Reply #43: Foot on the gas?

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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/energy/foot-on-the-gas/437224

As the end of oil looms, there is global recognition that cleaner and renewable energies will inevitably power the future. With the largest natural gas reserves in the Asia Pacific, what will it take to get Indonesia’s gas above ground? Oil prices skyrocketed to more than $100 a barrel with the political unrest in Libya and the Middle East. The reign of Gaddafi and oil, the uprisings highlight, is undeniably petering out.

Paul Robertson illustrates the scale of problem in his book The End of Oil: “Consumption of oil is rising so fast that oil companies must discover a new billion-barrel oil field every two weeks.” While lifestyles have not shifted drastically in response to dwindling resources there is growing recognition that reserves are finite.

Indonesia is a case in point – the former OPEC member is now a net importer of oil. Demand is outstripping supply by 7% on average across the archipelago.