Oil & Gas Technology

The biofuels industry has been unable to convert millions in government research subsidies into an effective, large-scale cellulosic fuel conversion solution, according to this piece from Technology Review. Instead, one producer is switching back to corn as a primary feedstock, and is further buffering its risks by producing butanol rather than ethanol. Government mandates have not convinced fuel buyers to switch to biofuels, and a reliable supply of cellulosic feedstocks is not yet in place. Nevertheless, cellulosic biofuels could go a long way to reducing fossil fuel consumption. Is this the time for a biofuel Manhattan Project?

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Shale gas proponents have long trumpeted its advantages over other fossil fuels: cleaner burning, less emissions, and safer transport. At the same time, detractors cite environmental risks, impact on the viewscape, and a spotty pipeline network, especially in the northeast. The battle has now shifted to methane release, with Cornell researchers predicting a greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint for shale gas 20% greater than coal. At the same time, five other studies claim GHG emissions from shale gas use are far less than those from coal. Differences in data and methodologies appear to support both arguments.

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Nord Stream is building a natural gas pipeline from the Russian side of the Baltic Sea to the German side. The company reports taking great pains to respect and preserve the cultural heritage represented by ocean-bottom archaeological sites, shipwrecks, and submerged settlements. Tools include side-scan sonar, ROV-mounted cameras, and a virtual army of technicians and scientists. Their attention to seabed relics is laudable, but raises an interesting question: why just the Baltic? Should every marine pipeline construction company be held to an equally robust standard? And if so, by whom?

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Is compliance a good substitute for competence? Not according to OPITO, the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization. The organization identified widespread conflict between the effort companies make to ensure that their systems are compliant, and the need to accurately assess the competency of employees to handle routine operations as well as emergencies. OPITO went on to cite the lack of global competency standards as a core issue, and recommends the industry take a new look at prioritizing competency over compliance.

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David Yergin, author of The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power, is once again coming out against proponents of Peak Oil. According to Yergin, demand and potential profits will always trump theoretically dwindling resources. He offers examples showing that we are "remarkably successful" at tapping into vast quantities of unconventional gas and oil, from subsalts in Brazil to the oil sands of Alberta. And what about moving to renewables? His new book uses the global failure to adequately address climate change as proof of our inability to abandon fossil fuels. Is he right? Is Peak Oil a myth?

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According to an energy analyst from Deloitte, the global upstream industry has seen a massive conversion over the last 30 years from private ownership to state ownership. He estimates that 70 to 90% of world reserves are now government owned or controlled. Other analysts characterize it as dangerous and incredibly polarized. One has only to look at the conflicts between the G7 and OPEC, the U.S. and China, and producing countries versus consuming countries to clearly see the trend. More than one recent war has been blamed on an underlying quest for fossil fuels. As the world churns through its remaining supplies, can the link between oil and warfare be broken?

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