Political infighting is taking place in Alaska over the state’s hydrocarbon future. This time, however, it’s not over its oil production which has been steadily declining since reaching a peak of over 2 million barrels per day (b/d) in 1988 to a current average of just over 500,000 b/d. Its over the state’s plans to… Keep reading →
It appears there is a possibility that President Obama could veto congressional legislation that pushes for Keystone XL pipeline construction, but ultimately approve the project anyway. This is because a key piece of the puzzle is a Nebraska Supreme Court decision. “If Nebraska were to bless a pipeline route, the State Department could finish its… Keep reading →
Saudi Arabia Can’t Stop U.S. Fracking Boom National Journal: World oil producers have put oil prices into a free fall, refusing to pare back global supplies in the hopes that low prices will derail the fracking-backed production boom in the U.S. and preserve OPEC’s power over world energy markets. But global analysts are skeptical that the… Keep reading →
New vehicle average fuel economy in the US was unchanged in November from the previous month – it remained at 25.3 mpg – which is likely due to countervailing forces. “The unchanged average fuel economy is likely a net consequence of two opposing trends: less demand for fuel efficient vehicles because of the decreasing price… Keep reading →
Piping Israeli gas to liquefaction plants in Egypt is the most commercially logical option but remains politically risky. The announcement of a letter of intent between the partners in Israel’s giant Tamar natural gas field and the Spanish owners of a liquefied natural gas plant on Egypt’s Nile Delta coast is a major breakthrough, one… Keep reading →
The development of Arctic energy resources poses the potential for an energy security competition between the Great Powers and Arctic stakeholders that will alter the geopolitical climate. The hydrocarbon reserves – 25% of world deposits- available under the melting ice caps, and undiscovered oil and gas will see states shifting their economic and foreign policy… Keep reading →
Iran has the world’s largest proven natural gas reserves (second largest depending on the data source) – 18% of the world total – but has struggled to get its export program off the ground. Iran exports gas to Turkey via pipeline – 7.5 Bcm in 2012 – and negligible volumes to Azerbaijan and Armenia, also… Keep reading →
In a story developing throughout the week, Libyan rebels sold 230,000 barrels of crude oil officially owned by Libyan National Oil Company to a North Korean-flagged tanker heading to an unknown destination. In response, the Opec member country sacked Prime Minister Ali Zeidan on Tuesday. [AFP and Reuters] The Tesla Motors sales model took a… Keep reading →
A myriad of countries and companies around the world are feverishly trying to access Asia’s high-priced LNG market. Sudden discoveries of vast new and economically exploitable natural gas deposits – the shale revolution in the U.S. – have created the opportunity for many countries to become net exporters of natural gas and to challenge the ‘primus… Keep reading →
The Wattenberg field is not a new shale play you are just hearing about, it’s produced 2.8 Tcf of gas since its discovery in 1970 and much of that output was made possible by hydraulic fracturing. This Forbes piece argues fracking is not new or untested, as many opponents claim, and the practice has been… Keep reading →
