Health costs associated with air pollution

By the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)

Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) has launched a major new report which provides the first even economic assessment of the health costs associated with air pollution from coal power plants in Europe.
The report is published under the title "The unpaid health bill - How coal power plants make us sick" , leading to an additional financial burden to the European population of up to € 42.8 billon a year.

Can leak detection end the pipeline impasse?

By James Stafford, oilprice.com

One of the issues that is being hotly debated in the US at the moment  is that of pipeline safety. We tend to think of pipeline leaks and accidents as things that take place mostly in countries like Nigeria. Actually, oil companies in the US pay up to $5 billion in damages each year due to pipeline-related accidents. A US company called Synodon has developed new technology to detect pipeline leaks. Founder and CEO Adrian Banica explains how this technology could help allay at least one environmental concern of pipeline protesters. But he does not believe that it will persuade environmentalists to give up their protests against the Keystone XL pipeline. They have a "philosophical position based on decreasing CO2 emissions rather than one based on spills in the environment which will not be appeased by regulations", he notes.

A Presidential Decision That Could Change the World

The Strategic Importance of Keystone XL

By Michael T. Klare

On Sunday, February 17th, a large "forward on climate" rally is to take place in Washington.  Originally organized by the environmentalist group 350.org and writer-activist Bill McKibben, but now involving dozens of groups, it is expected to draw protestors from all over North America. Their goal is, in part, to push President Obama to put a halt to the Keystone XL pipeline. Should he do so, the Canadian tar sands industry could suffer a fatal blow, as Michael Klare explains in this article. "Fundamental views about the future of energy are in conflict."

Why policy failures are opening up gas opportunities in Europe

Gas is dead. Long live gas!

By Alex Forbes

Europe's natural gas industry is going through dark times. Policy failures within the European Union have combined with unexpected developments elsewhere to create a business environment hostile to gas. Amidst all the gloom, however, there are glimmers of light. Sooner or later Europe's policy-makers will have to wake up to some inconvenient truths: that gas is being elbowed out of the energy mix by coal and subsidised renewables; that greenhouse gas emissions are falling much more slowly than expected, largely because of the failure of carbon-pricing policy; that the US now has a competitive advantage over Europe because of its cheap energy; and that political opposition to shale gas in Europe is preventing some countries from exploiting their own unconventional resources. Sooner or later the EU will need to re-think energy and climate policy – as the UK is currently doing.

Why Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic have turned against shale gas

The big fracking chill in Eastern Europe

By Tomasz Daborowski and Jakub Groszkowski

To the surprise of many observers, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic have fairly suddenly joined the group of shale gas sceptics. For various reasons they have decided or they are planning to ban fracking for the time being. Tomasz Daborowski and Jakub Groszkowski of the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) in Warsaw explain why they did so and what lessons can be drawn from this. Their main conclusion: policymakers and energy companies failed to win the hearts and minds of the public.

New Global Assessment Reveals Nearly 1,200 Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plants

Ailun Yang, World Resources Institute

Coal-fired power plants are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions—one that could be increasing significantly globally, according to new analysis from the World Resources Institute.

A Secret War of Activists - With the World in the Balance

Frack Fight

By Ellen Cantarow

There's a war going on that you know nothing about between a coalition of great powers and a small insurgent movement. It's a secret war being waged in the shadows while you go about your everyday life. In the end, this conflict may matter more than those in Iraq and Afghanistan ever did. And yet it's taking place far from newspaper front pages and with hardly a notice on the nightly news. Nor is it being fought in Yemen or Pakistan or Somalia, but in small hamlets in upstate New York. There, a loose network of activists is waging a guerrilla campaign not with improvised explosive devices or rocket-propelled grenades, but with zoning ordinances and petitions. The weaponry may be humdrum, but the stakes couldn't be higher. Ultimately, the fate of the planet may hang in the balance.

The US LNG export stampede: another gas revolution in the making

By Alex Forbes

Thanks to the shale gas revolution, the United States - not long ago expected to become the world's largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) - is on its way to becoming one of the world's largest LNG exporters, unless the US government intervenes to limit exports of cheap gas to its industrial competitors. But what we are seeing is not just another large wave of LNG supply of the kind we have seen from Qatar and are now witnessing from Australia. This new wave promises - or threatens, depending on your point of view - profound changes in the way that natural gas is traded and priced in markets across the world.

The New "Golden Age of Oil" That Wasn't

By Michael T. Klare

Many are proclaiming a new Golden Age of Oil and US energy independence, thanks to the development of new, 'unconventional' oil resources. Michael Klare argues that these 'forecasts of abundance' will collide with 'planetary realities'. He warns that to pursue those forms of 'extreme energy' will lead to environmental disasters: "There is just one possible golden age for US (or any other kind of) energy and it would be based on a major push to produce breakthroughs in climate-friendly renewables."

Shell's controversial Arctic campaign - how safe is it?

By Tseard Zoethout

How safe is the drilling programme that Shell has started in the Arctic waters around Alaska? Environmental activists fiercely oppose Shell's activities, but the US Department of Interior has approved the company's plans and issued the necessary permits. Independent experts agree that, in theory, Shell's plans look safe. But they point out that very little is yet known about the real risks of Arctic oil drilling. They would like to see more research being done before the vulnerable region is given over to the oil industry.

Unconventional sources of natural gas: development and consequences for Central and Eastern Europe

The International Institute of Political Science (IIPS)

The International Institute of Political Science (IIPS) has recently released a new study which was prepared by the researchers from both IIPS and th Department of International Relations and European Studies and which focuses on potential impacts of unconventional gas development in Poland.

Shell's Pearl proves its worth, but it's early days yet for gas-to-liquids

By Alex Forbes

The successful launch of Shell's giant Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) project in Qatar has demonstrated not just that GTL technology works at large scale, but also that its economics can be very attractive indeed. So, after a decade of disappointments, and in an era of structurally high oil prices and increasingly abundant natural gas, the GTL industry is looking forward to a more promising future. However, with the technology leaders Shell and Sasol jealously guarding their secrets, and other technologies yet to be tested at scale, growth will be constrained by the availability of proven technology.

Walking the Waters - How to Bring the Major Oil Companies Ashore and Halt the Destruction of Our Oceans

Subhankar Banerjee

When you go to the mountains, you go to the mountains. When it’s the desert, it’s the desert. When it’s the ocean, though, we generally say that we’re going “to the beach.” Land is our element, not the waters of our world, and that is an unmistakable advantage for any oil company that wants to drill in pristine waters.

The Offshore Discovery in the Republic of Cyprus – Monetisation Prospects and Challenges

Anastasios Giamouridis, OIES

This paper assesses the prospects and challenges facing the Republic of Cyprus in developing the discovery of a significant offshore gas field by Noble Energy in December 2011.

How is the Keystone XL Pipeline Progressing?

Jen Alic, Oilprice.com

Four and a half years of studies and five failed votes in the House later, exactly where are we with the Keystone XL pipeline? Stuck on the US-Canadian border where it is likely to remain until mid-2013 despite the headline-grabbing issuance of one of three permits to begin construction in Texas for the smaller and much less controversial portion of the pipeline.

The US unconventional oil revolution: are we at the beginning of a new era for US oil?

Dr. Salman Ghouri and Areeba Ghouri

Everyone is familiar by now with the unconventional (shale) gas revolution in the US, which has transformed US and global gas markets. Less well known to the wider public is that an unconventional (shale) oil revolution is also gathering pace, with equally far-reaching implications. It is not unlikely that the US, the world's largest crude oil importer, could go a long way towards self-sufficiency by 2035. This would drastically change the global energy equation.

Gas: supporting a future global growth

By Alexander Medvedev (keynote address at the 25th World Gas Conference)

Our forum is being held under the motto “Sustaining Future Global Growth”. It expresses the main task that stands before us, the energy and gas companies today, – to as soon as possible meet the growing energy demand and at the same time improve energy’s ecological index.

Golden age of gas comes at a price

By Alex Forbes

In a stark message to gas producers and governments last week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) set out seven golden rules which it believes are essential to granting gas producers "a social licence to operate". The IEA's chief economist Fatih Birol estimates that applying the agency's "golden rules" to the drilling of unconventional gas wells will increase production costs by around 7%. There could also be a price in terms of climate change. In a world awash with cheap gas, Birol fears that governments may be tempted to eliminate much-needed subsidies for renewable energy technologies. The ideal energy mix is probably some combination of renewables with gas and carbon capture and storage, says Birol.

The environmental nightmare you know nothing about

How rural America got fracked

By Ellen Cantarow

Hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) does not use only a lot of water, but also a lot of sand. In the US a whole new sandmining (or "frac-sand mining") industry has been created on the crest of the shale gas revolution. Environmental reporter Ellen Cantarow describes the devastating consequences this industry has on some rural communities in the US. "The big thing is, you're removing the hills that you can't replace. They're a huge water manufacturing factory that Mother Nature gave us, and they're gone."

Out in the Cold – new report on Shell’s plans in the Arctic

BankTrack

Shell’s Annual General Meeting tomorrow is unlikely to go calmly. The company’s problems range from anger over excessive executive pay to spills in the Niger delta. At this time, Platform, Greenpeace and FairPensions are putting to scrutiny offshore Arctic exploration as a key direction in the company’s strategy.

The Energy Wars Heat Up: Six Recent Clashes and Conflicts on a Planet Heading Into Energy Overdrive

Michael T. Klare, Tomdispatch.com

Conflict and intrigue over valuable energy supplies have been features of the international landscape for a long time. Major wars over oil have been fought every decade or so since World War I, and smaller engagements have erupted every few years; a flare-up or two in 2012, then, would be part of the normal scheme of things.

The Future of Oil: Geology versus Technology

IMF Working Paper

Future oil prices have been notoriously difficult to predict. In a recent paper, Alquist, Kilian, and Vigfusson (2011) conclude that forecasts based on monthly futures prices, monthly surveys of forecasts, simple econometric models, or other commonly employed forecasting techniques cannot consistently beat a random-walk forecast out of sample. This result is well known within the oil industry.

UK Government: Fracking Causes Earthquakes, but It's Worth the Risk

John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com

The process of hydraulic fracturing is a mining technique which uses injected fluid to propagate fractures in a rock layer to release hydrocarbon deposits that would otherwise be uncommercial. Developed in the U.S. and first used in 1947 for stimulating of oil and natural gas wells, the use of "fracking" soared in the past decade as thousands of wells have been drilled into the Marcellus Formation, also referred to as the Marcellus Shale, a deposit of marine sedimentary rock found in eastern North America.

Peak oil revisited: the real challenges are investment and sustainability, not availability

By Noé van Hulst

The general perception of global oil reserves is unnecessarily gloomy and far removed from reality, even among many policymakers and academics. This is dangerous because it obscures the real and serious economic and environmental challenges faced by the oil sector, argues Noé van Hulst. The Director of the new Energy Academy Europe calls on the oil industry to devote more effort explaining the public what the real challenges are.

Will There be a Shale Gas Revolution in China by 2020?

Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

This paper assesses the extent to which China is likely to achieve levels of shale gas production by 2020 which would make a meaningful difference to its growing need for imports of pipeline gas and LNG.

Why the oil industry has buried the idea of "peak oil"

Cheer up: the world has plenty of oil

By Robin Mills

It's widely  believed nowadays that global oil production is running up against its limits. "The days of easy oil are over", we are told and we should brace ourselves for an age of relative oil scarcity. The reality, however, is very different. As more and more people within the oil industry have come to realize in recent years, the world has plenty of oil that can be produced at competitive prices for a long, long time to come. This means the world does not face inevitable "energy poverty" and there is no reason to be afraid of unavoidable "energy wars".

A New Energy Third World in North America?

By Michael T. Klare

The “curse” of oil wealth is a well-known phenomenon in Third World petro-states where millions of lives are wasted in poverty and the environment is ravaged, while tiny elites rake in the energy dollars and corruption rules the land. Recently, North America has been repeatedly hailed as the planet’s twenty-first-century “new Saudi Arabia” for “tough energy” -- deep-sea oil, Canadian tar sands, and fracked oil and natural gas. But here’s a question no one considers: Will the oil curse become as familiar on this continent in the wake of a new American energy rush as it is in Africa and elsewhere? Will North America, that is, become not just the next boom continent for energy bonanzas, but a new energy Third World?

The CCS challenge for the gas industry: the practical potential for gas carbon capture and storage in Europe in 2030

Green Alliance

This analysis provides the first assessment of the practical potential for gas power with carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Europe in the medium term. Much of the debate around CCS so far has focused on coal. However, the December 2011 European Commission Energy Roadmap 2050 identified the need for a significant ramp up of gas power with CCS and indicated it will be of greater importance than coal CCS within two decades.

The impact of tar sands pipeline spills on employment and the economy

Lara Skinner and Sean Sweeney, Cornell University Global Labor Institute

The negative impacts on employment and the economy of tar sands pipelines have largely been ignored. To date, a comprehensive spills risk assessment for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline has not been conducted. Such an assessment would provide an independent review of both the risk of spills and their economic consequences. This is what this report intends to do.

Why High Oil Prices Are Here to Stay

By Michael Klare

Oil prices are now higher than they have ever been - except for a few frenzied moments before the global economic meltdown of 2008. Many immediate factors are contributing to this surge, including Iran's threats to block oil shipping in the Persian Gulf, fears of a new Middle Eastern war, and turmoil in energy-rich Nigeria. Some of these pressures could ease in the months ahead, providing temporary relief at the gas pump. But the principal cause of higher prices - a fundamental shift in the structure of the oil industry - cannot be reversed, and so oil prices are destined to remain high for a long time to come.

To shale or not to shale: that is not the (only) question

By Roderick Kefferpütz

By focusing too much on the pros and cons of local shale gas production, Europe threatens to lose sight of the bigger gas market picture, argues Roderick Kefferpütz of the Centre for European Policy Studies. That picture, he says, could be quite bright.

Poland's Flame of Hope

By Tim Boersma and Corey Johnson

Poland has pinned its energy hopes for the future on a shale gas miracle. But this dream will not be easily to realize, observe Tim Boersma and Corey Johnson. They argue that Poland would be wise to make its shale gas ambitions part of a 'grand strategy' towards a low-carbon economy.

The exciting future of LNG – and how it will transform the global gas market

By Alex Forbes

Analysis of worldwide LNG investment projects conducted by energy correspondent Alex Forbes reveals a surprising picture. Within just a few years, Australia is set to become a bigger LNG producer than Qatar. North America looks as though it could become a major exporter of gas in the form of LNG. And much of the LNG coming from these sources will be produced using unconventional gas as a feedstock. The message to be gleaned from the behaviour of both LNG buyers and sellers is that global demand for gas is likely to be much more rapid than current projections suggest, with growth led by a ravenous appetite for gas in China. The implications for the global energy market are staggering: the dash for gas will continue with full force.

Shale-Shocked - Fracking Gets Its Own Occupy Movement

Ellen Cantarow

This is a story about water, the land surrounding it, and the lives it sustains. Clean water should be a right: there is no life without it. New York is what you might call a “water state.” Its rivers and their tributaries only start with the St. Lawrence, the Hudson, the Delaware, and the Susquehanna. The best known of its lakes are Great Lakes Erie and Ontario, Lake George, and the Finger Lakes. Its brooks, creeks, and trout streams are fishermen’s lore.

Geology Professor Jan de Jager (ex-Shell) puts West European shale gas prospects in perspective

"Unconventionals are easy to find but hard to get"

By Annemieke van Roekel

Don't expect a US-style boom in shale gas production in Western Europe. It's still not proven that economically viable reserves of shale gas even exist over here. Compared with North America, the regions in Europe characterized by the necessary geological conditions for shale gas are scarce. This is the opinion of Jan de Jager, newly appointed professor in Regional and Petroleum Geology at the University of Utrecht, who before his appointment worked as exploration geologist for Shell for over 30 years. In an interview with science journalist Annemieke van Roekel, De Jager notes that unconventional gas tends to be 'easy to find, but hard to produce' - certainly in North Western Europe.

The Future of Coal: Clean coal technologies and CCS in the EU and Central East European Countries

Frank Umbach, EUCERS

The study “The Future of Coal: Clean Coal Technologies and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)” addresses the global and European dimensions of CCS - the opportunities but also the challenges associated with this new technology that may spark a revolution in our future energy policies.

Norway regains faith in its oil future

By Reiner Gatermann

Barely a year ago, many voices were heralding the end of the Golden Oil Age for Norway. The country seemed to have less than 10 years of oil production left. But recently the mood has changed. Several large discoveries were made that promise to extend Norway's oil and gas paradise far into the future. Not only that, but the new Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Ola Borten Moe, has effectively indicated that Norway will wholeheartedly join the rush for the riches of the Arctic, environmental concerns notwithstanding.

The role of natural gas in enhancing global energy security

Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Management Committee, Gazprom

Speech at the IEA Ministerial meeting, Paris, 18 October 2011. Ladies and gentlemen, Dear colleagues. You would probably be surprised if — as a representative of the world’s largest gas company — I would not call natural gas the main leverage of the future energy security. Actually, I will reiterate this dictum today at our meeting but not only because I represent precisely this industry.

Steep increase in global CO2 emissions despite reductions by industrialised countries with binding Kyoto targets

Joint Research Council

After a 1% decline in 2009, global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by more than 5% in 2010, which is unprecedented in the last two decades, but similar to the increase in 1976 when the global economy was recovering from the first oil crisis and subsequent stock market crash. CO2 emissions went up in most of the major economies, led by China and India with increases of 10% and 9% respectively.

Peak Oil: Security Policy Implications of Scarce Resources

Bundeswehr Transformation Centre

Study from the German Army looks into the security consequences of peak oil. It was published last year and has now become available in an English translation. It was made available through the internet by energybulletin.net.

Switching from coal to natural gas would do little for global climate, study indicates

National Center for Atmospheric Research

Although the burning of natural gas emits far less carbon dioxide than coal, a new study concludes that a greater reliance on natural gas would fail to significantly slow down climate change.

CIEP Energy Paper: “CIEP Vision on the Gas Target Model”

Clingendael International Energy Programme

CIEP sheds its light on the European discussion concerning a Gas Target Model. A discussion around a future framework for gas regulation should start with the market and its developments, i.e., the gas industry and its transaction mechanisms, which are represented in a variety of forms, from long-term contracts to spot deals. Each has its own role to play in the total make-up of the gas business, and each represents a transaction between two willing market players.

Shale gas battle in Bulgaria - high stakes for Europe

by Atanas Georgiev

The recent announcement from the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy that US oil company Chevron has been awarded a shale gas exploration licence in the north of the country, has brought a new urgency to the long-simmering debate on shale gas in Bulgaria. The Bulgarians are asking themselves whether shale gas would be the best way of achieving greater energy independence and what its potential environmental hazards might be. For the Russians in particular there is more at stake than may be apparent at first sight. Atanas Georgiev reports from Sofia.

Shale gas: controversy and resources

By Karel Beckman

In this space we recently reported that a new assessment of the Marcellus Shale in the northeastern US by the US Geological Survey seemed to indicate that shale gas resources in the US may be a lot smaller than was previously thought. This, however, turned out to be incorrect. Below we give the correct story - and provide an overview of recent shale gas publications, including our own.

USGS Releases New Assessment of Gas Resources in the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin

US Geological Survey

The Marcellus Shale contains about 84 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 3.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids according to a new assessment by the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Marcellus Shale Gas

Mohan Jiang, W. Michael Griffin, Chris Hendrickson, Paulina Jaramillo, Jeanne VanBriesen, Aranya Venkatesh

This study estimates the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the production of Marcellus shale natural gas and compares its emissions with national average US natural gas emissions produced in the year 2008, prior to any significant Marcellus shale development.

IEA: the Age of Gas is coming, but will not solve all our energy problems

By Karel Beckman

China’s ambitious new gas development policy, troubles in the nuclear sector, the need to reduce carbon emissions and the discovery of vast new unconventional gas resources are all combining to lead us into a “golden age of natural gas”, says the International Energy Agency (IEA). But, the IEA adds, a global dash for gas will not change the industrial world’s dependency on oil imports and it will not reduce the need to take drastic climate measures. ‘There is no doubt that energy is going to be more expensive’, says IEA division head László Varró.

Message from the International Gas Union to European policymakers:

Let's get serious (about gas)!

By Reiner Gatermann

The 'golden age' for gas that the International Energy Agency is predicting for the world, certainly looks to be coming true in Europe. Long-term demand looks set to rise as a result of various factors: the nuclear rethink in Germany and elsewhere, the need for companies and countries to substitute coal and oil for lower-carbon gas, and the fact that gas-fired power stations are flexible and do not present major public acceptance issues. At the same time, long-term supply looks more secure than it has in a long time. Norway is opening up new acreage for exploitation, Russia and the Caspian countries are eager to export their gas to Europe in newly to be built pipelines, more and more LNG is coming to Europe - and then of course there is the promise of a shale gas boom beyond 2020.

Natural gas vehicles should take their rightful place in the debate on the future of European energy

Alexei Miller, Gazprom

This conference is taking place at a time that can be rightly called a turning point for the European energy sector. Many external factors are forcing Europeans to take a fresh look at the target model for the continent’s energy security.

The geo-economic blessings of shale gas

"European energy companies risk missing out on a tremendous opportunity"

By Karel Beckman

While countries like China, India and Australia are jumping on the shale gas bandwagon, European policymakers and energy companies seem reluctant to embrace this new energy resource that was first developed in the United States. Frank Umbach, Associate Director of the new European Centre for Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS), urges the European energy industry to overcome its skepticism and the EU and its Member States to start supporting unconventional gas production. 'Shale gas offers a tremendous opportunity to change Europe's increasingly vulnerable geopolitical and geo-economic position in the world. It is time that we in Europe start seizing this opportunity instead of only focusing on its potential drawbacks.'

Does Natural Gas Need a Decarbonisation Strategy? The cases of the Netherlands and the UK

Oxford Institute of Energy Studies

A commonly heard view from European gas stakeholders is that low carbon supply sources – renewables, nuclear power and coal with carbon capture and storage – on the scale necessary to achieve carbon reduction targets over the next decade will be unrealistically expensive, and that gas will inevitably become the “default” choice for future power generation.

Shale Gas Shock

Global Warming Policy Foundation

The Global Warming Policy Foundation has published a detailed report about the shale gas revolution and its likely implications for UK and international climate policy.

"Shale gas will not be as important in Europe as in the US"

By Karel Beckman

Eurogas, the European association for the natural gas industry, does not believe that the role of "unconventional gas" will become as important in Europe as in the US, at least not in the short to medium term. For the foreseeable future, Eurogas expects that developing new gas supply routes - such as South Stream and Nabucco - and new supply sources, e.g. in the Caspian region, the Middle East and North Africa - will make a more important contribution to Europe's security of energy supply than the development of domestic unconventional gas resources. This picture emerges from an in-depth interview that European Energy Review held with Jean-François Cirelli, President of Eurogas and President of French energy company GDF-Suez, in combination with a background interview with Margot Loudon, Deputy Secretary-General of Eurogas.

The Climate Impact Of Natural Gas and Coal-Fired Electricity: A Review of Fuel Chain Emissions

American Clean Skies Foundation

This paper provides an updated, comparative fuel chain calculation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of natural gas- and coal-fired electricity. The analysis incorporates revised 2011 US EPA estimates of fugitive methane emissions from the upstream (i.e., production) portion of the fuel chain.

Five Things to Know about the Cornell Shale Study

Energy in Depth

Almost year to the day after first attempt to smear shale gas fails, Howarth and crew back at it again in new report set for release this week.

Assessment of the Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Natural Gas from Shale Formations

Robert W. Howarth, Renee Santoro and Anthony Ingraffea

Natural gas is widely advertised and promoted as a clean burning fuel that produces less greenhouse gas emissions than coal when burned. While it is true that less carbon dioxide is emitted from burning natural gas than from burning coal per unit of energy generated, the combustion emissions are only part of story and the comparison is quite misleading.

Gas industry, it's time to cross the bridge

By Marcel Viëtor

The natural gas industry is seeking to establish itself as the preferred "bridging solution" ahead of nuclear energy. But instead of rejoicing at the troubles of nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima accident, the gas sector would do better to prepare itself for a future without fossil fuels.

Energy is ugly: Tar Sands Make their Mark

Ellen Cantarow

A startling account of how, in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and turmoil in the Muslim world, the United States is mapping out an energy security strategy that emphasizes one of the dirtiest and most dangerous energy sources around -- Ellen Cantarow, “Energy is Ugly: Tar Sands Make Their Mark”.

German shale gas faces uphill battle

By Stefan Nicola

Major oil companies are exploring tight and shale gas reservoirs in Germany, hoping to be able to reproduce the American unconventional gas revolution. German resources, experts say, could be large enough to change the energy equation in Germany significantly. Europe's largest economy is a major importer of gas and oil. But there is still uncertainty about the size of recoverable reserves. Worse, public opposition to shale gas production is growing, making it not unlikely that the German gas boom will go bust before it has started.

A giant comes to life in the deserts of Qatar

By Alex Forbes

Imagine a technology that could take natural gas and turn it into premium oil products, such as low-sulphur vehicle fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and high-quality lubricants. In today's era of cheap abundant gas and worryingly expensive oil it would be like turning water into wine. This technology not only exists, but is being implemented at massive scale in the deserts of Qatar by Shell. Having invested $19 billion in constructing this modern-day wonder of the world, Shell is in the process of starting it up. Alex Forbes visited Qatar to see Pearl GTL for himself.

Regulatory issues of global significance for the gas industry

International Gas Union

On 8 March 2011, members of the International Confederation of Energy Regulators (ICER) and the International Gas Union (IGU) participated in their first joint ICER-IGU workshop. The workshop was held in Washington DC with the participation of ICER Chair Lord John Mogg, the IGU President Datuk Rahim Hashim and ICER and IGU members from 28 countries. Moderators and presenters for each session were senior representatives from ICER and IGU, plus some honoured guests.

EU gas consumption grows 7% in 2010

Eurogas

According to preliminary figures and estimates from Eurogas, total natural gas consumption in
EU27 has increased by 7,2% in 2010 in comparison to 2009.

Another gas giant below the Marcellus?

Geology.com

The Marcellus was the Opening Act. A rock layer below the Marcellus Shale could prove to be another incredible source of natural gas.

Dutch Energy Council embraces unconventional gas

by Karel Beckman

The Dutch Energy Council, the highest advisory body of the Dutch government in energy affairs, has come out strongly in favour of the development of unconventional gas in the Netherlands. In an official advice to the government, the Council recommends a number of policies that should stimulate the exploitation of shale gas and coalbed methane in the Netherlands. Most importantly perhaps, the Council advises the government to ensure that landowners and tenants benefit financially from unconventional gas development on their land. This would enhance public support for the exploitation of unconventional gas, the Council says.

More for Asia: Rebalancing world oil and gas

John V Mitchell, Chatham House

The oil and gas industry is set to undergo a decisive transition over the next 10 years as global balances of demand and investment shift towards Asia and away from Europe and North America. These are sectors where geography matters and such a transition will have major geopolitical implications and a profound effect on industrial strategy.

How high could oil go?

Global Commodity Research

Oil prices have risen quickly since Bernanke's Jackson Hole speech last August, reflecting strong fundamentals and easy money.

Natural gas supply, demand and prices: what happened in 2011?

Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies has published a short study by Dr Anouk Honoré Senior Research Fellow at the Institute on natural gas demand in Europe in 2008-2010. The paper is a companion piece to the book “Natural Gas Supply Demand and Prices: Cycles seasons and the impact of LNG price arbitrage” published in January 2011 by the OIES. It offers a statistical update on gas demand since the book was finished.

‘It’s a digital world’ - communications lessons from the BP oil spill disaster

By Karel Beckman

The BP Oil Spill will in many ways be a “game-changer” for the energy industry. For one thing, there will be significant repercussions for deepwater oil and gas exploration, both in the US and Europe, as we discuss here. But the disaster will also leave a lasting impact on the way in which energy companies conduct their communications with the outside world. Neil Chapman, former Head of Refining and Marketing Communications at BP, shares with EER his thoughts on the public relations lessons from the event and has some recommendations for his fellow corporate communicators. ‘If you focus solely on the mainstream media in a time of crisis, you make a big mistake as an organisation.’

BP oil spill: some lessons for Europe

Hans-Jochen Luhmann

The European Commission is studying the implications of the BP oil spill disaster for the regulatory framework in Europe. Brussels intends to come up with proposals before the summer. Hans-Jochen Luhmann, researcher at the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, has some recommendations to offer.

Gambling on Greenland

By Uchenna Izundu

For the first time in its history, Greenland has awarded offshore oil and gas exploration licenses to oil companies, opening up this Arctic frontier to future oil and gas production. The licensing awards followed the first ever oil and gas discoveries in Greenland, made in August by Cairn Energy, propelling this nation with a population of 56,000 into the limelight of the global energy market. The government welcomed the discoveries, but Greenpeace has embarked upon an aggressive campaign to stop any more exploration in the area dubbed Iceberg Alley.

The uncertain prospects of Norwegian gas

By Reiner Gatermann

It is generally accepted that Norwegian oil production peaked in 2001, but both in Norway and in the EU it is assumed that gas production in Norway will continue to grow in the next twenty years. A recent study from researchers from the University of Uppsala in Sweden, however, predicts that Norway’s gas production will peak between 2014 and 2020. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate rejects this pessimistic outlook – but does not provide an alternative of its own. Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Riis-Johansen concedes that ‘if we don’t make any significant discoveries in the future, it will be difficult to supply as much gas to Europe as we would wish.’ Market players meanwhile demand a more active policy from the Norwegian government to ensure that production will be kept up.

Eurogas Statistical Report 2010

Eurogas

Eurogas has finalised its statiscal report 2010. The data presented in this report has been collected with the assistance of the national gas associations and member companies of Eurogas. Additionally, for a full picture of the European Union (EU27), data was kindly provided by the natural gas company from Estonia (EestiGas). Malta and Cyprus are not included as they are not supplied with natural gas.

A primer on Canadian oil sands

EPRINC - 01/12/2010

Canadian oil sands have long been recognized as one of the world’s largest endowments of oil resources with over 170 billion barrels in place. The resource endowment places Canada second only to Saudi Arabia.

The Value of Canadian Oil Sands - to the United States

EPRINC - 01/12/2010

An assessment of the Keystone Proposal to expand oil sands shipments to Gulf Coast refiners

Europe’s gas industry deeply divided over the future

By Stefan Nicola

Gas conferences have rarely been more exciting than the European Autumn Gas Conference (EAGC) in Berlin recently. Reeling from turbulent market forces, Russian divide-and-conquer tactics, pipeline wars and complex EU energy and climate policies, gas industry representatives proved to be ready for a frank exchange of views.

New research report: Gas can play a major role in UK energy mix

Energy Networks Association

When looking out to 2050 there is huge uncertainty surrounding how gas will be consumed, transported and sourced in Great Britain (GB). The extent of the climate change challenge is now widely accepted, and the UK Government has introduced a legislative requirement for aggressive reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions out to 2050. In addition, at European Union (EU) level a package of measures has been implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and significantly increase the share of energy produced from renewable sources by 2020. These policy developments naturally raise the question of what role gas has to play in the future energy mix.

Turbulent times for European gas market

By Alex Forbes

Europe’s natural gas industry is undergoing a revolution. Tough new competition legislation is forcing gas companies to restructure their businesses and make room for new entrants. Demand and supply uncertainties – in the form of increased import dependency, new security of supply legislation, economic crisis and a surge in unconventional gas production – have multiplied. At the same time, it remains unclear whether the European Union’s climate change policies will stimulate or dampen demand for gas. The great challenge for Europe’s gas companies will be to navigate these multiple uncertainties while taking advantage of the opportunities.

The oil industry between hopes and fears

By Karel Beckman

This week’s Oil & Money Conference in London, a meeting place for the oil industry, identified four “game changers in global energy”: Iraq, China, Macondo and shale gas. Game-changers these may be – but none of them bodes particularly well for “Big Oil”. And they don’t even include climate change, national oil companies and electric cars. Karel Beckman wonders whether we are witnessing the end of “Big Oil” as we have known it in the West.

The Shale Gas revolution: hype and reality

Chatham House

The recent ‘shale gas revolution’ in the United States has created huge uncertainties for international gas markets hat are likely to inhibit investment in gas – both conventional nd unconventional – and in many renewables. If the revolution continues in the US and extends to the rest of the world, energy consumers can anticipate a future dominated by cheap gas. However, if it falters and the current hype about shale gas proves an illusion, the world ill face serious gas shortages in the medium term.

Big Oil, massive future?

By Matthew Hulbert

Following BP’s environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, it wasn’t long before the obituary of ‘big oil’ was drafted. Offshore drilling was a goner, environmental tightening will squeeze the life out of the majors, and lumbering corporate structures can no longer cope in a world of localized and specific operational risks. Big oil R.I.P. It sounds plausible, but it is wrong. If anything, big oil will continue to get bigger thanks to a number of compelling commercial and political reasons on the back of the BP catastrophe.

EU natural gas demand: uncertainty, dependence and bargaining power

Edward Hunter Christie

This paper reviews and compares major long-term scenarios for the European Union’s demand, supply and imports of natural gas. The analysis includes scenarios from the IEA, the European Commission and Eurogas, and pays particular attention to the role of climate policy commitments.

Dutch gas experts ready for global mission

By Karel Beckman

The major Dutch gas infrastructure companies have launched a unique non-profit company that stands ready to solve gas infrastructure problems anywhere in the world. The Global Gas Networks Initiative (GGNI), as it is called, is manned by just-retired senior gas experts eager to share their know-how and experience. The Dutch government supports the venture ‘for strategic reasons’. ‘If Dutch companies win tenders because of GGNI’s efforts then that would be a positive outcome of course.’

Europe’s deepwater operations face political storm

By Uchenna Izundu

Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger caused consternation within Europe’s oil and gas industry recently by suggesting a freeze on the drilling of new deepwater wells. He also announced that he is thinking of proposing a ‘European framework’ to ‘control’ the work of the member states’ national authorities that are currently in charge of regulating the offshore sector. The outcome of this political battle may have a significant impact on the future of Europe’s offshore industry, as deepsea oil and gas production is becoming increasingly important to Europe’s energy supply.

Blowing up the blowout

by Karel Beckman

Disastrous as the “Macondo Oil Spill” may be, the fact is that, as a new report from the Energy Policy Research Foundation (EPRINC) shows, offshore oil spills caused by blowouts are extremely rare, particularly in the US. In fact, historically the most common and largest spills have been those from oil tanker accidents. Thus, ironically, as the US has to import more oil if it cuts domestic production, a reduction of offshore drilling will lead a higher risk of accidents, argues EPRINC. It is just one of the fascinating details coming out of EPRINC’s contrarian cost-benefit analysis.

Europe not ready for unconventional gas, yet

by Rik Komduur

The stunning development of ‘unconventional gas’ in the United States, has led that country to replace Russia as the world’s largest gas producer last year. Can this happen in Europe as well? Theoretically, yes: the reserves are there. For the moment, however, there are factors that are putting a brake on the development of unconventional gas in Europe: the relatively high population density, a lack of know-how and an experienced service industry, possibly higher exploration and production costs and uncertainties in the regulatory and policy environment. As a result, experts expect only a marginal growth of unconventional gas in Europe in the coming decade. However, after 2020, Europe may come to experience its own unconventional gas revolution.

Proposed agenda for the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Eprinc

The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling has been tasked with investigating the Deepwater Horizon accident and making recommendations on how to prevent and mitigate future spills. Given the large stakes to the marine environment, coastal and national economies, U.S. energy security, and revenues to the federal government, the Commission’s recommendations are likely to have consequences that go well beyond an investigation of the accident and implementation of a new regulatory program.

Unconventional gas: Producer pickle or consumer curse?

Matthew Hulbert - Center for Security Studies (CSS)

Gas producers have a problem. Demand is down and supply is up, largely thanks to breakthroughs in unconventional production across America. More output could potentially follow in Europe and Asia, threatening to turn the gas world on its head. But there is a catch: should this prove to be a false dawn for unconventional production either on cost or ecological grounds, then consumers are riding for a fall. Turning the screw on producers is easy in a lax market, but if fundamentals tighten, producers will assuredly take their vengeance.

Crisis structurally changes energy business

by Alex Forbes

Statistics and analysis presented this week by BP – at the launch of its annual Statistical Review of World Energy – suggest that the worst global recession since the second world war has not just temporarily hit demand but also caused – or accelerated – structural changes in the industry: a shift in demand from OECD to non-OECD countries, a disconnect between oil and gas prices, strengthened control of OPEC over oil prices, an increased integration of global gas markets, increased fuel switching in the electricity sector from coal to gas and the rise of renewables. These trends are likely to persist long after economic and energy demand growth have bounced back.

Recession drove 2009 energy consumption lower

BP

BP today launched its 2010 BP Statistical Review of World Energy, in which it announced that the global recession drove energy consumption lower in 2009 than the previous year, the first such decline since 1982, as the world economy contracted for the first time since the Second World War.

Will the Obama Administration allow Shell to do to Arctic waters what BP did to the Gulf?

BPing the Arctic

By Subhankar Banerjee

Bear with me.  I’ll get to the oil.  But first you have to understand where I’ve been and where you undoubtedly won’t go, but Shell’s drilling rigs surely will -- unless someone stops them.

A new oil rush endangers the Gulf of Mexico and the Planet

By Michael T. Klare

Yes, the oil spewing up from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico in staggering quantities could prove one of the great ecological disasters of human history.  Think of it, though, as just the prelude to the Age of Tough Oil, a time of ever increasing reliance on problematic, hard-to-reach energy sources.  Make no mistake: we’re entering the danger zone.  And brace yourself, the fate of the planet could be at stake.

Remarks on the Gulf oil spill

by Branko Terzic

The energy industry has again provided a major story and headlines in the world press. It is not the story of the energy industry enabling longer lives, better health, more abundant food, less human toil and instant knowledge transfer, communications and entertainment shared worldwide at the speed of light.  No, today’s headlines tell of the risks experienced in the extraction of the primary energy fuels of coal and petroleum.  In this case attention has been turned to two energy industry catastrophes.

The 40 million barrel question

by Alex Forbes

The world needs another 40 million barrels a day of oil production to come on stream by 2020 if supply is to match demand. So says Shell's CEO, Peter Voser, reflecting a growing consensus in the industry and amongst watchdogs such as the International Energy Agency. But how will that be possible? A growing number of observers believe it won't be.

Long term outlook for gas demand and supply 2007-2030

Eurogas

Speech by Mr. Domenico Dispenza, President of Eurogas, delivered on May 5th in Brussels during a Eurogas workshop.

Ghana: a race against the oil curse

by Rudolf ten Hoedt

The West African state of Ghana has the potential to become a major oil producer. Its oil reserves are significantly bigger than initially estimated. But then so is the challenge posed by the management of such riches. The Ghanaian government is becoming increasingly assertive, with Members of Parliament  being trained in the niceties of oil contracts and royalty arrangements. ‘In the past Ghana uncritically signed agreements with the oil companies. Those days are over.’

Iraq - First Look

Eprinc

In December 2009, the government of Iraq held a competitive auction for the rights to develop 60 billion barrels (bbls) of proven crude oil reserves across 10 major fields. The output requirements under the awarded contracts yield a production plateau of 9.6 mm b/d by 2017 in addition to current production. By any standard the Iraqi auction represents a major event in the history of the world oil market – it is the largest single transfer of petroleum reserves into the production stream of the oil market since the beginning of the petroleum era. Iraq’s proven reserves are estimated at 115 billion barrels which ranks the country third in proven reserves behind Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, credible estimates of Iraqi reserves suggest Iraq contains over 200 billion barrels of recoverable reserves and potential resources of over 400 billion barrels.

Gas – the most obvious climate measure

Helge Lund - Statoil

A stronger commitment to gas as a source of energy is the fastest, easiest way to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. This was the clear message delivered by chief executive Helge Lund at the CERAWeek conference in Houston in the U.S. on 10 March.

Paolo Scaroni: we will need to prepare for a tight gas market

Paolo Scaroni - ENI

In the decade ahead, and probably well beyond that, the world energy scene will be increasingly dominated by the consumption of gas and the supply of gas. Supply security in Europe and Asia will once again be a key issue on the global agenda.

Oil multinationals may face avalanche of claimsTexaco legacy could cost Chevron billions

by Rudolf ten Hoedt

A local judge in a little town in the Ecuadorian jungle may change the course of corporate history. In the coming months he is set to pass judgement in a multibillion dollar damages suit brought against oil giant Chevron by 30,000 inhabitants of the Amazon rain forest. The Amazonians are claiming $27.3 billion in damages arising from severe environmental pollution. If the claim is upheld, it will be the most costly judgement in an environmental suit ever. And it might pave the way for an avalanche of claims by third world countries against careless multinationals.

Why we do not have to worry about “peak oil”

by Peter Odell

Present day claimants for a near-future peak in global oil production fail to recognize the dynamics of the processes whereby oil reserves and production evolve. They equally avoid the central role played by both economics and politics in equilibrating the markets. Their irrational warning of an early 21st century oil scarcity should thus be ignored, particularly as one recalls the huge costs that were imposed on the world economy by the premature acceptance of the prognostications of oil scarcity in the 1970s by many policymakers and energy economists.

Threat or Promise? The complexity of methane hydrates

by Chris Cragg

They provide the plot for the destruction of the world in numerous films and novels through extremely rapid climate change and violent explosions. Equally however, they offer the possibility for a truly gigantic increase in potentially useful natural gas reserves transforming our perceptions of the resource. In addition, they might offer a cheaper way of transporting gas than LNG. The trouble is that methane hydrates, “clathrates or “ice”, are too little researched and nobody is clear which they offer; a threat or a promise.

The great potential of unconventional

by Alex Forbes

What a difference a mere three years can make. At the Amsterdam World Gas Conference (WGC) in 2006, the conventional wisdom was that US gas production would remain flat, that imports from Canada would continue to fall, and that there would be a boom in LNG imports. The incredible rise of unconventional gas – from shale, tight sands and coal-bed methane (CBM) – has shattered these assumptions. Thanks to new technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, the US now appears to have so much economically recoverable gas that it may eventually become a net LNG exporter.

How gas can change the world

by Alex Forbes

The astonishing potential of “unconvential” gas reserves means that we have to move beyond regarding natural gas as merely a “bridge fuel”. Instead, gas should be seen as a “fundamental fuel in a low-carbon world”. That was the clear message from the global gas industry at the recent World Gas Conference in Buenos Aires. Now the question for the industry is how to get this message to policymakers who are only looking at renewables and nuclear energy.

The global oil depletion report

UK Energy Research Centre

This report argues that conventional oil production is likely to peak before 2030, with a significant risk of a peak before 2020. The report concludes that the UK Government is not alone in being unprepared for such an event - despite oil supplying a third of the world’s energy.

The report finds that we are entering an era of slow and expensive oil as resources get harder to find, extract and produce. Major new discoveries, such as those announced recently in the Gulf of Mexico, will only delay the peak by a matter of days or weeks.

Upside down

by Alex Forbes

The adequacy of global oil and gas supplies half a decade from now will depend largely on investment decisions being taken today. But forecasting demand that far ahead is being hugely complicated by uncertainties arising from the economic crisis. Indeed, OPEC and the IEA have come up with radically different views of the future.

Interview Reinier Zwitserloot, ceo Wintershall

by Karel Beckman

Keeping the eye on the ball

Reinier Zwitserloot may not be among the world’s most famous corporate executives, he is one of the most influential. In his eight years as head of German gas and oil producer Wintershall, a subsidiary of BASF, the Dutchman, who is retiring on the first of October, managed to build up an impressive network of political contacts in Germany and Russia. And he grew the business. ‘If you really want something in life’, he says, ‘you can get it.’

Surprise, surprise

by Chris Cragg

The almost-unnoticed, spectacular exploitation of  “unconventional”  gas in the US has extended American gas reserves by many decades. Soon the rest of the world will follow, with huge implications for the world energy market.

Interview: Todd Onderdonk, ExxonMobil: ‘Oil and gas will grow more than renewables’

by Rudolf ten Hoedt

ExxonMobil sees great perspectives for renewables, but has no intention of entering this sector of the energy business. Instead, the US oil giant, the wealthiest company in the world, is making record investments in exploration and production of oil and gas. A market-driven strategy. “Oil and gas are going to grow much more in absolute terms than renewables.”

Interview Kathleen Eisbrenner: ‘Europe has not quite been willing to pay up’

by Alex Forbes

Among the international oil companies, Shell claims to be the world leader in LNG. According to Kathleen Eisbrenner, head of Shell’s global LNG business, the long-term future of LNG is bright, despite the current economic setback. But she does wonder: ‘Where is Europe in the LNG-spectrum?’

LNG between feast and famine

by Alex Forbes

Between now and 2012, a new wave of LNG supply will wash over markets, with Qatar accounting for half the growth as six new “mega-trains” come on stream. It will arrive just as gas demand is being hit by the economic crisis. Beyond 2012, the situation will reverse, with growth constrained by lack of new supply. The LNG industry is facing a turbulent decade.

The vulnerability of energy infrastructure to environmental change

Cleo Paskal, Chatham House

Energy generation, extraction, refining, processing and distribution require a complex, interlinked, expensive and sometimes global infrastructure. However, much of that infrastructure lies in areas that may become increasingly physically unstable owing to changes in the environment. Of particular concern are disruptions caused or exacerbated by climate change. A compromised global energy supply could result in a range of undesirable ancillary affects.

Angola wants bigger piece of the pie

by Rudolf ten Hoedt

With its fast developing oil production, Angola is becoming increasingly more important for energy supplies in Europe and the US. The western oil multinationals have been able to maintain their leading position in Angola but oil nationalism is on the rise. National oil company Sonango is demanding a bigger piece of the pie.

Baltic strained by oil traffic

by Reiner Gatermann

Maritime traffic on the Baltic, already one of the world’s most intensively travelled seas, is continually increasing. The risks of accidents are growing as the limits of what the Baltic can handle seem to be in sight.

Wanted: LNG from Shtokman

by Roman Kazmin

Gazprom is preparing to build a huge LNG facility in the subarctic region of the Shtokman field. The Russian LNG is destined for the US, but it could still go to Europe, if the EU makes the right policy moves.

Sleeping African giant awakes

by Cyril Widdershoven

While European policymakers fret about the EU’s energy relationship with Russia, they forget that it is not Russia, but North Africa that will be Europe’s most important gas and energy supplier in the near future. High time to give the African continent the attention that it deserves.

Who's afraid of a gas cartel?

by Alex Forbes

Are the big gas producers setting up a cartel à la Opec? Most experts argue that the structure of gas markets makes the gas business much less amenable to cartelisation than the oil business. If that is true, why are so many people in the gas industry afraid of a gas cartel?

IEA sees peak oil on horizon

by Alex Forbes

The IEA strikes a sombre note in its latest World Energy Outlook. It warns of an oil crunch, a gas shortage and a climate crisis.

Fatih Birol: ‘We need to find four new Saudi Arabias’

by Alex Forbes

The latest World Energy Outlook (WEO) from the International Energy Agency is more pessimistic than ever about the world’s future oil supplies. ‘Even if demand between now and 2030 were to be completely flat, we would need to find four new Saudi Arabias in the next 22 years’, says Fatih Birol, the IEA’s chief economist and lead author of the influential report, in an interview with EER.

A Prince and Four Peaks: Peak Oil, Gas, Coal and Uranium

His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, transcribed by Rembrandt Koppelaar, The Oil Drum

On January the 20th, the second three-day world future energy summit began in Abu Dhabi. One of the biggest energy conference in the world that is being attended by key policy makers, financiers, leading academics and no less than 400 journalists from all over the world. The conference was opened by the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and the Netherlands. He spoke about the lessons that we need to learn from the collapse of the Roman civilization in perspective to the four peaks of oil, gas, coal and uranium that await us.

Norway’s continental shelf gets a new lease on life

by Reiner Gatermann

Stavanger, Norway’s oil capital, is brimming with optimism. Investment is booming, especially in the gas sector. But environmental, political and financial clouds are gathering on the horizon.

Mexico fails to stop oil decline

by Rudolf ten Hoedt

The administration of President Felipe Calderon introduced cautious reforms in the oil industry, but they will not be enough to halt the accelerating decline of Mexican oil production. Experts are sombre about the prospects for Mexico if the political situation does not change.

Racing to develop a new fuel

by Alex Forbes

The emerging gas-to-liquids (GTL) industry has led to the development of a commercially viable technology that allows the conversion of natural gas into highperformance synthetic oil products, such as gasoil, naphtha and base oils for high-spec lubricants. These products are now proving themselves in a variety of demanding applications – notably, in the case of Shell, on the racetrack.

Gas supply under pressure

by Alex Forbes

The latest review of natural gas markets from the International Energy Agency (IEA) paints a picture of growing demand in the face of rising prices, a strengthening link between gas and electricity markets, and a globalising influence from increasingly flexible LNG supplies. But there are growing signs that security of supply is under threat from underinvestment, delays and cost escalation.

Whitewashing the black sheep of energy

by Monique Smits

A Coal War has flared up in Europe. Encouraged by their national governments, energy companies are planning to build new coalfired power stations throughout the Continent. They promise ‘Clean Coal’, but angry environmentalists want them to ‘Quit Coal’.

Oil in the Greek seas

by Ioannis Michaletos

The rapid increase of the oil price index has brought to the surface the idea of exploiting potential oil reserves deep underneath the Greek Seas. The government is about to initiate research and relay information about the prospects of oil exploration in the Aegean waters.

Gas for Europe. A supply crunch is looming.

by Alex Forbes

Claims that Europe will face a natural gas supply crunch over the coming two decades have proved controversial. But the facts show that the situation is going to be very, very tight. Certainly an LNG supply crunch around 2012/13 looks inevitable.

The Coming Oil Supply Crunch

By Paul Stevens, Chatham House

This report argues that unless there is a collapse in oil demand within the next five to ten years, there will be a serious oil ‘supply crunch’ – not because of below-ground resource constraints but because of inadequate investment by international oil companies (IOCs) and national oil companies (NOCs). An oil supply crunch is where excess crude producing capacity falls to low levels and is followed by a crude ‘outage’ leading to a price spike. If this happens then the resulting price spike will carry serious policy implications with long-lasting effects on the global energy picture.

Falling oil price a lull in the storm

Nick Butler, Centre for Energy Studies (Financial Times)

Falling prices will relieve some of the pressure on consumers but complacency would be misplaced. This is a lull in the storm not a reversion to normality. The need for a transition to a more diversified, lower-carbon energy economy is as urgent as ever.

The future of global oil supply: to peak or not to peak

by Lucia van Geuns, Warner ten Kate

With oil prices hitting ever new highs, debate continues to rage over the state of the world’s oil supplies. Unfortunately, reliable information on geological data and depletion rates is lacking.

Kazakhstan’s oil projects face formidable obstacles

by Rudolf ten Hoedt

Kazakhstan has tremendous plans for expansion. The country aims to double its oil production within ten years, thus enabling it to develop into a formidable power in Central Asia. But there are obstacles. No access to the open sea, increasing state influence and its mighty Russian neighbour are major impediments to this plan.

Deconstructing Peak Oil: Assumptions are the key

By Nansen G. Saleri, in Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, May 2008

Former head of Saudi Aramco's resevoir management department Dr. Nansen G. Saleri presents a set of five Peak Oil scenarios in this article. Each of these scenarios depends on different assumptions about the ultimately recoverable resources. 

Another day in the desert: A response to the book, Twilight in the desert

Ross Smith Energy Group, October 2005

We have reviewed Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, written by Matthew Simmons, CEO of Simmons & Company International, a Houstonbased investment bank that specializes in the energy industry. As independent petroleum engineers, we disagree with the primary conclusion of this book that Saudi Arabia’s oil production is teetering on the brink of steep, irrevocable production decline. We believe the process used by the author to arrive at the conclusion was impaired by incorrect interpretation of reservoir engineering concepts and common oilfield operations. The book posits a crisis where in our opinion none exists.

Preparing for Peak Oil

By the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC)

An increasing number of energy analysts are convinced that global oil production will peak and go into sustained decline within about the next decade. So in addition to the challenge of climate change, we will soon have to contend with a rapidly growing deficit in transport fuels. This is likely to cause big spikes in the oil price and potentially devastating economic and social impacts, with huge implications for the provision of services by local government. Peak oil, as it is usually described, is seldom publicly acknowledged by environmentalists or governments, but is gaining acceptance among city and local authorities around the world.

Gas storage dilemma: the future of gas storage in the EU

by Alex Forbes

Concern over Europe’s gas supply security has highlighted the importance of storage as import dependency grows and production flexibility declines. The challenge for policy-makers will be to balance two conflicting goals: providing incentives for storage investment while ensuring that storage can be accessed by those who need it.

Gas and oil discoveries in Brazil

by Rudolf ten Hoedt

New discoveries of oil and gas may turn Brazil into an energy powerhouse. They may also help the country acquire leadership in Latin America, overtaking Venezuela and Argentina, both of which are mired in growing populism and severe economic problems.

Report from Qatar: Gas supplier to the world

by Alex Forbes

Two decades ago, there was nothing but sand and gravel. Now, tiny Qatar is on its way to become the wealthiest country in the world, thanks to stupendous developments in LNG and gas-to-liquids. ‘We want to push technology to its limit.’

Digital oil fields

by Annemieke van Roekel

An important strategy to meet growing global oil demand is to increase oil production from existing fields, as new fields are becoming scarce. Oil companies are developing ‘digital fields’ to increase production. A combination of smart technologies and new workflows can also prove useful in more complex and remote areas, such as unmanned deepwater reservoirs.

Peak oil: The view from Saudi Arabia

by Karel Beckman

'Oil is too important to be subjected to superficial analysis'

How to build a pipeline

by Jérôme Guillet

There are regularly stories in the media about pipeline projects that are announced with much publicity, and are seen to have major strategic consequences, or conversely about projects that are more discreet but are seen as the "real" justification for various military or diplomatic acts. These analyses, however, usually ignore the economic dynamics of what it takes to actually get a pipeline deal done.

Oil fever in Cyprus

by Ioannis Michaletos

The possible existence of large deepwater oil and gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean is causing ripples in and around Cyprus.

Moving away from oil

by Rembrandt Koppelaar

‘The debate on peak oil is over – the peakists have won’. At least, that’s what the peak oilers say. Fact is, their support is growing.

LNG in Europe: An uncertain growth industry

by Alex Forbes

The LNG market is booming – yet, the future outlook for the European LNG industry is highly uncertain.