Good Recent Links on Fuel Supplies

Updated 3-26-06

A DOE sponsored paper gives, perhaps, the US Government's most lucid outline of the current energy environment. The paper, by Robert L. Hirsch outlines the peak oil situation, its possible permutations and proposes several scenarios for mitigation. Here is an abstract of the report and a link:

Title:
Peaking of Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation, & Risk Management

Authors:
Hirsch, Robert L.Bezdek, RogetWendling, Robert

Keywords:
Energy Policy--United StatesPower Resources
Issue Date:
7-Apr-2005

Abstract:
The peaking of world oil production presents the U.S. and the world with an unprecedented risk management problem. As peaking is approached, liquid fuel prices and price volatility will increase dramatically, and, without timely mitigation, the economic, social, and political costs will be unprecedented. Viable mitigation options exist on both the supply and demand sides, but to have substantial impact, they must be initiated more than a decade in advance of peaking. This U.S. Department of Energy funded paper reports the problem of the peaking of world conventional oil production is unlike any yet faced by modern industrial society. The challenges and uncertainties need to be much better understood. Technologies exist to mitigate the problem. Timely, aggressive risk management will be essential.

The following link will take you to a site where you can download a copy of the report. The report itself is a 91 page pdf file. Click Here for Link

You can find a good review of the Hirsch Report here(click for link)

And you can find a 12 page article by Mr. Hirsch summarizing the larger report here(click for link)

New Supplies potential off the continental shelf can be found here.

Finally there is public movement on the energy issue. Peter Maass article in the New York times magazine has put the oil situation clearly in the cross hairs of American public opinion. His article is found here.

For contrast, in May of 2004 Jacqueline Doherty published an article in Barrons in which she predicted that oil would rise to $28 dollars per barrel by 2009. Very interesting to see the differing viewpoints and the current reality. Her article is linked here.

None of these articles really touch directly on the importance of conservation as a source of fuel.