With oil prices trending up again any one have opinions as to future liquid fuel price and availability?
There is a lot of oil that is known about, but not economic to recover. As demand goes up and prices rise, this oil becomes economic, and the supply is maintained. I know there is a point it will not, but there is also a point where alternatives become economic, and start to replace SOME of the demand, thus keeping the system in balance. Will all of this happen smoothly? Probably not. Each step up in price will be accompanied by some form of turmoil and strife. One thing is for certain. Over time, the price, both the actual price, as well as the relative price, will go only one way. UP Expect supply disruptions and price spikes at even minor hints of instability. If I had a line on an alternate source, even if it is much more costly now, I would be developing it. The time will come for the alternate in most of our lifetimes. Just my $0.02
X2 but I think we are a long ways off from the necessity of alternative fuels, but it could be mandated much sooner. We saw here that ~$4 a gal. was a breaking point where people really started to cut back on usage. There are a lot of third world countries starting to export oil so I don't know that we will see prices rise suddenly. The speculators drove up the price before because they did for see a breaking point that demand would drop and now they know better. I'm sure that any company that has any sense at all is working on alternative fuels if for no other reason then the government subsidizing the research.
It's hard to say scrub about future fuel prices.They go up & down allot depending on supply & demand and whatever crisis is going on in the world at the time.I am somewhat of an optimist that there is allot of oil available and allot that has not been discoverd yet.In my opinion we have only scratched the surface of this planet we call EARTH .Allot of mysterys & unknowns about the planet.Possibly new types of fuel yet to be discoverd.
On another note, a lot of fear of resource shortages are based on increased consumption in China. What is left out is that China has a huge land mass that is hardly been explored and exploited for the resources. When they start searching in their own back yard, some of that demand will be covered. Also, Like td-25c says above, a lot of unknowns still out there to discover. Remember back in the 1800's, when the leaders of science proudly boasted that everything worth inventing had already been invented? What would they think now, and how far from what we know and understand will our future be?
Cant you smell run away inflation in the air, must just be me. Guess I just live to close to the oil spill. It ant gona be pretty.
This is strictly personal opinion,Based on my observation.So I have no secret info or quotable sources.From what I have seen from my years is that the gas scares of the past were manufactured to raise prices. The gas lines and rationing drove the price up . Then when the price spiked it was amazing how with no new discovery or increase in plant production every thing was cool again . What worries me is that we are headed down that same road again,Our industry is depressed ,any increase in cost is going to put more companies under .
Yair...interesting replies fellers. I as mentioned on another thread I have been an oil watcher since we had boats tied up through lack of fuel in the 'seventies. This is a very complex problem. As I see it all the "easy to get" oil is gone, prices have stabilised and the world grinds along going nowhere with oil in the 75--85 dollar range...which is barely enough to encourage development of the "hard to get" stuff...which results in a catch 22 situation. As economies slowly recover from the meltdown demand increases pushing up the price untill the economies can't stand it and we drop back into recession. Our society and lifestyle is based on the illogical assumption that AFFORDABLE transport fuel will always be available to us ordinary folks. This is not necessarily so and various reports are indicating that we may start to experience problems within the next ten years. This one is from your military joint command. From page 23 on there is some pretty sobering reading. Sorry you'll have to paste it in your browser, I can't seem to post it as an active link. http://www.peakoil.net/files/JOE2010.pdf
I think this latest increase has to do with the government warnings about possible terrorist attacks in Europe last week. It seems within 2 days of their announcement, prices started jumping. 25 cents here in a week.
Sounds like as good an excuse as the rest they've used.:beatsme
Steve , When 911 happened we had a fuel stop price reg gas at 8 bucks . That fried Me.Haven't bought from them since.....Again its not a supply problem, Just money grubbing jerks
Ever notice that something happens elsewhere in the world and the oil that is in the system on the way to refineries suddenly jumps in price? On average it takes 60 days from the time it comes out of the ground till it gets refined and shipped out to supply terminals, yet the price at the pump goes up right away. They have us by the gonads and there is little we can do about it if we want to continue to run on petro based fuels.
If I was running and oil company and was threatened with terrorist attacks ETC I would raise the price too. The added security ETC cost $$$ and just like any business they are here to make $$$. Where was the huge price spike when that mess in the gulf started? They even put into affect the moratorium and that had little to no affect. We have lots of oil that is "easy to get" but tree huggers and other groups have put a stop to us getting it. Also as the technology gets better there will be more and more oil that is easy to get.
Peak oil is a theory, and a weak one in many an educated persons opinion. Let me pose a question;Does anyone think certain persons might just possibly (I know it would be a rarity) be using oil production and estimates about reserves to further their own agendas? Read here; http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/10/sustainable_oil_production.html
Not like man made global warming. Of corse the Peak oil is a theory is correct. How else do you think the oil got under miles of ocean and miles into the ocean floor. It had to of came from dinosaurs and plants.
Well, I know there's been a tiny decrease in motor oil demand because of the recession. Many companies using conventional motor oil are extending their oil change intervals- by alot. With stringent oil sampling, I've heard of 30,000mile oil changes and more.