Specialty Hydrocarbon Fluid Production – Another Breakthrough from ExxonMobil

Those of us who believe that a rapid migration to renewable energy is underway often point to the raw power of technology advancements.  We cite the numerous improvements in the efficiency of solar, wind, hydro, etc., while noting the downward cascade of costs, as economies of scale are beginning to be achieved worldwide.

But guess what: “the dark side” is doing more than buying congressmen in a desperate ploy to stave off irrelevance; the oil companies are investing heavily in R&D, improving their ability to perform hydrocarbon extraction that would have been impossible a decade ago.  Of course, all this comes with increasing ecological damage, insofar as all the easily accessed crude and gas is long gone, and only the dirtiest and toughest-to-reach stuff remains.  But hey, you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.