UCL-Energy seminar: GLOBAL FOSSIL ENERGY: ISSUES WITH QUANTITY, COST AND CARBON - Roberto F. Aguilera, Curtin University, Australia

There is much uncertainty associated with the availability of conventional and unconventional fossil fuels. Although concern has been expressed by some experts about impending shortages, it is generally believed there are sufficient commercially viable quantities to satisfy energy demand for the next several decades.

However, there is also much uncertainty surrounding the level of future CO2 emissions connected to fossil fuel production. A few questions are of particular importance. How much carbon is there in-ground? How much will be emitted into the atmosphere? How much uncertainty do we have to accept? Recent research suggests that in-ground carbon is far greater (and cheaper to produce) than commonly assumed.

Nevertheless, future CO2 levels and the importance of fossil fuels in the long-term energy mix remain mysterious and will depend on the role of policy and technological change over time.

About the speaker

Roberto F. Aguilera is a Curtin Research Fellow and Deputy Director with the Centre for Research in Energy and Minerals Economics (CREME) at Curtin University, Australia. Previously, he held appointments with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the University of Vienna, and the Catholic University of Chile.

He holds a BComm degree from the University of Calgary, Canada, as well as MS and PhD degrees from the Colorado School of Mines, United States. He is a member of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), and Australian Institute of Energy (AIE).

Dr. Aguilera has participated in projects such as the United States National Petroleum Council study Facing the Hard Truths about Energy, the Global Energy Assessment, and the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources.

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