Saudi Arabia Plans $2 Trillion Megafund for Post-Oil Era

read that again, POST OIL ERA.

As of right now, "we" have no alternative fuel source to look forward to. And it has always been a joke that if we did find an alternative, the ones who have been getting rich off of selling oil and limiting production to keep prices high, will one day choke on the sand, since they have no other viable means to support themselves. But it appears they are nearing some sort of end.

Has there been a breakthrough of some sort? Is there an alternative to oil?
I hate to be "that conspiracy guy" and bring up all the stories of big oil buying up ideas and shelving them in order to keep us all dependent on oil. I mean, if you bring up any alternative fuel, the engineers show up to explain thermodynamics and why none of that will ever work. So what is this?

Saudi Arabia is getting ready for the twilight of the oil age by creating the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund for the kingdom’s most prized assets. Over a five-hour conversation, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman laid out his vision for the Public Investment Fund, which will eventually control more than $2 trillion and help wean the kingdom off oil. As part of that strategy, the prince said Saudi will sell shares in Aramco’s parent company and transform the oil giant into an industrial conglomerate. The initial public offering could happen as soon as next year, with the country currently planning to sell less than 5 percent.

www.bloomberg.com...

a reply to: network dude

The only thing that will stop the oil from flowing is running out.

Might as well talk for 'five hours' about slowly weaning people away from breathing oxygen.

TPTB (Oil companies, world leaders) realize it's time to look for alternative sources for energy. And I also believe Saudi Arabia has been losing profit in their oil market. So I'm not surprised if countries like Saudi Arabia will make sure they can stay in power without losing their power thanks to their biggest asset... OIL!

a reply to: intrptr

The only thing that will stop the oil from flowing is running out.

The Saudis are the only ones who know what their reserves actually are. Doesn't this strike you as being confirmation of "Hubbert's peak": the point at which oil is no longer economical to extract?

People seem to have no idea how much blood and treasue is spent to keep it flowing. The whole war on terror, the invasions and occupations of multiple ME nations, drilling, pipelines, platforms, tankers, refineries, roads, rail, airlines, automobiles and all those Petro Dollars?

Overall, this represents trillions of dollars of infrastructure investment by all the major corporations on the planet. They aren't going to downsize if they don't have to. They are willing to go to any length of pipelines, any depths of ocean any distance of travel to sell you a tank of gas which you would be lost without.

originally posted by: intrptr

People seem to have no idea how much blood and treasue is spent to keep it flowing. The whole war on terror, the invasions and occupations of multiple ME nations, drilling, pipelines, platforms, tankers, refineries, roads, rail, airlines, automobiles and all those Petro Dollars?

Overall, this represents trillions of dollars of infrastructure investment by all the major corporations on the planet. They aren't going to downsize if they don't have to. They are willing to go to any length of pipelines, any depths of ocean any distance of travel to sell you a tank of gas which you would be lost without.

Correct, and the country that has profited most from this is preparing for it all to fail. What does this suggest to you?

originally posted by: DJW001
a reply to: intrptr

The only thing that will stop the oil from flowing is running out.

The Saudis are the only ones who know what their reserves actually are. Doesn't this strike you as being confirmation of "Hubbert's peak": the point at which oil is no longer economical to extract?

Fracking, shale oil, deep drilling, arctic 'exploration', all reflect how they plan to keep it going despite rising costs of refinement and threats to the environment. All these lesser grade solutions to 'dependence' on foreign oil are their alternatives to the rising cost of foreign oil.

Sure they will install electric solar and windmills everywhere they can, but this doesn't lessen the consumption of all forms of transportation. Until people feel less of a need to run to and fro, the oil must flow.

Not only but all the alternative energy solutions are highly dependent on oil to manufacture, theres no getting around that.

a reply to: network dude


Interesting times in the geopolitical arena. It's freaking incredible to me that the US is great allies with the Saudis and we don't bat an eyelash at terrorism or human rights violations in the name of the $

As long as they're lining their pockets...

a reply to: DJW001

Correct, and the country that has profited most from this is preparing for it all to fail. What does this suggest to you?

Its world wide failure then, because everywhere uses Petro dollars and oil to grease the wheels of civilization. The wealthiest most powerful people at the top won't go quietly. They don't care if the whole world dies at their feet, they think they can remain safe in their lofty pinnacles, immune to the brewing storm. They think they can 'fix it' or 'maintain it', regardless of how painful it becomes for everyone else. What do they care, they have jet helicopters and lear jets to whisk them to their ocean islands if need be to escape the mess they are creating.

a reply to: intrptr

Fracking, shale oil, deep drilling, arctic 'exploration', all reflect how they plan to keep it going despite rising costs of refinement and threats to the environment. All these lesser grade solutions to 'dependence' on foreign oil are their alternatives to the rising cost of foreign oil.

All of these forms of extraction have become economical because conventional supplies are running out.

Sure they will install electric solar and windmills everywhere they can, but this doesn't lessen the consumption of all forms of transportation. Until people feel less of a need to run to and fro, the oil must flow.

Transportation is not the most important use of petroleum; automobiles can run on natural gas or electricity. Petroleum's most important use is as feedstock for plastic. Without cheap oil, the consumer society would turn to coal for feedstock. The coal reserves would last about 200 years at the current rate of consumption, which means growth would be sharply constrained.

Not only but all the alternative energy solutions are highly dependent on oil to manufacture, theres no getting around that.

Energy is energy. The problem is that alternative energy sources have their own environmental problems. Solar panels contain poisonous heavy metals. Wind endangers wildlife. Hydro affects agriculture and wetlands. Everything comes with a cost.

They used to hunt wales for lamps
then they melted tar

But now we have nuclear plants, that heat water, shine the bulbs, and charges cars! since cars, really.

So petrol while sure is interesting material does not deserve its place as the most expensive energy source.

a reply to: network dude

I am not really getting the point of the OP . Oil is a finite resource . Makes sense to me that they would plan for the future . I know from close family that Oman has been planning for the end of the oil dollar for quite a long time .

originally posted by: wisvol
They used to hunt wales for lamps
then they melted tar

But now we have nuclear plants, that heat water, shine the bulbs, and charges cars! since cars, really.

So petrol while sure is interesting material does not deserve its place as the most expensive energy source.

Oil does a he'll of a lot more than those couple of things listed..
Currently without it the world is screwed.

Until something else replaces it's uses.. which of course they won't allow whilst the dollars are still rolling in..

Ker-ching..

a reply to: network dude

If you go to the UAE or to Qatar then you can see that they're already preparing for the post-oil future by trying to expand their economies beyond oil & gas. I was in Qatar a fortnight ago and Doha was littered with construction sites. They really are operating on the concept of 'If we build it, they will come'.

a reply to: DJW001

All of these forms of extraction have become economical because conventional supplies are running out.

Big difference between '"economical" and necessary. In order to keep the oil flowing they are causing pollution on an unheard of scale. See Gulf oil spill from deep drilling. See endless wars in the middle east, endless debt, failing (Petro) dollar, hill top removal for coal, Fracking, melted down nuclear reactors, disease and death from all these toxic technologies, (including war).

How stupid humans gotta be to dig up the most toxic stuff safely sequestered in the earth and burn it to the atmosphere in the form of carbon, spread it around on the ground in the form of roads and build cities to the sky, to snare everyone in?

Damn we dumb.

a reply to: network dude

Post Oil Era? That's very interesting. Thanks for bringing this to ATS. This makes me curious for what's about to happen...? Too bad that the only thing we can do is speculate.

a reply to: intrptr

The only thing that will stop the oil from flowing is running out.

Or somebody has some tech that they are not willing to sell for a few trillions?


Interesting, I recall a recent post around here about some new source of energy that was cost effective. However, I typically ignore them as they are dime a dozen.

One thing I'm pretty certain is that its not going to be Blacklight power, even though they are about to make break through once they get a little more funding.

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: network dude

I am not really getting the point of the OP . Oil is a finite resource . Makes sense to me that they would plan for the future . I know from close family that Oman has been planning for the end of the oil dollar for quite a long time .

in order for there to be an end, there must be an alternative. As of now, I don't see one. I do know this:
1. the AGW crowd wants to move away from oil
2. there is a finite amount of oil on the planet.
3. those who make the rules, seem to be the ones who make the most from oil.

Knowing all that, seeing Saudi Arabia making a move of this proportion seems to indicate a shift in the future of oil. I am all for getting off the stuff, but as I said, until there is another alternative, this doesn't make sense.

a reply to: intrptr

Damn we dumb.

Not dumb, short sighted. Just like the pleasurable buzz from a cigarette is more immediate than the abstract menace of lung cancer, so the luxury of personal automobiles, disposable consumer goods, and other "benefits" of petroleum outweigh the environmental and even societal damage caused by it.

a reply to: network dude

read that again, POST OIL ERA.

Very Interesting indeed, especially with their recent attack against competitors by driving down the cost of OIL.