Category Archives: Oil

Gail Tverberg: Eight Pieces of Our Oil Price Predicament

Posted on October 23, 2014 by

Eight Pieces of Our Oil Price Predicament October 22, 2014, by Gail Tverberg A person might think that oil prices would be fairly stable. Prices would set themselves at a level that would be high enough for the majority of … Continue reading →

Posted in Flow Rate, Gail Tverberg | Comments Off on Gail Tverberg: Eight Pieces of Our Oil Price Predicament

Almost half of Rail Freight is Energy, increasingly Crude Oil

Posted on October 8, 2014 by

Source: American Association of Railroads. 46% of all tonnage hauled by freight trains is Energy: In 2014, crude oil will likely be 650,000 carloads — 2% of all carloads, 2.2% of tonnage.  In addition 2.6% of rail tonnage was refined … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil & Gas, Pipeline, Railroads, Refining, Trucks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Almost half of Rail Freight is Energy, increasingly Crude Oil

Conservation? Maybe not: Jevon’s Paradox & the Rebound Effect

Posted on October 7, 2014 by

Conservation? Maybe not: Jevon’s Paradox & the Rebound Effect by Alice Friedemann, October 7, 2014 The rebound effect makes it much more difficult to solve our energy problems, because the full energy savings aren’t realized, and the energy savings can … Continue reading →

Posted in Conserve Energy, Dependence on Oil | Comments Off on Conservation? Maybe not: Jevon’s Paradox & the Rebound Effect

Super Rust Corrodes hundreds of ships and could sink the oil industry

Posted on October 4, 2014 by

Blame it on super-rust, a virulent form of corrosion that has destroyed hundreds of ships and could sink the oil industry. By Richard Martin, June 2002. Wired Magazine. Key points (see the full article at http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/10.06/superrust.html): Ships that cost hundreds … Continue reading →

Posted in Exports decline to ZERO, Ships and Barges, Transportation Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Super Rust Corrodes hundreds of ships and could sink the oil industry

Moving oil by ship or barge to refineries

Posted on October 2, 2014 by

Frittelli, J., et al. May 5, 2014. U.S. Rail Transportation of Crude Oil: Background and Issues for Congress. Congressional Research Service. Barge One river barge can hold 10,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil. Two to three river barges are typically … Continue reading →

Posted in Refining, Ships and Barges | Comments Off on Moving oil by ship or barge to refineries

Out of time: 50 years to make a transition, 210 years at the current rate

Posted on September 30, 2014 by

If transportation is to be electrified, then electric generation and the electric grid must be doubled, or even tripled. So by Cobb’s calculation, that would push back the transition time to renewables 420 to 630 years.  Alice Friedemann. By Kurt … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Electric Grid & EMP Electromagnetic Pulse, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Out of time: 50 years to make a transition, 210 years at the current rate

EIA definition of Proved Reserves and Resources

Posted on September 22, 2014 by

July 17, 2014 Oil and natural gas resource categories reflect varying degrees of certainty Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Note: Resource categories are not drawn to scale relative to the actual size of each resource category. The graphic shown above … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on EIA definition of Proved Reserves and Resources

Signs of Peakiness, oil companies are running out of cash

Posted on August 29, 2014 by

Andrew Nikiforuk, August 29, 2014. A big summer story you missed: Soaring oil debt. The Tyee.  Over 100 of the world’s largest energy companies are running out of cash. Photo of Keystone pipeline in Nebraska by Shannon Ramos. Creative Commons … Continue reading →

Posted in Debt, Energy Markets, Peak Oil | 1 Comment

Steven Kopits – peak 2014-2016

Posted on May 17, 2014 by

29 April 2013. ASPO-USA Peak Oil Review. Commentary: Interview with Steven Kopits by Steve Andrews My summary/edited down version (the full version is below): Oil companies are cancelling projects because their costs are going up, yet the price of oil … Continue reading →

Posted in Investment, Peak Oil | 1 Comment

Domestic sources integral to U.S. energy security, but may be vulnerable By Elizabeth Bunn

Posted on May 15, 2014 by

Domestic sources integral to U.S. energy security, but may be vulnerable By Elizabeth Bunn U.S. Vulnerabilities The following facilities represent some the most important oil and petroleum infrastructure in the United States. The vulnerability of these systems depends on several … Continue reading →

Posted in Chokepoints | Comments Off on Domestic sources integral to U.S. energy security, but may be vulnerable By Elizabeth Bunn