The Carbon Sciences Opportunity

While natural gas is considered to be the world’s next great source of fuel and the most certain way to achieve energy independence, it cannot be used directly in cars, trucks, trains and planes without a massive overhaul of the existing transportation infrastructure. Simply using more natural gas as a direct fuel will only contribute to more CO2 emissions. Carbon Sciences’ breakthrough technology combines natural gas with CO2 emissions to cost-effectively produce cleaner and greener liquid fuels for immediate use in the existing transportation infrastructure – thereby enabling nations of the world to reduce their dependence on petroleum and their carbon footprint.

World Energy Use by Fuel (1980-2030)

(Energy Information Administration, 2005)

Increasing Demand for Fuels

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, low cost fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, have powered humanity into a new era of advanced technology and modern life. Today, industrialization has reached a global scale, consuming more fossil fuel than ever before. With global population projected to increase from 6.8 billion in 2011 to 8.5 billion by 2030, worldwide energy consumption is projected to increase by 50% in the same period. This increase translates to over 112 million barrels of crude oil per day, up from the current 86 million barrels per day. Fossil fuels (liquid fuels and other petroleum, natural gas and coal) are expected to continue supplying most of the energy use worldwide. Liquid fuels, such as gasoline, are expected to remain the world's most dominant fuel because of their importance in the transportation and industrial sector since there are few alternatives. The transportation sector alone accounts for 74% of the total projected increase from 2005 to 2030, with the industrial sector accounting for the remainder. This increase in demand is largely the result of the rapid modernization of developing countries, such as China and India, which account for more than 85% of the projected increase. This increasing demand is likely to sustain high world oil prices for a long period of time.

Peak Oil in 2006 Means No More Cheap Oil

According to the International Energy Agency’s 2010 World Energy Outlook report, 2006 is the year that the world’s conventional oil production reached its peak and will stay on a plateau of about 69 million barrels per day and proceed to a gradual decline until world’s supply of oil is used up. To power the world for the next century, the EIA predicts that the growth in liquid fuels would come entirely from unconventional sources, such as natural gas liquids. IEA’s chief economist stated that if consuming nations do not make major efforts to slow down their oil demand growth, oil prices would increase to adversely affect the economies of the consuming nations.

Active World Natural Gas Reserves

Trillion Cubic Feet

(Energy Information Administration, 2010)

Active World Natural Gas Reserves

Unlike crude oil, natural gas is an untapped resource that is at the beginning of its useful life. With the help of advanced extraction technology, natural gas has the potential to fuel the world for hundreds of years, until renewable energy sources such solar and biofuels can be used cost-effectively on a global scale. According to the 2009 World Energy Outlook report, the long-term global recoverable gas resource base is estimated at more than 850 trillion cubic meters, or over 30,000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). This is more than enough to meet global consumption of 156 Tcf per year in 2035 and beyond. The Potential Gas Committee 2008 Biennial Report estimated that the US alone has almost 1,836 Tcf of developed and undeveloped natural gas reserves. The US consumption rate is only 25 Tcf.

Continued CO2 Emissions

World Carbon Dioxide Emissions (2005-2030)

(Energy Information Administration, 2005)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the use of fossil fuels have been generally accepted as the cause of global warming and climate change. Annual CO2 emissions are projected to increase from 28 billion metric tons in 2005 to 34 billion metric tons in 2015 and over 42 billion metric tons in 2030. The largest and most concentrated source of CO2 emissions is the growing use of coal-powered electricity generation, especially in developing countries where coal is abundant and inexpensive.

Sources: Statistics on this page are from Energy Information Administration