Peak Oil is You
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Page added on November 4, 2015
Earth Is An Oil-Producing Machine — We’re Not Running Out
Ever since M. King Hubbert in the 1950s convinced a lot of people with his “peak oil” theory that production would collapse and we’d eventually exhaust our crude supplies, the clock has been running. And running. And it will continue to run for some time, as technology and new discoveries show that there’s still an ocean of oil under our feet.
Engineering and Technology Magazine reported this week that BP — the company that once wanted to be known as “Beyond Petroleum” rather than “British Petroleum” — is saying “the world is no longer at risk of running out of resources.”
“Thanks to investment into supercomputers, robotics and the use of chemicals to extract the maximum from available reservoirs, the accessible oil and gas reserves will almost double by 2050,” Engineering and Technology said.
A BP official told the magazine that “energy resources are plentiful. Concerns over running out of oil and gas have disappeared.”
Things are so good, in fact, that Engineering and Technology says “with the use of the innovative technologies, available fossil fuel resources could increase from the current 2.9 trillion barrels of oil equivalent to 4.8 trillion by 2050, which is almost twice as much as the projected global demand.” That number could even reach 7.5 trillion barrels if technology and exploration techniques advance even faster.
This information backs up the idea that Earth is actually an oil-producing machine. We call energy sources such as crude oil and natural gas fossil fuels based on the assumption that they are the products of decaying organisms, maybe even dinosaurs themselves. But the label is a misnomer. Research from the last decade found that hydrocarbons are synthesized abiotically.
In other words, as Science magazine has reported, the “data imply that hydrocarbons are produced chemically” from carbon found in Earth’s mantle. Nature magazine calls the product of this process an “unexpected bounty ” of “natural gas and the building blocks of oil products.”
So don’t feel guilty about exploiting this “bounty.” There seems to be plenty to go around — and there will probably still be a lot left when technology, not hurried by government mandates and subsidies but guided by market forces, produces practical and affordable renewable energy.
But for now, enjoy our cheap, abundant and efficient “fossil” fuels.
31 Comments on "Earth Is An Oil-Producing Machine — We’re Not Running Out"
noobtube on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 6:58 pm
Americans just will never learn.
apneaman on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 7:40 pm
Sounds a like the way my body produces abiotic seamen. I keep pumping and the stuff just keeps coming out. Nature’s bounty – enjoyable, cheap, abundant and no guilty feelings about exploiting myself. Decades of intense research proves it.
bug on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 7:44 pm
A bazillion barrels , a gagillionmazillion barrels, a bounty,
Hahaha, and then market force renewable energy foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
rockman on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 8:21 pm
“But the label is a misnomer. Research from the last decade found that hydrocarbons are synthesized abiotically.” So funny. Would have been nice to see specific references to all that “research”. But no difference: as stated some time ago the Rockman acknowledges that all hydrocarbons have an abiotic origin. For 40 years the Rockman hasn’t spent 1 minute wondering how oil/NG was formed. The objective has always been to discover where those hydrocarbons (regardless of their origin) has accumulated. IOW if you can’t find the grease nuthin’ else matters. LOL.
BC on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 8:25 pm
Wouldn’t it be great to be paid well to write such shallow, misinformed tripe? 😀
From my own personal and professional experience, I estimate that no more than 10% of the western population ACTUALLY understands Peak Oil.
Moreover, I suspect that no more than 1% understand Jeffrey Brown’s ELM and ANE/CNE concepts as they relate to Peak Oil, not to mention the general lack of understanding of net energy, exergy, and entropy.
It’s a lost cause at this point, as the powers that be don’t want us to understand any of it, as it just makes the job of ruling us that much harder if we were to know and collectively act upon it.
Go Speed Racer on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 10:24 pm
The article is wrong. The Earth does not naturally refill oil wells. IWe drive the Escalade to church on Sunday, and Jesus refills the wells by divine intervention. So we can all drive Chevrolet Suburbans and we should not recycle any of the garbage.. I learned this from a preacher, while he was stacking his money into piles after the Sunday services were over.
apneaman on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 10:33 pm
Praise Jesus brother Racer
Pastor Creflo Dollar might get his $65 million private jet after all
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/06/03/pastor-creflo-dollar-might-get-his-65-million-private-jet-after-all/
In the middle on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 11:14 pm
Make fun of it all you want but there is some truth to it. This is one reason I am in the middle on this. I recognize oil is a “limited” resource but also can see that it is not always a fossil fuel.
Pennsyguy on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 11:18 pm
So much of the main-stream “wisdom” that we are fed would make Joseph Goebbels blush and George Orwell sigh.
GregT on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 11:19 pm
I’d be surprised if 10% of the western population has even heard of peak oil, never mind understand it.
Dooma on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 11:27 pm
Whenever I try and educate people about peak oil, most just shrug it off and say that scientists will come up with an alternate fuel source.
Naturally they do not understand the energy density of oil.
Others just choose not to believe the enormity of the situation.
Dooma on Wed, 4th Nov 2015 11:32 pm
I am thinking of getting some peakoil.com bumper decals made to at least get people’s brains find out about the situation.
Let me know if you would like some when I get them printed?
rockman on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 5:29 am
BC – “Moreover, I suspect that no more than 1% understand Jeffrey Brown’s ELM…” Ain’t you the optimist. LOL. Assuming you mean just in the US that would be around 2+ million…shouldn’t count the kiddies.
Understand ELM? Let’s just focus on how many have even seen the term and knew what the acronym stood for. I’ll be generous IMHO and guess no more than 100,000. So at most that would be around 0.05% of the US adult population. Heck, I work n the oil patch and not only do I know anyone who has heard of ELM the vast majority have no idea what “PO” stands for. A very few might be aware that the KSA is increasing internal consumption of oil. But we’re extremely focused on find the next spot to poke a hole and how much oil the KSA I consuming has no bearing on that process.
And even if we just focus on how often the MSM mentions increased oil consumption by the exporters and guess how many Joe6packs actually read those articles I doubt the estimate is much higher.
We are a unique tribe here. But we don’t even rate as high as “insignificant minority” status in my opinion. We are shadows invisible at night. The primary reason the problem isn’t being seriously addressed is that very few even recognize what the problem is.
If we want to feel better about ourselves: we are the “chosen ones”. IOW the ones chosen to worry about all this crap. LOL
Dredd on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 7:11 am
“We” have always had enough to destroy civilization.
There will be oil in the ground after civilization is put into the ground.
Whoopie!
(Oil-Qaeda & MOMCOM Conspire To Commit Depraved-Heart Murder- 2)
GregT on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 8:39 am
“The primary reason the problem isn’t being seriously addressed is that very few even recognize what the problem is.”
Or that there is even a problem at all. Over the last decade or so I have tried to bring the conversation up with many different folks. I mostly get blank stares. People in general are just too busy trying to get ahead. They don’t want to here anything that challenges their worldview in a negative way. The few that have had an idea about peak oil generally believe that it is an issue that will not become a problem until long after they are gone, or that “they” will think of something. Just like the biggest problem associated with climate change is a two metre sea level rise by 2100. The MSM is doing a very good job of keeping these issues on the back burner. Neither one is good for BAU.
Maurizio on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 9:52 am
In one word: bs.
ennui2 on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 9:56 am
“Sounds a like the way my body produces abiotic seamen. ”
So they’re little guys with sailor uniforms? I hope you don’t reproduce and pass on your bad spelling to the next generation.
shortonoil on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 10:14 am
Although this article is complete journalistic trash, on par with little green men from mars stole my Ferrari, it is interesting that BP would allow their name to be associated with it? The world’s petroleum producers are now in deep trouble with $46 oil that provides insufficient revenue to allow them to replace their existing reserves, to say nothing of increasing them? Reserves are not going up, and over the preceding year they have gone down by 55%.
Dragging out that old fossil, “abiotic oil formation” is like modern medicine reviewing the use of arsenic to produce immortality. The only reason to do that would be if their patient was already dead? Obviously, someone is getting concerned. With oil producing nations that have the largest “reserves” in the world going broke, and the richest of them having to borrow money to pay their bills the sun seems to be setting on the world of black gold. Since there is not much that they can do about it, they will do the best that they can do. Lie!
GregT on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 10:19 am
” I hope you don’t reproduce and pass on your bad spelling to the next generation.”
25 rules of disinformation
http://www.nowandfutures.com/spew_tools.html
Sidetrack opponents with name calling and ridicule. This is also known as the primary ‘attack the messenger’ ploy, though other methods qualify as variants of that approach. Associate opponents with unpopular titles such as ‘kooks’, ‘right-wing’, ‘liberal’, ‘left-wing’, ‘terrorists’, ‘conspiracy buffs’, ‘radicals’, ‘militia’, ‘racists’, ‘religious fanatics’, ‘sexual deviates’, and so forth. This makes others shrink from support out of fear of gaining the same label, and you avoid dealing with issues *.
* Otherwise known as denial.
apneaman on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 10:29 am
ennui2, no worries about any little ape copies of me running around. I’m both a practitioner and proponent population control via sodomy. Your mom knows that.
BC on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 10:56 am
rock, I take your point. Well said.
idontknowmyself on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 11:24 am
Not banned yet
JuanP on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 11:52 am
Rock, A tribe of freaks is what we are here at PO. Each and everyone of us here at PO is a freak on the outside world. We are all different, but we are all freaks. We must have an extra mutated gene in common or something!
rockman on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 3:45 pm
Juan – It’s similar to how I explain to my wife why our two min schnauzers act the way they do: it’s basic “pack dynamics”. Our tribe shares traits with them. First, they are true attention whores. Second, while there’s is an established pecking order, it is dynamic with constant efforts by some to climb the ladder. Third, there’s the constant competition of the betas amongst themselves to become more dominant in the eyes of the alphas. The only difference there is the dogs don’t use foul language…although they do snap at each other from time to time. Fourth, like these two dogs, no matter if you’ve treated them badly or ignored them, threy roll over and spread their legs if you rub their bellies. Verbally, of course, in our case.
And lastly, like them, there really doesn’t exist another world outside of our pack that really influences us. Other then occassionly sniffing some strange butt we usually stick with the asses we know.
Roman on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 4:09 pm
Yeah most of you are faggety freaks on here. Don’t contribute anything except bs. You cause more GW than the cows. Anywho cares if it’s biotic or not. Abiotic would mean it replenishes slower than biotic. I heard Russians believe in abiotic oil. Now, wouldn’t major oil companies copy them and produce way more instead of fracking or drilling under water.
Davy on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 4:14 pm
Roman, if you were here more often and contributed something of substance I would be crushed by your put down. As it stands now your just a “faggety freak” who complains about “faggety freaks”. You cancel yourself out by being just more noise.
onlooker on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 5:10 pm
We are Casandra, in a world that does not want to know that the party will end. Feel good. As AP consistently incites to us, we are apes trying to feel good. What is good about knowing about all these things? Sorry I am being rhetorical. Let the party oops sorry doom continue.
apneaman on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 6:30 pm
Roman, “faggety freaks”? Dude, it’s almost 2016, you don’t need to hide anymore. No one here will think the worse of you. I’m almost certain the holy spirit is down with the times too.
Homophobes Might Be Hidden Homosexuals
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/homophobes-might-be-hidden-homosexuals/
apneaman on Thu, 5th Nov 2015 6:32 pm
Probably Gay, the Homophobia Song – Katie Goodman’s Broad Comedy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CQg9f7z9eg
Kenz300 on Sat, 7th Nov 2015 10:08 am
Climate Change, declining fish stocks, droughts, floods, pollution, water and food shortages all stem from the worlds worst environmental problem……. OVER POPULATION.
Yet the world adds 80 million more mouths to feed, clothe, house and provide energy and water for every year… this is unsustainable…
Pope Francis’s edict on climate change will anger deniers and US churches | World news | The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/27/pope-francis-edict-climate-change-us-rightwing
ghung on Sat, 7th Nov 2015 10:24 am
Roman? Huh,, weren’t most Romans faggoty freaks in their spare time? Seems I read about how they adopted the idea of man/boy love from their Greek friends. Wasn’t considered ‘faggety’ at the time I guess.