by Subjectivist » Sun 26 Jan 2014, 10:24:41
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', 'G')o back 10 years, or even 5 and look at the predictions for Iraqi production. Look at what Libya, Nigeria and any other shithole country SHOULD be producing according to their reserve claims and the predictions from folks at the EIA, IEA et al.
Its not a pretty picture. My personal opinion is that hoping miraculous things happen in the ME is a pipe dream. Sectarian violence and the inability of local governments to rise above tribalism and corruption spells nothing short of disaster for long term oil production from quite a few of these Oil rich nations.
Remember also that the USA can no longer remain the global policeman. With its slow withdrawal from a lot of these areas forced by budgetary constraints at home how does anyone believe that anything approaching stability can exist given hundreds if not thousands of years of tribal and religious angst in these oil rich nations?
I suspect that a lot of oil in those countries will just never reach the markets. As we move down the road of decreasing GNE that paradigm gets worse IMHO. The reality is the infrastructure and capital required will never make it there because the risks will be too great from both a financial and humanitarian standpoint.
I believe we are moving towards the Energy Trap a lot of folks have talked about in the not too distant past, when PO was a bit more on the front page than it is now. You run out of time requiring a robust and thriving economy to ALLOW the exploitation of the reserves. I have always believed that is where we are headed......still a bit down the road, but it seems to me to be shaping up nicely as we begin to realize the GNE problems and the lack of economic growth which partly has as its cause the high cost of oil.
Interesting times to be sure.
Years ago Larry Niven the author put out a list of his favorite sayings in an essay that I read. I don't have it in front of me right now but the essence that stuck with me is "it is easier to destroy than to create, so for civilization to function the vast majority of people have to not break things faster than others can build them"
Like I said it isn't an exact quote but I think it exactly describes what you are talking about. In places where instability exists there will never be maximum practical extraction rates because some side in the squabble will work to prevent it, and prevention is much easier than production.