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.
To promote Saudi Arabia’s push toward renewable energy, the United States should help the kingdom transform itself from petro-state to participant in the global clean energy market.
A U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement could have significant repercussions for U.S.-EU relations.
By creating policy frameworks for innovative mobility services, governments have an opportunity to address environmental and societal goals while promoting investment and technological leadership.
The Saudi Aramco IPO offers a unique opportunity for climate-based transparency. Yet, despite having some of the cleanest oils, transparency is unlikely without pressure from investors and exchanges.
California has the opportunity to lead the globe in oil data transparency even as it faces hidden climate risks from its oils.
The days of simply sticking a pipe in the ground and tapping a pool of easy-to-handle and profitable crude oil are fading. Changing resources require people challenge conventional thinking on oil.