Post by feralmet on Jul 31, 2006 21:07:30 GMT
On 11th July, Dr Samsam Bakhtiari (Iranian oil "metallurgist") addressed the Australian Senate committee on the future of oil. He dished it out to them in grand style.
PDF of Hansard (330 kb) here:
www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S9515.pdf
Who amongst us has not encountered similar confrontations with a clueless board of directors? I think that the two essential elements of extractive metallurgy are a fine regard for the laws of diminishing returns, and an appreciation of the natural laws of abundance.
Indeed my own initiation into the black arts required the un-learning of so many pre-conceived notions. Mining is where the human confection of monetary economics meets the hard reality of nature's economics.
When this forum was created I had intended to submit yarns and ideas, but lately I find myself transfixed by the "metallurgy" of the oil industry. Luckily I have a good Internet connection and loads of free time.
It dawned upon me that the great abundance of gasoline and diesel that I have wallowed in for my lifetime, was never more than the "spare" energy left over after extraction and processing.
I suspect that we may have overconsumed the best quality "easy" oil deposits (leave Iraq out of it for now). If that is so, then poorer quality oils will contain more dross and less energy (tar-sand is an extreme example). At the same time, such oils require more energy to be traded back for extraction and processing. Even the transportation of low quality oil may have ramifications (think of trucking low-grade ore).
It follows that as oil quality diminishes, more oil must be pumped and the scale of refining must increase just to maintain a steady output of fuel. Yet we may be encountering this phenomenon during a period of increased demand for fuel.
So what I am trying to say is, have we reached "peak" gasoline and diesel? There are many forums on the web that deal with peak oil, but none where I can discuss the metallurgy of embodied energy.
Are there any kindred spirits out there?
PDF of Hansard (330 kb) here:
www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S9515.pdf
Who amongst us has not encountered similar confrontations with a clueless board of directors? I think that the two essential elements of extractive metallurgy are a fine regard for the laws of diminishing returns, and an appreciation of the natural laws of abundance.
Indeed my own initiation into the black arts required the un-learning of so many pre-conceived notions. Mining is where the human confection of monetary economics meets the hard reality of nature's economics.
When this forum was created I had intended to submit yarns and ideas, but lately I find myself transfixed by the "metallurgy" of the oil industry. Luckily I have a good Internet connection and loads of free time.
It dawned upon me that the great abundance of gasoline and diesel that I have wallowed in for my lifetime, was never more than the "spare" energy left over after extraction and processing.
I suspect that we may have overconsumed the best quality "easy" oil deposits (leave Iraq out of it for now). If that is so, then poorer quality oils will contain more dross and less energy (tar-sand is an extreme example). At the same time, such oils require more energy to be traded back for extraction and processing. Even the transportation of low quality oil may have ramifications (think of trucking low-grade ore).
It follows that as oil quality diminishes, more oil must be pumped and the scale of refining must increase just to maintain a steady output of fuel. Yet we may be encountering this phenomenon during a period of increased demand for fuel.
So what I am trying to say is, have we reached "peak" gasoline and diesel? There are many forums on the web that deal with peak oil, but none where I can discuss the metallurgy of embodied energy.
Are there any kindred spirits out there?
