Section » Commentary
The President, The Media, and Oil Supply
(Note: Commentaries do not necessarily represent the position of ASPO-USA.) Recently President Obama, under pressure from Republicans and the public to bring down gasoline prices, announced a plan to expand domestic oil production in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. The media appeared to joyfully trumpet the idea that with expanded oil drilling in the U.S., oil production would ramp up. No one in the
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Slam on the brakes!
(Note: Commentaries do not necessarily represent the position of ASPO-USA.) Editorial Note: Ron Swenson’s call to reconsider the tenor of our debate in its entirety is the full version of his excerpt originally found
The Oil Production Story: Pre- and Post-Peak Nations
(updated June 2011 with 2010 data) The world oil production data below tell a story about: 1) nations that are past peak (see “Peak Year,” turquoise fill), because of geologic limits (e.g., US, Norway, etc.) or other reasons; and 2) nations that have yet to peak (see “na” under “Peak Year;” Saudi Arabia, UAE, China), or if they have peaked it is not yet clear.
ASPO-USA Asks: “What Are We Missing?” - Part 3
(Note: Commentaries do not necessarily represent the position of ASPO-USA.) There are so many challenges facing us as a result of Peak Oil and related issues that it is easy to miss something important. ASPO-USA asked more than 50 leaders on Peak Oil to share what they felt was the most critical issue we’ve all been missing, the thing every one of us should be talking about - but aren’t.
ASPO-USA Asks: “What Are We Missing?” - Part 2
(Note: Commentaries do not necessarily represent the position of ASPO-USA.) There are so many challenges facing us as a result of Peak Oil and related issues that it is easy to miss something important. ASPO-USA asked more than 50 leaders on Peak Oil to share what they felt was the most critical issue we’ve all been
ASPO-USA Asks: “What Are We Missing?” - Part 1
There are so many challenges facing us as a result of Peak Oil and related issues that it is easy to miss something important. ASPO-USA asked more than 50 leaders on Peak Oil to share what they felt was the most critical issue we’ve all been missing, the thing every one of us should be talking about - but
US Oil & Gas Industry Shoots Itself in the Foot
(Note: Commentaries do not necessarily represent the ASPO-USA position.) As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” I think that a large portion of the US oil & gas industry has basically shot itself in the foot, by agreeing with, or failing to confront, assertions such as the following by CERA, ExxonMobil
A Case Study of Cellulosic Ethanol
(Note: Commentaries do not necessarily represent the ASPO-USA position.) The March 28, 2011 edition of the ASPO-USA Peak Oil Review had a brief which I found of considerable interest. It stated: A perspective paper in Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology makes a case that conversion of biomass to
The Context of Hubbert’s Peak in World Oil Forecast
(Note: Commentaries do not necessarily represent the ASPO-USA position.) Recently when I was reading some of the papers M. King Hubbert wrote, one thing struck me was the context in which he made his forecast regarding how world oil supply would peak and decline. He made this forecast in the context of having plenty of other fuel supply from other sources already developed, to offset this decline. The
Pick One: SPR or Recession
(Note: Commentaries do not necessarily represent the ASPO-USA position.) In a Brookings Institution presentation in early 2009, UCSD economist James Hamilton suggested that the government think of using the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to counter high oil prices. Although the suggestion failed to gain traction at the time, recent upheaval in the Middle East is once again putting the future
