Interview with Charlie Maxwell (Part 1 of 2)

“What struck me the most, as a surprise, is the virulence in the downtrend in the world economy. That’s a negative for the peak oil story, but only a temporary negative. By crushing demand, we are in effect gaining two more years, maybe three, in which we in the consuming world have added to our time before the peak, and could take good advantage of, since the peak is right upon us-I have it still at 2015 for all liquids.” (Charlie Maxwell is the life-long oil industry analyst viewed by Barrons’ magazine as their energy guru.)

IDA study on Peak Oil debate (August 2008) (review)

The study’s executive summary ends with these two sentences: “We conclude from these reviews that the most alarmist of the peak-oil claims are likely false. Still, we see some convincing reasons to think that global oil production could peak within 20 years, with demand outstripping production indefinitely.”

The peak oil crisis: the year of the dollar

As strange as it may seem, the peak oil crisis, which has been focused on geologic constraints to oil production, supply and demand, geopolitical threats and inadequate investment, seems to be morphing into an issue of how much debt the U.S. Treasury can sell and still keep interest rates under control.