Energy Independence from Declining Production in the US Gulf of Mexico? Not Likely30 Mar
President Obama has repeatedly stressed the need for energy independence, and, in particular, a reduction in imported oil. How is that possible given the constantly declining oil production curve illustrated below for the US Gulf of Mexico?
Peak production was reached in 2002.
The United States has a total of 254,212,610 registered highway vehicles in 2009. How can that many vehicles be powered from domestic crude based on this declining production curve?
Note: There are 11 government agencies that support the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Solicitations from these agencies are published several times during the year and contain dozens of problem topics. For example, many topics from the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have a keen interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy, some of which may overlap the issues raised in this post. Small businesses, sometimes teamed with universities, may submit proposals in response to these topics and possibly receive awards for technology/process development.
Tags: Declining Oil Production, Powering Highway Vehicles, President Obama, SBIR, STTR, US Gulf of Mexico