"The Imminent Peak of World Oil Production" by C.J. Campbell Presented to: The House of Commons All Party Committee, July 1999

http://www.hubbertpeak.com/campbell/commons.htm

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2000

Answers

Meg,

You are right, that is an excellent presentation on oil supply. And it brings up some questions about electric utilities that are fueled by oil and gas. It would seem that prices of oil are going to go very high in the future and there will be shortages as well. At least less supply than we have become used to having readily available. We can see some of this problem right now on the East coast where prices of heating oil and diesel fuel are rapidly escalating. Even jet fuel prices are much higher resulting in surcharges for airline tickets.

I have wondered for a long time why more electric utilities haven't converted to natural gas for fuel. There are immense reserves of natural gas available and it burns cleaner than oil or coal. A few years ago I saw an article on a nuclear plant that couldn't get final approval to complete their project, in Michigan, I think. Anyway, they gave up on the nuclear attempt and converted their steam boilers to natural gas and had it up and running, producing power in a short period. So I guess that is a viable option, but is not being pushed very hard.

Perhaps Rick would care to comment on why the electric utilities are not using more natural gas technology. I suspect that the major oil company cartels are keeping natural gas in the low end of their planning. There just is not the potential for wealth in natural gas. Once a well is drilled and producing, natural gas requires very little additional processing. There just is not the incentive for those who play the wealth game to move the natural gas industry ahead. I know there are tax considerations as well, but the big oil powers pretty much control that sort of legislation too, either directly or indirectly. Just can't get people to "do the right thing."

As you know, Clinton comes from Arkansas, which has a lot of natural gas wells. I remember that he started to push natural gas when he was first elected, but that subject became taboo in short order. After some initial interest, the whole matter was dropped. Who told him to back off? Because, it's a no-brainer that at least large industry could have been encouraged to convert to NG. Even motor vehicles can be converted to run efficiently on compressed natural gas. The technology has been proven out, yet no further mention is made by the Clinton administration any longer. Why not?

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2000