It seems these days fuel and energy stories are never far from the headlines. This week that nice Mr Cameron panicked people into causing fuel shortages by warning them that if there was a strike that affected oil delivery it might be well to be prepared. Last week in turns out that to the nearest whole number the contribution made by Wind power is zero. Then going back a bit further we had numerous scare stories about Oil fracking in the UK. Oh and of course the the building of new UK nuclear plants has been cancelled, so it’d seem the whole energy situation is a bit bleak except…
What doesn’t seem to have made the press as much yet are the billions of barrels in pre-salt fields that are starting to be both findable and exploitable. So with a new abundance of both oil and gas, perusing a green agenda which prevents the third world industrialising to escape poverty and relies upon the hidden massive environmental damage caused by large blocks of concrete and toxic lakes in China from rare earth magnet production positively criminal. Such finds could of course also have a massive impact on the power of certain unsavoury and unstable regimes that the world allegedly has to curry favour with.
I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t look at all sorts of efficiencies and alternative energy sources, but perhaps we could now take the time to find ones that are actually viable and environmentally friendly from cradle to grave and not just for the west?
Actually, it hasn’t been delayed as the use of other sources of energy confirms a peak in oil production. Perhaps you are referring to a delay in a drop in energy production from various sources.
Also, there’s no “abundance” of oil and gas, as shown in the recent BP annual and in the 2010 IEA report.
Sorry for the delay in replying, So I was using what I thought as the common definition of “peak oil”, which much as I hate to use them as a reference:
“Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline.”
So the recent discoveries of shale gas and deep sea oil have delayed the commencement of terminal decline. As the shale gas and the report I linked to are both fairly recent I’d need to look at the reports you mention more closely and wonder if we’re using the same definition of abundant, as 200 trillion cubic feet of gas under the Lancashire alone seems fairly abundant. At least abundant enough to take a bit more time in getting those alternative fuels right.
And another UK shale field has just had it’s estimated resrver doubled so at this rate I think abundant may soon be very much the right word.