Offshore

When I read this article by Mark Schleifstein, an editor at the New Orleans “The Times-Picayune,” I knew I had to share it. The title alone is priceless: “U.S. Supreme Court declines case blaming energy companies, global warming for Hurricane Katrina damage.”

Americans are notoriously litigious, but this really takes the cake!

Apparently, the case was brought by Mississippi homeowners against (among others) Murphy Oil Co., UOP, Shell Oil, ExxonMobil, BP America, Chevron USA, ConocoPhillips, Dow Chemical, Duke Energy, FirstEnergy, Foundation Coal Holdings, Honeywell International, International Coal Group, Massey Energy, Peabody Energy, Reliant Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The homeowners claimed that by emitting greenhouse gases, these companies and others of the same ilk had helped cause global warming, which the homeowners said “exacerbated Katrina’s wrath.”

Quite the lineup of companies, isn’t it? I guess if you’re going to make accusations that could result in monetary awards, you should aim high!

Unarguably, Hurricane Katrina was a violent hurricane, and it caused enormous damage along the Gulf Coast. Why it was so large is still a mystery to practically everyone but meteorologists. Certainly, warmer than usual weather conditions were a factor. Pinning the cause for those warmer conditions on a single industry, however, is a bit of a stretch.

In reading the article, I discovered that the Supreme Court actually refused to “re-open” the case.

If you’re interested to know how this came about, read on. The following is an excerpt from Schleifstein’s article.

The Supreme Court was asked to step in after so many members of the 16-judge 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had recused themselves that it could not conduct a rehearing of a partially successful appeal of the suit.

Under the circuit court’s rules, the court’s original three-judge decision in favor of the homeowners had been vacated after the full court agreed to rehear the case, and the appeal was dismissed by the failure to get a quorum.

In the end, it appears that the ludicrous nature of the case was less of an issue than whether due process was followed when the case was dismissed.
This too is truly American!

Although it is amusing to see the ridiculous nature of the legal workings in America, the inferences that can be drawn about the attitude of the American people toward oil and gas companies is sobering.

The bad press that surrounded the Deepwater Horizon incident and subsequent investigations into BP had serious repercussions, and those repercussions will continue to be felt in the oil and gas industry in the US and beyond for years to come.

“Big Oil” in its many forms has become a target for negativity from the political level to the level of homeowners along the Gulf Coast.

Though the “Times-Picayune” story in and of itself is laughable, what it says about the attitude of Americans toward the oil and gas industry is anything but funny.

According to a new study by BDO USA LLP (an accounting and consulting organization), 54% of CFOs in oil and gas E&P companies believe “legislative changes” will be the most important factor inhibiting the industry’s growth in the US in 2011. An additional 40% listed legislative changes as their greatest financial challenge for the coming year (a 21% increase from 2010).

This information came from the third annual “Energy Outlook Survey,” a national telephone survey conducted by Market Measurement, Inc., an independent market research consulting firm, whose executive interviewers spoke directly to CFOs. The results imply that the coming year could be a very challenging one, with many companies being forced to re-strategize.

Legislative and regulatory issues caused project delays and in fact terminated a number of E&P projects in 2010. Survey results indicate that among respondents who experienced a project delay or termination, 61% cited federal or state environmental regulations as the cause, 58% cited legislative changes, and 39% said the regulatory moratorium on drilling activity was the reason for delaying or terminating projects.

According to Charles Dewhurst, partner and national leader of the Natural Resources industry practice at BDO, “One message came through loud and clear in this year’s survey – that legislative changes represent the biggest threat to growth in the oil and gas industry.

“With the mid-term election results, energy executives can anticipate an easing in the flow of new legislation impacting the industry,” he said. The remaining question is, “Will this be enough to relax the permitting process for deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico?”

Survey results indicate many respondents do not anticipate a quick fix to drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico – 38% do not expect drilling activity in the region to return to 2009 levels until 2012 or 2013, and 31% say it will be after 2013 or never.

The survey also addressed the CFOs’ view of renewables. Wind power leads the pack, with 39% of CFOs expecting wind to be the biggest alternative source contributor to the world’s energy needs in the next five years, followed by geothermal (19%), solar (13%) and biofuels (12%).

“There is growing interest in renewable energy sources; and at this point most CFOs are putting their money on wind power,” Dewhurst said. “However, a big test will come soon as federal cash grants to the renewable energy industry are set to expire. With Republican control of the House, many now doubt whether these grants will be renewed.”

Development of additional energy sources will have to take place to meet growing demand. Many CFOs (71%) expect global demand for oil to increase in 2011, and 67% expect global demand for natural gas to increase. Nearly half (46%) plan to maintain the total number of oil and gas drilling rigs operated by their company next year, and another 34% plan to increase the number of rigs working.

When asked what is the most important factor driving the overall growth of the US oil and gas industry in 2011, 18% of the respondents said “new production technologies.” This response is nearly three times as high as 2009.

Although costs are expected to rise, BDO says, most CFOs foresee heightened demand for oil and gas next year, but drilling contractors are not likely to increase rig counts until they see demand on the rise.

Concerns about international competition continue, with 57% of CFOs saying they are concerned that President Obama’s proposals to eliminate certain tax incentives for American oil and gas producers will cause increased dependence on imports and will send investment dollars and jobs overseas.

Despite an expected increase in global demand, companies are staying put geographically for the time being; only 7% plan to expand to new geographic areas outside the US in 2011.

Hart Energy Publishing won three significant awards at the 2010 Lantern Awards event in Houston on Tuesday, November 16. The Lantern Awards are presented annually by BMA-Houston to recognize companies that have created business-to-business marketing initiatives that reflect a spirit of excellence.

E&P won the Lantern Award for its SEG daily series for the SEG International Exposition and 79th Annual Meeting held Oct. 25-29 in Houston.

Hart’s Oil and Gas Investor (a.k.a. OGI) won a Lantern Award for a series of magazine covers. The third of Hart’s three awards recognized a non-profit DVD the company created to honor the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.

It is great to be recognized for the work we do.

Hart is a broad company that spans upstream through downstream oil and gas activities and produces magazines including E&P, OGI, and Fuel, not to mention a new midstream magazine that will launch next year. The company also has a reputation for its special publications, which include field development supplements, maps, and shale play books, many of which are available for purchase on the Hart Store site.

Hart also is home to the Unconventional Gas Center, a site that focuses exclusively on unconventional resources.

Hart Energy Publishing is recognized in the world of investment and upstream technology as the industry leader in conferences on North American shale developments. It is equally well recognized for its downstream consulting group, the International Fuel Quality Center.

If you read E&P magazine or visit EPmag.com, you probably think you know Hart Energy Publishing. My guess is that you know less about Hart than you think, and I invite you to learn more.

Visit any of our sites, and I’m sure you will learn a thing or two. I promise it will be worth your while.

The US mid-term elections concluded yesterday, and the Republicans, as predicted by most pundits, made a good showing.

Tom Corbett’s win in Pennsylvania, the gubernatorial election is particularly interesting because of the impact the new governor’s approach to shale development will have on the energy industry in state.

Corbett was elected into office with 55% of the vote. Many who are interested in getting into shale production in the region view this as good news.

In the course of the gubernatorial debates, the two candidates (both of whom are from Western Pennsylvania, a region of the state that has seen a significant uptake in shale development) have been supportive of shale development. The dividing issue in their debate was whether the state should assess a severance tax on production. Dan Onorato, the Democratic candidate came down in support of the tax, while Corbett, the Republican candidate has opposed it.

With Corbett’s win, shale gas producers will have even more incentive to develop the Marcellus shale, a play that runs from southwestern PA diagonally across the state through the northeast and into New York.

Activity in this play is growing rapidly. According to a report compiled and released by the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), more than 2,000 wells were drilled in the Pennsylvania portion of the Marcellus between 2006 and May of 2010.

Growth has been dramatic. In 2009 alone, 710 shale wells were drilled in the Pennsylvania. In 2010, there are expected to be 1,700 new wells drilled in by year end – more than twice as many as 2009.

According to Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, based in Canonsburg, PA, the number of wells drilled this year amounts to about half of what an annual steady state industry would produce.

If activity continues at this rate, the Marcellus will achieve that soon. And Pennsylvania will be well on its way to reaching the expected 8.7 Tcf production level forecast for 2020.

Of course, there are challenges, two of which were the subject of technology workshops at Hart’s DUG East conference on November 2 – midstream concerns and water management issues.

There actually are four significant challenges to shale gas development in Pennsylvania. These include water issues, the need for pipeline infrastructure, HSE concerns, and technology challenges that impact E&P operations.

Open sharing facilitated by events like the workshop allows experts to share ideas on water management issues. Another way these hurdles are being negotiated is through investment in research.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory, which is part of the Department of Energy, is overseeing 27 shale gas research projects, 14 of which specifically target the Marcellus shale. NETL is managing US $18.5 million in funding with an additional $8 million in cost sharing. Interestingly, of the 27 shale gas projects in progress, 15 focus on water treatment and management challenges.

While the federal government funds research that targets solutions and Hart organizes events that promote information sharing, the Pennsylvania state government is throwing the doors open and rolling out the red carpet for investors.

For Pittsburghers investing in the Marcellus, good times are on the way.

If you don’t receive Parks Paton Hoepfl & Brown’s (PPHB) “Musings from the Oil Patch,” you probably are not aware of the speculation that trouble could be brewing again in the Middle East.

I realize it isn’t exactly considered news when there is instability in the Middle East. It’s more aptly viewed as par for the course. But PPHB has taken an interesting slant on recent developments that is worthy of consideration.

According to PPHB, “A number of recent data points have emerged that suggest the Middle East may become a focal point of political and possibly military action before the end of the year, or maybe even earlier.”

A few months ago, PPHB says, the world was focused on the possibility that Iran was building nuclear weapons. It is rumored that Israel, which carried out an air strike on Iran in the past, could be planning another strike. Additional rumors go so far as to say that Saudi Arabia has granted the Israeli Air Force permission to land helicopters in its country.

All of this talk has thus far led to nothing, but there are interesting developments in the works.

“Two of the most significant developments are a $60 billion US sale of defense equipment to Saudi Arabia that includes upgraded F-15 fighter planes, attack helicopters, and missiles and bombs, including bunker-buster bombs. The last item would seem to suggest that the Saudi air force may be preparing for a possible fight with Iran and the need to attack its military and possibly nuclear facilities. The other development is the announcement that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has opened a new port on the Arabian Sea. The port also has oil storage tanks. The port lies beyond the Strait of Hormuz and the oil storage facilities will be hooked up to a pipeline stretching from Abu Dhabi that is currently under construction.”

Last week, PPHB observes, Nouri al-Maliki, prime minister of Iraq, went to Iran looking for guidance on creating a coalition government in Iraq. The advice he got from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader was simple. “Get rid of America.”

While Iraq/Iran talks were going on in Teheran, an “interesting twist in the US-Iran relationship” was in the works. For the first time ever, a high-ranking Iranian diplomat attended the recent NATO meeting on the transition in Afghanistan. This diplomat also attended a briefing by US General David Patraeus on NATO’s military strategy in Afghanistan.

These two events are interesting when taken together, according to PPHB, because they raise questions about whether Iran is securing expansionist goals without having to work very hard and without raising the ire of other nations around the world.

It is significant that Iran has given al-Maliki the choice of siding with Iran to form a stable government in Iraq or siding with the US and continuing the ongoing crisis.

A critical consideration here is the enormous oil reserves in Iraq that the country has planned to develop with western partners. Less domestic turmoil could speed up development, which PPHB says would do two important things:
1) Provide badly needed oil and refined products to Iran.
2) Bring huge new global oil production onstream in a few years time putting oil prices under pressure.

Neither of these options, PPHB says, will be good for Saudi Arabia, which is the biggest US ally in the region.

This turn of events would strengthen Iran to withstand sanctions and boost its military strength, PPHB speculates.

So is Iran conspiring to change the balance of power in the Middle East? Time will tell.

In the meantime, if you want to read PPHB’s comments in their entirety, you can sign up to receive “Musings from the Oil Patch.”

The Institute for 21st Century Energy has a plan for educating Americans about energy. Given the rampant ignorance on the subject, this appears to be an admirable goal.

The plan is to reach six million students, parents, and teachers nationwide this school year.

According to the Energy Institute press release, the program features a supplemental print and digital program on energy issues that aligns with science, math, and social studies curricula and will reach an estimated 100,000 classrooms by the end of the school year. “At the conclusion,” the release says, “students and teachers will have the opportunity to enter a nationwide contest to demonstrate their understanding of energy and newly learned skills.”

The press release says the aim of the contest is to challenge students to hone real-world skills to help them think critically about energy and make informed decisions. Contest winners will be announced in the spring.

What a great idea! It could be like the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Karen Harbert, Energy Institute president and CEO, launched this national initiative on October 20 at a school assembly near Pittsburgh, PA, where Harbert unveiled new energy learning resources to 250 West Greene Middle-Senior high school students.

“Now, more than ever, we must arm future generations with the skills and critical thinking needed to plan for, build, and manage our country’s energy systems,” Harbert said.  “By engaging today’s students  at a time when our skilled energy workforce is aging and America’s global competitiveness is being challenged, we are really reaching tomorrow’s leaders with facts that we believe will empower them to take an active role in shaping America’s energy future.”

The program, called “Shedding Light on Energy,” was launched in response to a need for energy resources for middle school science teachers and students. The Energy Institute found that much of the curriculum available to teachers is outdated or inadequate and that education on energy issues has become a low priority.

”Shedding Light on Energy” is a three-pronged program that includes classroom materials, posters, teacher lessons plans, and student experiments and. All lessons are based on government data sources, including the US Energy Information Administration’s “Annual Energy Review.”

A dynamic online interactive website, hosted by www.scholastic.com, will launch later this fall. The site will allow students to tour an energy theme park filled with quizzes, maps, games, and an extensive set of energy resources. Students also will get to meet energy professionals online and hear about future career opportunities. Plans are in place to update teacher resources throughout the school year.

Future subjects will include how energy is transported to homes and businesses and a special focus on new and emerging technology.

The first set of materials will reach classrooms this week.

In my opinion, this program is past due, and I am happy to see that the Energy Institute is launching this program.

The average American is woefully ignorant of the nation’s huge energy demand and what that means in terms of imported oil. They don’t grasp the near impossibility of energy independence. They have no concept of how much they depend on production from the Gulf of Mexico and have no appreciation for the tremendous advances in technology that have allowed operators to produce hydrocarbons in harsh environments or in deepwater or HP/HT conditions.

Maybe these educational tools will give Americans insight into the enormous value of shale gas and a means of becoming familiar with the technologies used to produce it.

The oil and gas industry, despite its efforts, hasn’t managed to make inroads in educating the country about energy. Much of that failure (if I can be so bold as to call it that) stems from distrust of the industry. Though I doubt the US government has the unwavering trust of many Americans, it is quite possible that Americans will trust the information that the Energy Institute is sharing. And that could be a huge step in the right direction.

I don’t know about you, but I plan to keep the URL handy and visit the site when it’s up and running to see what it’s all about.

“Big Oil” has come to mean something other than “large international operating company.” Instead, somehow or other, there is a negative connotation of “Big Oil” that conjures up images of big business trampling the little guy and destroying the environment in pursuit of profit. That image has been front and center in the indictment of BP following the Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

I am not sure BP warrants this kind of label (the Macondo blowout notwithstanding), but I am certain that all of the other major operating companies are being done a disservice when they are being painted with the same black brush.

It is interesting that as the gas industry is taking off domestically, US gas companies are trying to make a name for themselves independent of the oil industry with which they have long been associated. As gas producers begin to make their way into the limelight, they are emphasizing the differences between oil and gas. Gas is cleaner than oil, creates less CO2, and might well be the primary means of creating US energy security because gas is in sufficient supply within the US to provide energy for an estimated 100 years or more.

Doug Foshee, chairman, president, and CEO of El Paso Corp., talked about the virtues of gas a the Greater Houston Partnership’s Energy Summit this week.

Foshee told attendees, “There is no fuel source in the United States today that uses more technology and creates more jobs than gas.”

Gas helps drive our economy, Foshee said, noting that gas is environmentally friendly, is twice as clean as coal, and has the lowest carbon footprint of all of the fossil fuels.

Foshee and his fellow gas producers are hoping that all of the “pluses” that accompany gas production will make gas a preferred energy source.

The recent jump in E&P activity in unconventional plays in North America attests to the interest in developing natural gas. “Shale activity has exploded in the last decade,” Foshee said, noting that an increasing percentage of the gas that will make up the future supply will be unconventional.

As the gas business takes off, Foshee cautioned, people should not see growth in the sector in negative terms. “Don’t presume everything big is bad,” he said.

Foshee pointed to a number of encouraging statistics for natural gas, explaining that 30 US states have a least 10,000 people employed by the natural gas industry and that 3,000,000 workers in the US are working in the gas sector.

Molding the public perception of gas will be critical in the coming years if the gas industry is going to garner the public support that has so far eluded “Big Oil.”

Personally, I wish Foshee and his fellow gas producers well. God willing, they will slip the noose that seems to be tied firmly around the neck of oil producing companies.

Perception is reality, and changing the perception that fossil fuels are the bane of our existence will not be easy, particularly when it is not only citizens of the US who perceive oil companies and what they stand for as negative. Despite the oil industry’s efforts to highlight the many positive contributions operating companies have made around the globe, many people are convinced that the bad done by these companies far outweighs the good – facts and figures be damned!

Maybe gas producers will take the lead in public perception. If they make headway, there is a chance that oil producers will be able to ride on their coattails. And who ever would have imagined a world where that was the case?

As the US and other countries around the world work to reduce carbon emissions and develop technologies to produce unconventional resources, gas will grow in significance. “We are on a march, which we think is inexorable, to a low-carbon footprint future,” Foshee said.

I think Foshee is right. And I think gas producing companies are face to face with a great opportunity that could catapult gas production beyond anything the industry could have imagined a decade ago.

Good luck and Godspeed!

The Houston Technology Center (HTC), which has been rated as one of the nation’s top ten technology incubators, held its Gulf Coast Innovation Conference and Showcase on Thursday, September 30.

Participating companies were from a number of disciplines, including energy. The role of HTC is to work with companies to help them gain access to capital. The approach HTC took at the conference was to organize breakout sessions at which each participating company was given a few minutes to talk about the products or services being developed and an assessment of how much capital would be necessary to pursue their goals.

If you are an entrepreneur, you will be interested to know about the companies in the energy sector that are looking for investors. They include:
•    Algorithmica technologies – Develops mathematical methods for optimizing basic industrial processes.
•    APO Offshore – Has introduced patent-pending software that delivers remote monitoring and predictive analysis of surface equipment used for offshore drilling and production platforms and vessels.
•    BetaBatt – Is working to commercialize long-life self-recharging batteries.
•    Bluenergy Solarwind – has introduced a turbine that combines solar and wind energy.
•    Covelo Group LLC – Manages critical staffing demands.
•    C-voltaics – Has created a thin film solar cell that functions without the need for a specific polymer semiconductor to enhance performance.
•    Ecolyse Inc. – Provides products and services to remediate pipeline corrosion and reservoir souring.
•    Energy People Connect – A soft-subject social network, consultancy and online media company for the global energy industry.
•    General Methanol – Plans to develop and license a process that converts methane to methanol.
•    IO-hub – Identifies the right data and correlates events form real-time data streams to enable in-time decisions for drilling and production.
•    itRobotics – Provides nondestructive inspection service for small diameter energy pipes using robotic and inspection technology.
•    Merrick Systems Inc. – Has introduced an integrated suite of technology applications addressing production, engineering, and asset tracking.
Metal Oxide Technologies Inc. – Is commercializing a high-temperature superconducting wire that transmits electricity without electrical loss and without generating heat.
•    NanoComposites Inc. – Focuses on developing and commercializing nanotechnology enabled high-performance polymer materials that can extend the range of operating capability.
•    Neohydro Corp. – Is using proprietary patent-pending technology to clean waste water created by fracing.
•    Optimization Petroleum Technologies Inc. – Engineering software and consulting services provider that offers a suite of integrated oil and gas reservoir management, production analysis and design, water injection engineering, and surface/gathering management applications.
•    Orbital Traction Ltd. – Is developing a continuously variable transmission that will improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of variable speed rotating systems.
•    PF WaterWorks LP – Is focusing on self-sufficiency and reduced energy consumption products.
•    Point Energy Group – Is delivering cleaner and more sustainable lighting solutions.
•    S2S Systems International Inc. – Has developed the only fully integrated real-time dynamic model for reservoir modeling for conventional and unconventional developments.
•    Smart Pipe Co. Inc. – Offers pipeline operators a solution to the costly pipeline restoration with its no-dig installation capability.
•    Soteica Ideas & Technology LLC – offers a real-time utility energy optimizer that retrieves real-time plant measurements and utility market prices and provides open0-loop and closed-loop stet points to enable manufacturers to rebalance utility loads.
•    Teledrill Inc. – Has introduced a high-performance valve technology that improves drilling performance and hole cleaning through dynamic control of the fluid column.
•    Terrabon – Provides biofuel and water treatment technology.
•    Veros Systems Inc. – Is developing and marketing intelligent software based reliability solutions for industrial assets.
•    VRcontext LLC – Has developed asset visualization and realistic immersive multi-avatar navigation for real-time operation and optimum maintenance planning, safety reviews, operator training, and emergency response planning.
•    Wave Imaging Technology Inc. – Helps the E&P industry see complex geology more clearly with wave equation depth imaging.

If you want to learn more about the companies or Houston Technology Center, visit the HTC website at www.houstontech.org.

According to research conducted by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, electric cars hold greater promise for reducing emissions and lowering US oil imports than a national renewable portfolio standard.
 
A press release issued by the university on Sept. 27 says this assessment is among several contained in a new policy study that is made up of a number of working papers on topics such as carbon pricing, the wind industry, global and US carbon and energy strategies, and renewable energy R&D.

The executive summary explains the objective of the study: “As the country moves forward to deliberate on energy and climate policy, consideration must be given to what policies would best accomplish the stated goals for U.S. policy – a reduction in the need for imported oil and in greenhouse gas emissions.”

The study and papers were presented at a conference held Sept. 27-28 titled “Energy Market Consequences of an Emerging U.S. Carbon Management Policy.”
  
One of the interesting findings presented at the conference was that Baker Institute analysis found “the single most effective way to reduce US oil demand and foreign imports would be an aggressive campaign to launch electric vehicles into the automotive fleet.” According to Rice, mandating that 30% of all vehicles be electric by 2050 would reduce US oil consumption by 2.5 Mob/d beyond the 3 Mob/d savings already expected from new corporate average fuel efficiency standards. The move to electric vehicles also would cut emissions by 7%, the study says, while the proposed national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) would cut them by only 4% over the same time.
 
According to the press release, researchers found “business-as-usual market-related trends might propel the United States toward greater oil and natural gas self-sufficiency over the next 20 years.” Research indicates carbon caps and pricing or a carbon tax as high as $60/metric ton or more could lead to a significant increase in US reliance on oil imports between now and 2025.
 
Not surprisingly for those attuned to the shale gale in North America, researchers foresee natural gas playing “a very important role in the US energy mix for decades to come.” If the current trend continues, researchers believe the US will not have to import any LNG for decades. A positive side effect of the growth in natural gas production is that it will help the environment by lowering the demand for coal.
 
Scheduled keynote speakers at the conference include Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigerian minister of petroleum resources; James Mulva, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips; Edward Morse, managing director and head of global commodities research at Credit Suisse; Robert Stavins, the Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government and director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program at Harvard University; and Felix Kramer, founder of the California Cars Initiative.
 
It is too late to participate in the conference, but you can click here if you are interested in reading the full executive summary and the studies being presented at the conference.

A business associate who always seems to be able to find interesting things on the internet set me a link to something called the world clock.

Although the clock does show the time around the globe (with the actual time on the clock showing the time in New York), its more interesting feature is that it provides a huge amount of information about what is happening in our world. You can view the statistics presented by year, month, week, day, or in real time.

The first display shows population statistics and is followed by data on death – how many people around the world die from such things as cancer, tuberculosis, and diabetes, for example, and how many die from different sorts of injuries.

There is data on the environment that shows CO2 emissions, extinctions, acres of forest lost and the like.

Subjects include Energy, which shows the volume of oil pumped, oil reserves, and oil depletion, as well as ethanol, oil, gas, and coal production numbers.

Other interesting numbers tell a story US crime and punishment, food production and animal slaughter, and the US national debt.

It also provides human statistics on birth death, illness, and injury.

There are many more numbers and statistics available if you’re interested. I suggest you check it out.