Energy Bulletin -

After the gold rush: A perspective on future U.S. natural gas supply and price

kristinsponsler — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:10:11 -0800

On January 23, 2012, Chesapeake Energy announced that it would curtail drilling in shale gas plays in the United States. Subsequently, other operators have followed suit. While the outcome of this announcement is unclear, it is a signal that the industry is in distress. One can argue that this distress stems from a lack of discipline as market price began to decline.

The alternative energy matrix

Simone — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:03:46 -0800

Breathe, Neo. I’ve been running a marathon lately to cover all the major players that may provide viable alternatives to fossil fuels this century. Even though I have not exhausted all possibilities, or covered each topic exhaustively, I am exhausted. So in this post, I will provide a recap of all the schemes discussed thus far, in matrix form. Then Do the Math will shift its focus to more of the “what next” part of the message.

Fracking: the rest of the story

kristinsponsler — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:55:59 -0800

As Gasland director Josh Fox is led away in handcuffs, a Congressional Committee proceeds to attack the EPA for discovering ground water contamination in Wyoming. We hear from victim Fred Fenton, and then audio from the Hearing. Then to "the rest of the story" - the seldom covered AIR pollution from fracking, as explained by Theo Colborne of TEDX, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange. Ends with the story of the EPA whistleblower who won, Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo.

Energy and presidential politics

LindsayCurren — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:19:46 -0800

Va. Governor Bob. McDonnell is on a GOP VP short list and recently threw his endorsement to candidate Mitt "corporations are people, my friend" Romney. But in an era of energy decline it's worth learning how heavily Big Coal funds McDonnell, who calls himself a "friend of coal," and how uncommitted he is to clean energy.

What is energy for?

kristinsponsler — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:25:10 -0800

So familiar has the social economy of energy become in modern societies, so routine its extraordinardinary wastefulness, so toxic its effects, that the capacity for a better way can be missed. By questioning the how, why and what of energy use, new possibilities - of living, travelling, eating, working and buying - can open.

The great carbon bubble: Why the fossil fuel industry fights so hard

kristinsponsler — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:44:03 -0800

If we could see the world with a particularly illuminating set of spectacles, one of its most prominent features at the moment would be a giant carbon bubble, whose bursting someday will make the housing bubble of 2007 look like a lark. As yet -- as we shall see -- it's unfortunately largely invisible to us.

Arthur E. Berman, Petroleum Geologist: Magical Thinking and Fracking

Simone — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:27:31 -0800

James Howard Kunstler speaks by phone with Arthur E. Berman, who is a petroleum geologist and consultant to the energy sector; editorial board member of The Oil Drum; associate editor of the AAPG Bulletin; director of The Association for the Study of Peak Oil. Berman has published more than 100 articles on petroleum geology and technology and has made more than 50 presentations in the last year to professional societies, investment conferences and companies. He speaks to Jim tonight about the history of shale gas “fracking” and a lot of the “magical thinking” surrounding the prospects of America becoming “energy independent” through fracking.

Economist calls gateway pipeline an inflationary 'threat'

kristinsponsler — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:55:22 -0800

In a detailed analysis submitted to the National Energy Board, Robyn Allan, the former president and CEO of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, concludes that "Northern Gateway is neither needed nor is in the public interest." Moreover the project, if built, would raise the price of every oil barrel by $2 to $3 dollars in Canada over the next 30 years, and thereby create an inflationary price shock that would have "a negative and prolonged impact... by reducing output, employment, labour income and government revenues."

Peak oil bashing - Feb 7

bart — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:42:03 -0800

- Peak Oil Scare Fades as Shale, Deepwater Wells Gush Crude
- Oil, Food, Water: Is Everything Past Its Peak?
- Fulsome Fossil Fuels And The 'Peak Oil' Myth
- Peak Oil--No Longer the Right Question
(Note: several of these articles actually concede most of the points made by peak oilers.)

Energy - Feb 7

bart — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:09:40 -0800

- Kunstler interviews Arthur E. Berman, Petroleum Geologist: Magical Thinking and Fracking (audio)
- Coal Lobby Warns Wind Farms May Blow Earth Off Orbit (video from The Onion)
- Energy.gov: Where information goes to die

Oil - Feb 6

Simone — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:44:45 -0800

- Oil prices will rise as supplies tighten? Hardly. (NEW)
- Energy policy and the Madness of Crowds (NEW)
- Debate rages on when oil will peak
- Too Much Energy Used to Mine, Move Bitumen Says BC Firm
- Saudi Oil Minister Calls Global Warming “Humanity’s Most Pressing Concern”

Commentary: Businessweek gets it wrong - Everything you know about peak oil is NOT wrong

kristinsponsler — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:04:45 -0800

On January 26, Bloomberg Businessweek printed an editorial by Charles Kenny titled, "Everything You Know About Peak Oil Is Wrong". This editorial reflects several common misunderstandings.

Gas boom goes bust

kristinsponsler — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:13:30 -0800

The current boom in drilling for ‘unconventional’ gas has helped raise US production to levels not seen since the early 1970′s. This has been an incredible boon to consumers and has kept spot prices contained below $5 per million BTU for the past year, recently dropping below $3/mmbtu. Unfortunately, this price is below the cost of production for many of these new wells. When the flood of investment currently pouring into natural gas drilling operations dries up, the inevitable bust will be as scary as the boom was exciting.

Peak oil review - Feb 6

kristinsponsler — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:35:43 -0800

A weekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Oil and the global economy
-The Iranian confrontation
-Gasoline
-In the Congress
-Quote of the week
-Briefs

That falling feeling: Shale gas estimates continue downward

kurtcobb — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:27:27 -0800

The history of revisions to oil and gas resources has heretofore been one of increases. For the first time, we are now seeing not just downward revisions in estimated natural gas resources, but drastic downward revisions.