Title: How Do We Get There From Here? Global Energy Transitions Planning
Abstract: ABSTRACT How shall we craft an energy future that is less dependent on petroleum? And what role will oil and gas play in that scenario? In spite of an impressive 150 year track record of increasing hydrocarbon production to meet exponential growth in demand, constraints have emerged. There will be a pinch in production rates relative to growing demand, necessitating the development and deployment of alternative energy technologies from more sustainable resources. As of yet there is no consensus on how to transition to alternative fuels, despite a great deal of talk about the need to do so. Nor is adequate consideration being paid to the pivotal role that oil and gas will continue to play well into the transition. This paper addresses global energy planning at all organizational levels, as well as within energy producing corporations. Since future energy services will draw from an evolving mix of production sources and technologies, we propose a way for energy regulators and energy companies to optimize energy mixes, by evaluating the value added over time of each resource and applicable technology. This paper maintains that oil and gas will continue to be important components in any energy mix for the foreseeable future. Alternative fuels will be hard-pressed to provide comparable net values either in terms of work from energy produced or in terms of environmental impact. As petroleum engineers, it is imperative that we make clear the character of the coming petroleum peak and the necessary role that petroleum must play in the coming transition period. It is essential to characterize clearly the energy value provided by our current resources and the value that will be demanded from alternatives as they do take up larger market shares.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-09-24
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 2
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot