GAO: U.S. needs a peak oil strategy

[4dsc]

http://energybulletin.net/27919.html

The U.S. economy depends heavily on oil, particularly in the transportation sector. World oil production has been running at near capacity to meet demand, pushing prices upward. Concerns about meeting increasing demand with finite resources have renewed interest in an old question: How long can the oil supply expand before reaching a maximum level of production—a peak—from which it can only decline?

GAO (1) examined when oil production could peak, (2) assessed the potential for transportation technologies to mitigate the consequences of a peak in oil production, and (3) examined federal agency efforts that could reduce uncertainty about the timing of a peak or mitigate the consequences. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed studies, convened an expert panel, and consulted agency officials.


What GAO Found

Quote:
Most studies estimate that oil production will peak sometime between now and 2040. This range of estimates is wide because the timing of the peak depends on multiple, uncertain factors that will help determine how quickly the oil remaining in the ground is used, including the amount of oil still in the ground; how much of that oil can ultimately be produced given technological, cost, and environmental challenges as well as potentially unfavorable political and investment conditions in some countries where oil is located; and future global demand for oil. Demand for oil will, in turn, be influenced by global economic growth and may be affected by government policies on the environment and climate change and consumer choices about conservation.

[kestrel91316]

1. Even if Peak Oil weren't a concern, I'd want to see us end our

idiotic dependence upon those (expletive deleteds) in the ME. Then they can kill each other in peace.

[Rydz777]

2. Already peaked

Oil production in the U.S. has already peaked - a generation ago, back in 1970 at about 4 billion barrels a day. Since then, as our domestic production declined and our consumption rose, we put ourselves literally "over the barrel" (pun intended)and at the mercy of foreign sources. This is not a sustainable position for a "Superpower" that we imagine ourselves to be. The next (Democratic) President and Congress must give urgent priority to alternative energy - not just the lip service that we've gotten from the Bush administration.

[phantom power]

3. While they're on a roll, can they ask for a Climate survival strategy?

We'll be needing one of those too.

[depakid]

4. "peak sometime between now and 2040"

Let's try not to be too conservative with our estimates now....

[Eclipsenow]

5. no, peak now

The mathematics are clear.
We have drilled the planet in the best places.
40 years of declining discovery.
It's been 25 years since we FOUND more than we burnt.
We now burn 4 times what we are finding.
WE've been eating into old discoveries for 25 years.

Democratic underground needs to wake up and realize that this is THE biggest issue, more in our face than Global Warming even, that will hit this decade. The peak is now, and there is nothing that can replace oil.

[4dsc]

6. Trust me, the DU is still sleeping on this issue

while there are a few brave souls to carry the message about peak oil, most DU'er prefer to stick their collective heads in the sands and hope the problem goes away!

And yes you are correct, peak oil is the BIGGEST issue to face our country and society IMHO!. SO lets all just wait for the train wreck before doing something about it..

[GliderGuider]

8. But, but, but ... I thought the ethanol was going to fix everything???

Now I need a drink.

Seriously, I'm happy this was published, even if there isn't a lick of new information in it and the range of dates is absurd on its face. Your government has officially acknowledged Peak Oil, which is more than it's done for GW so far. Guess what this means about the relative urgency of the two problems?

It's ironic that PO got out of the gate ahead of GW, considering that it strikes much closer to the heart of ExxonMobil and crew. They've been fighting GW so hard that this one kind of crept up and blindsided them.

[Eclipsenow]

9. Exxon admit non-OPEC peak oil

Second, the majority of non-OPEC producers such as the United States, Britain, Norway, and Mexico, who satisfy 60 percent of world oil demand, are already in a production plateau or decline. (All of ExxonMobil's crude oil production comes from non-OPEC fields.) Third, the production peak cited by the report is quite close at hand. If it were twenty-five years instead of five years in the future, one might be more skeptical, since new technologies or new discoveries could change the outlook during that longer period. But five years is too short a time frame for any new developments to have an impact on this result.

http://www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=mj05cavallo

So Exxon have admitted that the non-OPEC world is at peak oil, yet the other half of the oil world is not even open to Western geologists? There is no oil cop, but we are meant to just obey OPEC when they say, "Trust me!"

[hatrack]

7. Oh BRAVO! Well Done!!!

Glad I'm paying THESE guys' salaries, how 'bout you?