Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
A group of businessmen and energy experts who believe that global oil production will soon peak, plateau and decline has issued a $100,000 wager to Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), a prominent oil forecasting think tank. Members of the challenger group also renewed an invitation to hold a public debate on the issue of peak oil with CERA.
At several points in the last quarter century, due to a brief constellation of short-term factors, petroleum prices dropped to levels lower in constant dollars than ever before in history. Collective decisions made on the assumption that such prices were normal need to be revisited in a hurry as more realistic energy costs reassert themselves.
Why do Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) state all of their forecasts in terms of a made-up category which bears no meaningful relationship to how much actual oil is available for refining at any given time to meet world demand?
The newsletter will be published each Friday, and aims to provide a representative selection of the peak-related stories that have appeared in the media during the previous week, along with occasional guest commentary and analysis of the most important issues.
Jeremy Leggett: Peakists predicted crisis
Oil analyst Maxwell: Shortages in 2010; PO 2012-2015
ASPO director to run for Congress
Corporations Uber Alles on peak oil
Peak oil: Will we see it coming?
Teacher gets ready for the end of oil
Kunstler lecture
Simmons slides
Russian economy succumbs to the oil curse
‘Huge’ gas field found off Iran
A frail economy raises pressure on Iran’s rulers
Canada’s shifting sands
Geotimes on
oil around the world
An executive summary of weekly news from a peak oil perspective, featuring:
– Production and Prices
– he Next OPEC Meeting
– Troubles in China Continue
– Energy Briefs
The discovery of the supergiant Prudhoe Bay field in 1967 ultimately led to Alaska becoming the top oil producing state in the U.S., at least for a while. The Prudhoe Bay field is the largest field ever discovered in the U.S. and Canada, and one of the twenty largest fields ever found globally. But even supergiant fields ultimately decline.
Stunning new highs in some world commodity prices have catastrophists of all types tapping out SOS in their sleep. But it is dangerous to affix any particular meaning to any particular price, whether high or low.
Iran was scheduled to inaugurate its long-awaited oil bourse this coming week. However, communication cables have been cut three times, disrupting Web service to portions of the Middle East and Asia. This may impact the bourse. (Links and background)
Exxon Mobil profit sets record again
How oily is your candidate?
Jerome a Paris: BigOil big profits should not be taxed
The oil paradox
In depth report on San Francisco Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force
Energy Roundtable: Simmons, Hirsch, Rubin
Understanding the current energy crisis in South Africa
