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US coal’s new focus on exporting leaves a cloud of dust over Louisiana

The domestic demand for U.S. coal has fallen in recent years as the use of other energy sources such as natural gas has grown. This, combined with tighter environmental rules , means that coal companies are starting to export their product like never before: From 2002 to 2012, coal exports from the United States more than tripled, to 127 million tons, according to the International Energy Agency. The U.S. government estimates that about 25 percent of that went to Asia. But coal companies haven’t captured enough of the international market, and haven’t built enough terminals, to make up for the sagging domestic demand — U.S. coal production has fallen by about 15 percent from its peak of about 1 billion tons in 2008. With Asia’s economy growing, coal companies see the Pacific Northwest as the best location for coal terminals. But a groundswell of environmental activism in Washington and Oregon has so far […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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N. Texas Residents Discuss Seismic Events With Texas RR Commission

More North Texas residents pleaded their case to the Texas Railroad Commission in Austin Tuesday, asking for a moratorium on injection wells that are used to store waste water from hydraulic fracturing. The residents, who live in or near Azle, Texas, told commissioners about their concerns following a recent spate of seismic activity that the residents say was caused by the injection of fracking water into underground storage facilities. However, the residents went home disappointed, according to the Austin Star-Telegram. The meeting was a follow-up to an earlier meeting Jan. 2, when the Texas Railroad Commission traveled to Azle to talk about the concerns of the residents regarding the rise in seismic activity. While seismic activity in North Texas has residents concerned, the commission maintained that the injection wells are being utilized within approved limits, and that other factors, such as a lowering of the water levels at Eagle […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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The other side of the peak: Italy’s collapse of oil and gas consumption

Italy peak oil consumption. We are back to 1967.   All the data in this post are from BP statistical review up to 2012, updated to 2013 from various sources. Sometimes, peak oil looks like an intellectual game that people keep playing by arguing whether it has arrived or not. But the point with oil is not how much of it is produced, somewhere, but how much you can afford to use. And, for Italy, the peak of consumption has already arrived, as you can see in the figure above. It is impressive: consumption went down of more than 30% in less than 10 years. Today we are back to the levels of 1967. And, in 1967, Italy’s population was around 50 million people, some ten million less than today. We really have reached the other side of the peak and we don’t see […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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US, Canadian transportation boards want tougher oil-by-rail rules

In an unprecedented move, the US and Canadian national transportation boards simultaneously called for tougher regulations covering shipments of crude oil by rail. “The large-scale shipment of crude oil by rail simply didn’t exist 10 years ago, and our safety regulations need to catch up with this new reality,” US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Deborah A.P. Hersman said in Washington, DC. “While this energy boom is good for business, the people and the environment along rail corridors must be protected from harm,” she said. In its announcement, NTSB said crude oil shipments by rail have increased more than 400% since 2005, according to the Association of American Railroads’ Annual Report of Hazardous Materials. The independent federal agency said it is concerned that lives can be lost, property damaged, and the environment harmed when large volumes of crude or other flammable liquids are transported on a single train […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Alberta Looks Past Hurdles to Asian Crude Buyers

B The government of Canada’s oil-rich Alberta province isn’t getting hung up on hurdles in the way of getting its crude to markets in Asia. The hurdles are manifold, but slowing demand from its traditional market doesn’t justify the expense of extracting and refining oil sands, making Asia its best hope for exploiting bitumen, its particular brand of heavy crude oil, for profit. The most daunting problem at hand is the lack of a pipeline to get Alberta’s oil to port. The payoff is that Asia is projected to be the biggest growth market for energy over the next couple of decades. “We’ve clearly identified Asia as a priority market,” Alberta’s Minister […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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EU 'invites' members to practice safe fracking

European Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said member states are "invited" to follow a minimum set of guidelines for shale gas exploration. Several Eastern European countries are said to be rich in shale natural gas deposits though the reserves are either too expensive to exploit or up against moratoriums against the controversial drilling practice called hydraulic fracturing. Potocnik said there are hopes shale can help address European energy needs but resource extraction is up against public criticism. "The commission is responding to calls for action with minimum principles that member states are invited to follow in order to address environmental and health concerns and give operators and investors the predictability they need," he said in a statement Wednesday. Hydraulic fracturing uses large volumes of water laced with trace amounts of chemicals seen as harmful to human health and the environment. The commission’s recommendations call on […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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EU ‘invites’ members to practice safe fracking

European Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said member states are "invited" to follow a minimum set of guidelines for shale gas exploration. Several Eastern European countries are said to be rich in shale natural gas deposits though the reserves are either too expensive to exploit or up against moratoriums against the controversial drilling practice called hydraulic fracturing. Potocnik said there are hopes shale can help address European energy needs but resource extraction is up against public criticism. "The commission is responding to calls for action with minimum principles that member states are invited to follow in order to address environmental and health concerns and give operators and investors the predictability they need," he said in a statement Wednesday. Hydraulic fracturing uses large volumes of water laced with trace amounts of chemicals seen as harmful to human health and the environment. The commission’s recommendations call on […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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EU 2030 climate package draws mixed review

A group of the top executives from leading international energy companies said it recognized the importance of EU climate goals but others were less supportive. The European Commission called for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 40 percent from the 1990 benchmark by 2030, an increase from the 20 percent target envisioned for 2020 for members of the European Union. A "more market-orientated approach" would help increase the share of renewable energy to 27 percent by 2030. The Magritte Group, a consortium of chief executives from leading energy companies, said it recognized the emissions target as a "crucial" element to a successful European energy policy. The approach adopted by the commission "is of utmost importance in shaping the energy transition to a low carbon future," the group said in a statement Wednesday. Jason Anderson, director of climate and energy programs at the WWF’s […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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BP declares the death of peak oil

The supermajor sees energy landscape shifting as demand growth slows and new fuels emerge to challenge oil’s supremacy. Helen Robertson reports   Click here to view charts  UK SUPERMAJOR BP has claimed the concept of global energy supply peaking amid rapidly rising consumption is no longer valid as new fuels emerge and energy demand growth slows.   "The theory of peak oil has peaked," BP chief executive Bob Dudley said as he unveiled the company’s new energy outlook to 2035 . The outlook, which forecasts global energy supply and demand trends between 2012 and 2035, estimates total global energy consumption will rise by 41% between 2012 to 2035. This is compared to a rise of 55% over the last 23 years and 30% over the past decade.  Global energy demand will grow at around 2% per year between now and 2020 then falling to a rate of 1.2% per […]

Posted On : Published By : ASPO-USA
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The World is sleepwalking to a Global Energy Crisis

All signs of desperation, Albert. The party’s about to end and the most greedy people are getting as bladdered as they can, and stashing away their own private supplies before the booze runs out. Sad, and also childish. 2014 – This documentary and the other documentaries on this channel are very informative, interesting, and even fun. You will see documentaries on important times and figures in history, science, technology, nature, archaeology, and education, as well as some more fringe topics like conspiracy theories and government corruption. The topics of these video documentaries vary greatly and cover ancient history and civilizations like Rome, Greece, Egypt, science, technology, nature, planet earth and other planets, the solar system, the universe, World wars, battles, military and combat technology, current events, teaching and education, biographies, television, movies and cinema, the arts, popular music worldwide, archaeology, the Illuminati, Area 51, serial killers, paranormal and supernatural […]

Posted On : Published By : ASPO-USA