future oil shortage and possible effects on aviation?
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future oil shortage and possible effects on aviation?
A few months back on a nightstop i was watching BBC world, and there was a programme (can't recall the title)about the potential future oil shortage, and the fact that it is a lot closer than everyone thinks.
The prog was based around a geologist who had worked for the Shell oil company for 40 years, looking for new oil fields. The main thrust of his statement was that all the areas where it is geologically possible for oil to be created have now been surveyed, and there are no new large oil fields yet to be tapped, only smaller fields. This, combined with the fact that global demand for oil is constantly increasing will result in a significant rise in the price of oil within 5 years ( due to production limits by the arabs in order to maximise their revenue), and a physical shortage within 15 years, or maybe sooner (as the big fields start to run dry). It also singled out aviation as the industry that could not adapt to alternative energy sources. So could we see a collapse of the air travel market in 15 years time? Will we be back to travelling by ship? Is it worth starting out on a career as a pilot now, if its all going to be over half way through your career? The prog certainly had my attention. I'm a F/E, and that position on the flightdeck will be long gone by the time any of the above is a factor, but I have to decide if the substantial financial investment to upgrade my piloting qualifications to JAA is worth the risk. Or should I finish my flying career as a F/E and then go out and sell solar panels or wind turbines??!!
The prog was based around a geologist who had worked for the Shell oil company for 40 years, looking for new oil fields. The main thrust of his statement was that all the areas where it is geologically possible for oil to be created have now been surveyed, and there are no new large oil fields yet to be tapped, only smaller fields. This, combined with the fact that global demand for oil is constantly increasing will result in a significant rise in the price of oil within 5 years ( due to production limits by the arabs in order to maximise their revenue), and a physical shortage within 15 years, or maybe sooner (as the big fields start to run dry). It also singled out aviation as the industry that could not adapt to alternative energy sources. So could we see a collapse of the air travel market in 15 years time? Will we be back to travelling by ship? Is it worth starting out on a career as a pilot now, if its all going to be over half way through your career? The prog certainly had my attention. I'm a F/E, and that position on the flightdeck will be long gone by the time any of the above is a factor, but I have to decide if the substantial financial investment to upgrade my piloting qualifications to JAA is worth the risk. Or should I finish my flying career as a F/E and then go out and sell solar panels or wind turbines??!!
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Don't lose any sleep over it. All the easy to find oil has been found in the traditional oil field areas.
There is now a new school of thought that natural gas and crude oil is not just from dead animals and plants, but that these fuels are alway being created by the earth's core. You just got to drill deeper, a lot deeper. My company alone has produced over 100 billion (yes that's with a b) cubic feet of gas this year. This is from a new field.
There is now a new school of thought that natural gas and crude oil is not just from dead animals and plants, but that these fuels are alway being created by the earth's core. You just got to drill deeper, a lot deeper. My company alone has produced over 100 billion (yes that's with a b) cubic feet of gas this year. This is from a new field.
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Drill deeper.....and deeper still???
Well as it turns out, only slightly deeper. The Rhab' al Khali (Empty Quarter) in Saudi Arabia contains 100 billion (yes with a 'B') barrels of crude, as discovered by Chevron and Texico many years ago. Do I detect a "green" agenda here? Some it seems, do NOT want others to know. No problem for a REDA pump, just need 'lectrecity and a pipeline.
Well as it turns out, only slightly deeper. The Rhab' al Khali (Empty Quarter) in Saudi Arabia contains 100 billion (yes with a 'B') barrels of crude, as discovered by Chevron and Texico many years ago. Do I detect a "green" agenda here? Some it seems, do NOT want others to know. No problem for a REDA pump, just need 'lectrecity and a pipeline.
Look on the bright side: at least it'll stop all those BA lads bitching about flying 4 sectors a day! 
The Athabaska tar sands in northern Alberta have proven reserves of 171,000,000,000 barrels of crude oil, trapped in bitumen sand. Even with the relatively dated techniques they're currently using, 43,000,000,000 barrels are recoverable. I understand this amount is equal to all the proven crude reserves of Kuwait.
