Middle East

-Money spent on tar sands projects could decarbonise western economies
-China's oil demand increase 'astonishing', says IEA
-OPEC sticks to its guns, demand rising

- Kuwaiti scientists predict peak oil production for 2014
- Forecasting world crude oil production using multicyclic Hubbert model (paper)
- Study sees efficiency as key to meeting energy needs (CERA)
- Traders bet on higher gasoline prices

A midweek roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Prices and production
-China's foreign trade

As Iraqi’s prepare to go to the polls on Sunday the country has been subjected to a month of increased violence including a string of blasts in Baghdad on Thursday targeting early voters which killed at least 14 people. The election, which will decide the next chapter of Iraq’s future, is being keenly watched by the oil industry...

The Haradh III development at the southern tip of the Ghawar oil field in Saudi Arabia, completed in 2006, has been portrayed by the national oil company Saudi Aramco as the turning point in the battle between geological adversity and engineering prowess...Aided by 3D Seismic images showing fracture locations, well sites were optimized and drills were guided by remote control from Dhahran....Lots of glowing articles were published, and the man in charge eventually rode off in glory to solve the rest of the world's oil production problems.

A weekly update including:
- Prices and production
- Iraqi elections

-Matt Simmons: Oil shortage spills into water
-Photographer Burtynsky recent focus on water rooted in political power, control
-Water and the War on Terror

The United States apparently has reached the point where it must either accept that Iran will develop nuclear weapons at some point if it wishes, or take military action to prevent this. There is a third strategy, however: Washington can seek to redefine the Iranian question. As we have no idea what leaders on either side are thinking, exploring this represents an exercise in geopolitical theory. Let’s begin with the two apparent stark choices.

Nobody knows what will happen when an oil-producing member of the global economy in the middle of the Middle East implodes into worthlessness,... and then runs out of water, but in Yemen, we are going to find out.

A midweekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Prices and production
-Venezuela

-Goldilocks and the three fuels
-Israel Urges Iran Oil Embargo Even Without U.N. Okay
-Why Peak Oil Is The Only Thing That Can Stop The Chinese Export Deluge

Some of you may know that over the last 3 or 4 years, I wrote extensively about our precarious oil supply. Since then I've broadened my outlook in so far as it's hard to choose among all the potential disasters on our doorstep.

-Barclays and Bank of America see looming oil crunch
- China's CNPC in Iran gas deal
-Saudi Arabia fears a peak in oil demand - and it's going green, sort of
- OPEC strategy reveals that they're 100% short-term focused, and sure Of peak oil

-American Blitzkrieg: loving the German war machine to death
-This isn't Falklands II
-Yemen's water crisis eclipses al Qaeda threat

A midweek roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Prices and production
-Iran