Fossil fuels still rule; China looks to space

• Autores: Siobhan Lismore-Scott
• Localización: Industrial Minerals, ISSN 0019-8544, Nº. 556, 2014 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Enero)
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • This means that instead of dying down, which was expected after the initial renewable boom, oilfield exploration has actually increased in the last few years. Indeed, much is made of the growing unconventional gas market and the so-called'shale gale'. But what is less commented on is the fact that oil exploration has crept up also, with more rigs seen in the Middle East and Latin America (See graph 1).

    All this drilling means more demand for oilfield minerals such as barite (barytes) and bentonite (see pages 30-36). And, according to Barclays, exploration will accelerate in 2014. The bank said in its Global 2014 E&P (exploration and production) Spending Outlook that global E&P spending is poised to reach a new record of $723bn in 2014, up 6.1% from $682bn in 2013.

    Fracking and unconventional gas exploration is spreading to other parts of the world. Latin America is eyeing this market with interest (see p8) and in parts of Eastern Europe exploration is already underway. Whether or not this will have the same impact on the wholesale gas markets of those countries remains to be seen. What does mean for industrial minerals markets is heightened demand for frac sand and ceramic proppants, most often made from calcined bauxite or kaolin.