The Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas USA (ASPO-USA) expressed concern that neither candidate for the U.S. presidency demonstrates a clear understanding of the realities and risks facing U.S. oil supply.  In the first presidential debate on Wednesday night, President Obama and Governor Romney fed the misconception that America can drill its way to energy independence, when such a scenario is both unlikely and unwise, according to ASPO-USA.

In 2011, the U.S. economy used nearly 19 million barrels of oil per day (mbd) while U.S. oil production reached approximately six (6) mbd, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).  “Recent increases in U.S. oil production—reversing a downward trend from peak production in 1970 of roughly 10 mbd—may mitigate risks slightly, but at current levels of consumption, domestic drilling is unlikely to meet America’s needs anytime soon,” said ASPO-USA executive director Jan Lars Mueller.

“Unless we dramatically reduce our oil use, the United States will continue to rely on imported oil,” Mueller added, “but we are increasingly competing for oil exports with emerging countries like China and India.”  According to analysis by independent geologist and ASPO-USA vice-president Jeffrey Brown, China and India alone would consume all available net exports within the span of two decades, if current trends continue.  These trends raise serious concerns about the immediate risks of a global oil supply crisis.

Since President Nixon, U.S. presidents and presidential candidates have decried America’s dependence on imported oil.  In that time the United States has only become more dependent on foreign oil, with periodic pauses in a downward trend for U.S. production. Failure to address the issue at a scale that is meaningful is, perhaps, due to a fundamental misunderstanding of the problem.  “Government and industry simply tell us ‘don’t worry, technology will save the day’,” said Jim Baldauf, ASPO-USA President and Co-founder.

2 Comments on "Neither Presidential Candidate Shows Grasp of America’s Oil Predicament"

tubaplayer on Fri, 5th Oct 2012 9:00 pm 



Oh they know alright! To come straight out and admit it would make either one of them unelectable.

Maybe it would be good if they both came straight out and admitted it 😉

In the meantime the good ol’ US of A sails blithely on towards the infinite waterfall at the edge of the world carrying a full passenger load of sheeple

Kenz300 on Sat, 6th Oct 2012 3:27 pm 



Quote — ” we are increasingly competing for oil exports with emerging countries like China and India.” According to analysis by independent geologist and ASPO-USA vice-president Jeffrey Brown, China and India alone would consume all available net exports within the span of two decades, if current trends continue.”
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China and India and their billion plus populations are the driving force in energy demand and energy prices.

Oil companies and oil producing nations love it when oil prices spike. They make huge windfall profits.

It is time to transition to safe, clean alternative energy sources before we are forced to by price or limited supplies.