egypt’s ‘Dictatorship of Fear’
– The Egyptian people tend to the streets that are now their own (video)
From Tahrir Square to Times Square
The US encourages peaceful protesters in Egypt. With many in the peak oil community mindful of the potential for civil unrest as economic and material conditions continue to slide in some wealthy Western countries, could unrest spread beyond autocratic states, even to US shores? If so, America’s lofty ideals would be put to the test as her own people sought real reforms to overhaul government and help rein in corporate power.
A region in turmoil – Jan 31
– How far will the unrest spread? (survey of ME countries at risk)
– Yemen: Tens of thousands call on president to leave
– Thousands protest in Jordan
– Thousands of Albanian protest despite warnings
Egypt, oil and the U.S. – Jan 31
– Oil Prices Rise Sunday as Egypt Unrest Gooses Market
– Egyptian Unrest Has Repercussions in Global Economy
– White House quietly prepares for a post-Mubarak era in Egypt
– Juan Cole interview: “Egypt is a Praetorian Regime”
– Israel ‘anxiously monitoring’ turmoil in Egypt
Egypt & oil – Jan 29
– CNBC anchor implies US must support dictators to keep cheap oil flowing
– Oil prices climb on unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen
– Gail Tverberg: What’s behind Egypt’s Problems? How do they affect others?
ODAC Newsletter – Jan 28
Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi hinted this week that OPEC might move to increase oil production to satisfy rising demand. Both OPEC and the IEA are anticipating demand growth this year, and with Brent crude close to $100/barrel the pressure on OPEC is growing…Many of the OPEC nations face serious threats of their own as they struggle to generate jobs for their growing populations. No doubt the house of Saud and other OPEC leaders will be casting a wary eye at the recent uprising in Tunisia and the riots in Egypt.
Obama’s Sputnik Moment: Strategy Over Substance
Did you hear anything surprising in Obama’s State of the Union address last night? Anything truly visionary? Me neither. Of course, that wasn’t the point.
