Breaking Our Dependence On OPEC Oil

World Shale Gas Resources: An Initial Assessment of 14 Regions Outside the United States. EIA

Thought We Were Running Out Of Fossil Fuels? New Technology Means Britain And The U.S. Could Tap Undreamed Reserves Of Gas And Oil -- Daily Mail

Thirty years ago, I was Secretary of State for Energy in Margaret Thatcher’s government, and one way and another I have been a close observer of the energy scene ever since.

In all that time, I have never known a technological revolution as momentous as the breakthrough that has now made it economic to extract gas from shale.

Geologists have long known that shale — a finely grained rock created from compressed mud, which sits in layers — contains, trapped in it, massive amounts of gas, and in some cases, oil.

But getting it out of the ground is a tricky business. Below the North Sea, natural gas forms in sandstone and when a drill reaches the gas, it flows out.

But shale gas is locked in dense rock. Energy companies must drill a well hundreds or thousands of feet deep to reach the layer of shale — which can be just 50ft thick — and then turn the drill sideways to bore horizontally.

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My Comment: I look forward to the day when we can all collectively give a middle finger to OPEC .... but i suspect that they will only drop their prices to compete with the revolution that fracking has brought about .... which is still a very good thing.

U.S. Dependence On Oil From Saudi Arabia Approaching 20 Percent

Source: Energy Information Administration

U.S. Reliance On Oil From Saudi Arabia Is Growing Again -- New York Times

HOUSTON — The United States is increasing its dependence on oil from Saudi Arabia, raising its imports from the kingdom by more than 20 percent this year, even as fears of military conflict in the tinderbox Persian Gulf region grow.

The increase in Saudi oil exports to the United States began slowly last summer and has picked up pace this year. Until then, the United States had decreased its dependence on foreign oil and from the Gulf in particular.

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My Comment: One can only imagine what would then happen if the Arab Spring arrives in Saudi Arabia .... a prospect that will probably happen one day.

U.S. Shale Gas Can Change Energy Geopolitics

Study Says U.S. Shale May Weaken Iran, Russia -- Houston Chronicle

The natural gas boom in the U.S. has weakened Russia's influence on European energy supplies and could keep Iran's influence in check for years to come, according to a new study from the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

The study, "Shale Gas and U.S. National Security," says the surge of drilling in shale formations will have an impact on global supply for years to come and limit the need for the U.S. to import liquefied natural gas, or LNG, for at least 20 to 30 years.

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My Comment: On paper this looks impressive .... but .... my prediction is that environmental concerns will trump natural gas development, especially with this administration.

Pentagon Unveils Its Energy Strategy

Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III and Sharon Burke, assistant secretary of defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs, brief the Pentagon press corps on the department's Operational Energy Strategy at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., June 14, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

Pentagon's First Energy Plan -- Wall Street Journal

In a bid to save lives and money, the Department of Defense on Tuesday presented its first plan to change how it uses energy on the battlefield.

The strategy, which will be fleshed out this summer with a more detailed implementation plan, constitutes the Pentagon's promise to develop more energy-efficient weapons, embrace non-oil energy sources and demand more energy-conscious behavior from the troops.

The plan is the Pentagon's broadest effort yet to come to grips with its huge and growing reliance on energy to carry out military operations. That energy dependence has proved especially costly in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, leading to soaring fuel bills and a dangerous reliance on vulnerable fuel convoys.

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More News On The Pentagon's Energy Plan

Energy for the War Fighter: The Department of Defense Operational Energy Strategy -- White House Blog
Lynn: Energy Strategy Will Help Forces Adapt for Future -- U.S. Department of Defense
Ambushes prompt military to cut energy use -- CNN
Renewable energy sources a priority for military, says report -- UPI
Pentagon To Prioritize Energy Use in Acquisition -- Defense News
Pentagon Unveils Sweeping Energy Strategy -- National Journal
Pentagon Unveils Campaign Plan to Reduce Fuel Use -- National Defense
Energy Strategy Improves Capabilities, Savings -- U.S. Department of Defense
New Study Confirms US Military is Preparing for the End of Oil -- Clean Technica
Pentagon will prioritize energy use in acquisition process -- Federal Times
U.S. Military Use of Renewable Energy to Grow by $25 Billion within 20 Years, Says Pike Research -- Green Technology
Pentagon unveils sweeping Energy strategy -- Government Executive
Global Military To Spend Billions On Renewable Energy -- Energy Matters
Energy for the War Fighter: the DOD’s Operational Energy Strategy (VIDEO) -- Armed With Science

U.S. Military Aims to Use 50 Percent Renewable Energy Within Ten Years

Solar Panel in Afghanistan Major Paul Greenberg/U.S.M.C.

From Popular Science:

Of all places, the U.S. military has proven one of the fiercest proponents of renewable energy, and for totally practical reasons -- most importantly cost and safety. Now, military higher-ups plan to rely on renewable energy sources for 50 percent of their power by 2020, which could help the worldwide advancement of those technologies immeasurably. One company of Marines, saddled with tons of solar power tech, is kickstarting this revolution.

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My Comment: This is an update on a story that I posted a few days ago.

Making The U.S. Military Go Green

Solar power was tested in May in Morocco. A Marine company brought some renewable energy equipment to Afghanistan. Major Paul Greenberg/U.S.M.C.

U.S. Military Orders Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels -- New York Times

With insurgents increasingly attacking the American fuel supply convoys that lumber across the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan, the military is pushing aggressively to develop, test and deploy renewable energy to decrease its need to transport fossil fuels.

Last week, a Marine company from California arrived in the rugged outback of Helmand Province bearing novel equipment: portable solar panels that fold up into boxes; energy-conserving lights; solar tent shields that provide shade and electricity; solar chargers for computers and communications equipment.

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My Comment: I suspect that the 150 Marines of Company I, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines .... who are being used as guinea pigs to evaluate the effectiveness of renewable energy in a war zone .... are praying for sunlight to power their computers and communications gear.

Joking aside, the military is a hungry beast when it comes to using energy, and any success is lessening this dependence should be encouraged and promoted.

German Military Is Now Warning Of A Potentially Drastic Oil Crisis

DEEPWATER FIRE
Fire boat response crews battle the blazing remnants of the oil rig Deepwater Horizon off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico, April 21, 2010. A Coast Guard MH-65C dolphin rescue helicopter and crew document the fire aboard the mobile drilling unit Deepwater Horizon, while searching for survivors. Multiple Coast Guard helicopters, planes and cutters responded to rescue the Deepwater Horizon's 126 person crew. U.S. Coast Guard photo

Military Study Warns Of A Potentially Drastic Oil Crisis -- Spiegel Online

A study by a German military think tank has analyzed how "peak oil" might change the global economy. The internal draft document -- leaked on the Internet -- shows for the first time how carefully the German government has considered a potential energy crisis.

The term "peak oil" is used by energy experts to refer to a point in time when global oil reserves pass their zenith and production gradually begins to decline. This would result in a permanent supply crisis -- and fear of it can trigger turbulence in commodity markets and on stock exchanges.

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My Comment: I personally believe that 'peak oil' is still a long way off, but the problem today is not peak oil .... the problem is international politics and the unstable governments that possess much of the world's oil supply.

A major Middle Eastern war, a civil war in Nigeria's oil producing delta region, a collapse of the Venezuelan government and economy, limits to russian oil exports, U.S. moratoriums on off shore oil development .... this is what can (and will) cause a drastic oil crisis, and all of the political/military/ national security consequences from it.

Growing Global Oil Demand Harms U.S. Security And Economy

Photo from Tree Hugger

Quenching Our Thirst for Oil -- Center For American Progress

The national security risks that stem from the United States’ heavy reliance on foreign oil are well documented. One in five barrels of U.S. oil come from countries that the State Department considers to be “dangerous or unstable.” And the cost of this oil will rise as global demand increases. These high prices benefit all petro-states regardless of whether the United States is buying from them or not. The United States doesn’t buy Iranian oil, for example, but a $1 increase in oil prices provides an additional $1.5 billion to the Iranian government annually.

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My Comment: The rest of the world wants the same living standards and opportunities that we take for granted in the West. The engine for this growth will come from energy sources like oil .... and they are doing everything that is possible to tap these resources.

The unfortunate consequence from this race for oil is ever higher prices and tighter supplies. Unless alternative energy sources are found that are just as abundant (and cheaper) than oil, this energy price/supply squeeze will only continue.

Going Green Is Becoming Costly For Some U.S. Military Bases

Energy-Savings Project Leaves Army In The Cold -- L.A. Times

It projects millions of dollars in losses from a private-contract job to upgrade a steam power plant in Alaska. The case highlights flaws in the government's energy contracts program.

Reporting from Ft. Richardson, Alaska - Under a federal program to transform government facilities into models of energy efficiency, Honeywell International Inc. came calling on Army commanders here with a deal to replace the base's decades-old steam power plant.

The company proposed installing millions of dollars in new heating equipment and hooking the base to the local power grid -- all free in exchange for the company getting the bulk of future energy savings.

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My Comment: Waste in a military contract .... I am shocked .... completely shocked!

Will New Technologies Free Us From Energy Dependence?

Oil shale is rock containing deposits of oil and is pictured here burning.

Energy Crisis Is Postponed As New Gas Rescues The World -- L.A. Times

Engineers have performed their magic once again. The world is not going to run short of energy as soon as feared.

America is not going to bleed its wealth importing fuel. Russia's grip on Europe's gas will weaken. Improvident Britain may avoid paralysing blackouts by mid-decade after all.

The World Gas Conference in Buenos Aires last week was one of those events that shatter assumptions. Advances in technology for extracting gas from shale and methane beds have quickened dramatically, altering the global balance of energy faster than almost anybody expected.

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My Comment: I still do not know the economics behind this technology, but it does give an indication of what is possible ... and what we certainly hope for. The Geo-political implications behind this development can be staggering.

DARPA Works Toward DoD Energy Independence

From Department Of Defense:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2009 – Scientists are working to create energy self-sufficiency for the Defense Department, the nation’s largest single consumer of energy, a defense expert said.

“Energy has always been an important point in the military. You can go back into history and look at fodder to feed the horses in the Napoleonic Wars, and you can look at today in Afghanistan where energy is a key enabler, or in some cases, a key limitation,” said Barbara McQuiston, special assistant for energy at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

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My Comment: A lot of talk. A lot of future thinking .... but nothing substantial to show for it. Oil companies spend billions each year on alternative energy sources .... Darpa's contributions are just a spit in the bucket .... but I guess they have to try.

The U.S. Army's Solar Enewrgy Program

Acciona solar thermal plant in Nevada.
(Credit: Acciona)

Army Starts Solar Plant; Next Step: Care About Climate Change -- The Danger Room

The U.S. Army is about to start building a 500 megawatt solar thermal plant in the California desert. When it’s done, the facility will be one of the largest renewable energy plants in the world. Which is kind of ironic, since the Army doesn’t pay all that much attention to climate change. Turns out, sustainable energy is safer, said Dr. Kevin Geiss, the program director for the project.

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More News On the Army's Solar Program

Sun power: Army unveils giant solar project -- CNET
Army Green: Ft. Irwin Has Builders for 500 MW Solar Project -- Wall Street Journal
Clark Energy hired for Defense Department solar job -- Business Journal
Army Plans 500 MW of Solar Power at Fort Irwin by 2022 -- Treehugger