Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
New oils are emerging in the United States and worldwide. The degree to which global oils differ from one another is increasing, from carbon-laden oils that resist flow to ultra-light petroleum liquids trapped in tight shale oil. Developing these unconventional oils requires a clear departure from business-as-usual practices. The Carnegie Oil Initiative provides expert analysis, strategic guidance, and policy frameworks to manage new oil assets while protecting the climate.
Carnegie’s work to understand emerging new oils has been ongoing since our seminal publication, Understanding Unconventional Oil, in 2012. All publications from this project are archived here.
The real issue behind the Keystone XL pipeline debate is how to manage the climate effects of the shift from conventional oils to unconventional oils.
Chinese imports of Canadian oil sands would strain the Sino-U.S. relationship, be detrimental to China's international climate change negotiations, and face opposition from indigenous and environmental groups in Canada.
Despite expert warnings, global policymaking communities lack a comprehensive understanding of the changing composition of their oil supplies and their impact on the climate.
Congress should not fast-track the Keystone XL oil pipeline project, which could escalate environmental campaigns to stop oil sands development entirely.
Emerging countries must decide if they want to follow developed, auto-dependent nations down an unsustainable path or if they will instead transform their national transportation system to encourage environmentally and economically sound choices.
Charting a global energy future requires that world navigate the inherent risks and challenges that oil, gas, nuclear, and other energy sources portend.