Oil Scene

Energy leaders from all across the globe could not have met at a better and a more opportune time. All last week, it was energy diplomacy at work — in fact overtime! If at any time in recent history, there has been an urgent need for the energy fraternity to sit around and — and […]

Computer energy use under scrutiny

Well-honed phrases about cheaper and greater computing power have all but faded from the marketing, sales, and other promotional material of IT vendors and consultants to the sector. Rising energy costs over the past year, as well as concerns about the scale of availability of energy in the short-term, especially over the winter period, and […]

Russia Warns Europe It Could Divert Energy Supplies to Asia Instead

Russia begins construction of a major oil pipeline from eastern Siberia to the Pacific on Friday, a project that signals a shift toward Asia and away from Europe…Russia’s eastward focus is seen here as designed to send a message to European consumers that if they do not like Russia’s sales terms, Russia can simply redirect […]

Venezuela Needs to Invest $200 Billion For Heavy-Oil Reserves

Venezuela will need to spend $200 billion to fully develop its heavy oil reserves, among the largest in the Western Hemisphere, according to Chevron Corp. The country also will have to construct about 30 refineries, upgrading plants, to increase heavy oil production by 2.5 million barrels to 3 million barrels a day, Ali Moshiri, who […]

Students in England Show Off CLEVER Car

It has two seats, three wheels and so far has cost $2.9 million. Students at the University of Bath in western England, who on Monday unveiled the prototype of the CLEVER (Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport), hope that it represents a greener future for transport. Equipped to handle both city streets and long-distance […]

How America’s foes have us ”over a barrel”

The United States does not buy oil directly from Iran. But the disappearance of Iran’s 2.5 million barrels per day from the world’s oil markets would be felt acutely in the United States, probably costing 1 million jobs, according to Orde Kittrie, a former State Department official who teaches economics and international law at Arizona […]

Peak Oil Panic

Instead of preparing for an energy war, the best policy is to let markets have free rein. Even if, say, the Iranians make the political decision to disrupt the flow of oil to world markets, those markets left to themselves will eventually discipline them. The temporarily higher prices will encourage more exploration and technological advances, […]

World’s biggest solar farm planned for New Mexico

Two start-up companies and New Mexico plan a $1.6 billion solar power farm that would be 30 times the size of the world’s biggest one now, with enough power for 240,000 homes. They also plan a factory to make photovoltaic panels for the farm, near the Mexican border in New Mexico, developers said on Wednesday. […]

Should we fear Kremlin control of Europe’s energy supply?

Should Europe be wary of Gazprom? Yes, the company has form. In January this year it cut off supplies to Ukraine. Ostensibly, the dispute was over the price being paid by the Ukrainians for their gas, but most observers saw it as a politically-motivated act to punish Ukraine’s citizens for voting in a government which […]

The High Efficiency Prototype Car Roundup

Here’s a small roundup of some high efficiency cars that have been making the news lately: First, a new generation Toyota Prius could hit 113mpg by 2008 because Toyota plans to ditch the NiMH batteries in favor for higher energy density, higher power density Li-ion batteries. Toyota is doing this because they are having a […]

The Rimini Protocol For Oil Depletion

Colin Campbell wrote an article in the March edition of the journal “Energy Policy”: C. Campbell, “The Rimini Protocol an oil depletion protocol: Heading off economic chaos and political conflict during the second half of the age of oil”, Energy Policy 34 (2006) 1319. He lays out the framework for a protocol that would reduce […]

A&M chemical engineer offers fuel option

Mark Holtzapple also is developing a car engine capable of being powered by any type of fuel and could be as much as three times as efficient as current engines, he told an audience of about 600 Tuesday night. Holtzapple was the final speaker of this year’s Distinguished Lecture Series hosted by Texas A&M University. […]

Gorbachev urges G8 to back solar power, not oil or nuclear

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev urged the world’s biggest industrialized nations to set up a 50-billion-dollar (44-billion-euro) fund to support solar power, warning that oil or nuclear energy were not viable energy sources for the future. Gorbachev — who chairs an environmental thinktank, Green Cross International — called on leaders of the Group of Eight […]

Forum to Focus on ”Peak Oil and the Environment”

A three-day conference to address the implications of two overlapping global crises — the coming peak in worldwide oil production and the continuing disruption of ecosystems due to global climate change — convenes in Washington, DC, from May 7 to May 9 at the Marvin Center (800 21st St. NW). With this year’s theme on […]

Ballard Announces First Quarter Results

Ballard Power Systems (TSX:BLD)(NASDAQ: BLDP), a world leader in the development, manufacture and sale of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, today announced its operating and financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2006. All amounts are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted. “Our first quarter results demonstrate solid progress towards our 2006 goals,” said […]

How Far Can You Drive on a Bushel of Corn?

On the outskirts of Garnett, Kan. (pop. 3362), the horizon is broken by what at first sight seems to be a grain elevator rising above the cornfields. But closer inspection reveals a tall, skinny distillation column among the silos and fermenters, identifying the complex as part of the nation’s energy future: It is East Kansas […]

The Peak Oil Crisis: Shortages Ahead?

Driving down the New Jersey Turnpike last Sunday, I encountered an unmistakable sign that gasoline problems are close. Every service plaza we passed from New York to Delaware had 100 or more cars waiting in line for gas. Now these lines might have been a simple case of economic theory in action. For some unfathomable […]

Putin Does an About-Face on Baikal

President Vladimir Putin abruptly shifted course Wednesday when he called for rerouting the proposed Far East oil pipeline away from Lake Baikal. His remarks stunned Semyon Vainshtok, the president of pipeline monopoly Transneft, who had just made the case for the safety of the planned route, which was to come within 800 meters of the […]

The Politics of Oil: The Discourse Must Change

From the editors at The Oil Drum We strongly feel that the leaders of both political parties are not only headed in the wrong direction with respect to gas prices, but we also worry that they fundamentally misunderstand the factors behind the current situation at gasoline stations around the US. Public statements by political figures […]

Fed: Lofty Energy Prices Nag Businesses

WASHINGTON – Rising energy costs are nagging businesses and increasing their desire to pass them along to customers, although competitive forces are blunting their ability to do so, a Federal+Reserve survey suggested Wednesday. Some regions including Cleveland, Richmond and Dallas, cited high energy prices as the culprit behind weaker than expected tourism, auto sales or […]

Nigeria to give China oil rights for investment

Nigeria will give China four oil drilling licences in exchange for a commitment to invest $4 billion in infrastructure in a deal to be signed during a visit by President Hu Jintao on Wednesday, a Nigerian official said. Analysts said the deal would be a good fit for the two giants of Asia and Africa. […]

Nuclear energy under spotlight

The juxtaposition of today’s 20th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster and Ontario’s looming decision to expand its nuclear energy capacity brings into focus the delicate balancing act between powering industry and addressing environmental concerns. With this province perhaps one heat wave away from brownouts, the McGuinty government is facing decision day.

Simpler and Cheaper Clean Coal Technology

Gasification, in which coal is converted to a gaseous fuel, is the front-runner as next-generation technology for cleaner coal-fired power plants. Already, a number of utilities, including American Electric Power in the United States and RWE in Germany, are engineering large-scale gasification plants that would capture their carbon dioxide. But one major utility, Stockholm-based Vattenfall […]

Estuary energy plan makes waves (UK)

As a feat of engineering it would be remarkable; a barrage stretching for 10 miles across the Severn estuary. As a source of power, it would have few equals – at least the output of two nuclear power stations.

Gorbachev urges G8 to back solar power

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Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev on Wednesday urged the world’s biggest industrialised nations to set up a 50-billion-dollar (44-billion-euro) fund to support solar power, warning that oil or nuclear energy were not viable energy sources for the future. Gorbachev — who chairs an environmental thinktank, Green Cross International — called on leaders of the Group […]

People making ethanol at home for their cars

Some people have gotten so desperate to put fuel in their cars they’ve begun making ethanol at home. There are dozens of Web sites explaining how to make ethanol from homemade stills – which would run your cars for about 70 cents a gallon.One of the companies that makes the kits for ethanol stills is […]

Oil Group Sees No Widespread Summer Shortages

The U.S. oil industry’s main trade group said on Wednesday it did not expect any widespread gasoline supply disruptions during the summer vacation season. “We do not anticipate that consumers are going to have any widespread problems,” American Petroleum Institute President Red Cavaney told reporters. However, he said there could be some local supply disruptions.Reuters

Iranian Oil Minister Warns of High Oil Prices

Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh issued a second warning about a surprise hike in oil prices if the United Nations (UN) sanctions against Iran are put in effect. In his interview to The Wall Street Journal Vaziri-Hamaneh said possible sanctions would result in a stoppage of Iranian efforts to mine their national oil, and the […]

It Ain’t Just The Oil You Use, It’s The Way That You Use It

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SINCE commercial drilling began in the mid-19th century, oil has become the most important fossil fuel in the global economy. Everything from motoring to plastic bags are to a greater or lesser degree dependent on oil. Australia, with its heavy reliance on the car, is more vulnerable than most to oil price spikes. With consumption […]

Biomethane Focus for Sustainable Transportation in Europe

Biomethane is emerging as a key area of focus for the natural gas vehicle industry in Europe, according to an industry panel and press conference held at the annual meeting of the European Natural Gas Vehicle Association this week in Brussels. Biomethane, also called biogas, is identical to conventional fossil-fuel natural gas in terms of […]

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