New Crude Plus Condensate Peak

Per the latest International Petroleum Monthly (Excel download), world crude plus condensate production for January was 74,466,000 million bpd. The previous record in May 2005 was 74,298,000 bpd. The number is subject to revision, but […]

The Energy Scene in India

As I traveled through India on a recent business trip, the topic of energy was constantly on my mind (as it is every time I travel). I found out some interesting things about jatropha, toured […]

Winner: Sustainable Production Technology

As I have mentioned before, I am not going to use this blog to promote my new company. I have said very little about it to this point, but I intend to write one post […]

The Diesel Tree

Naturally, something like a “diesel tree” is going to catch my attention. (The scientific name for the tree, as best as I can ascertain, is Copaifera langsdorfii, and is native to South America). I have […]

Attempting the Impossible

I ran across the following today: Our view on gasoline prices: With crude at $100 a barrel, Big Oil needs no tax breaks It’s difficult — make that impossible — to justify taxpayer subsidies for […]

Pacific Ethanol in Trouble

Don’t say I didn’t tell you so. I warned about PEIX’s poor fundamentals a year and a half ago, and the share price has fallen steadily since then. Pacific Ethanol suffers a bigger-than-expected loss Pacific […]

Dog and Pony Show Scheduled for Today

The familiar dog and pony show of calling oil company executives to Washington to testify before a pandering congress begins today: Congress has big questions for Big Oil WASHINGTON – Big Oil is once again […]

LCA on Renewable Diesel

Thanks to a reader for this tip. Argonne National Laboratory has just published a Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) of biogasoline, biodiesel, green diesel, and petroleum diesel: Life-Cycle Assessment of Energy and Greenhouse Gas Effects of Soybean-Derived […]

Barack Obama Panders

He’s got my vote. He doesn’t take money from oil companies, and is going to punish them for their “windfall profits.” For some reason, Oil Watchdog does show him as having taken $157,390 from oil […]

How Corn Ethanol Destroys Rain Forests

At least according to a new story in Time, which is a blistering critique of our ethanol policies. It also documents the change of heart that has taken place among some prominent ethanol boosters. The […]