The Petroleum Truth Report

Putting the Earth Back in Model Land

By Art Berman | April 13, 2025

A friend sent me Doomberg’s latest takedown of peak oil with a familiar jab—“Obviously, I’m poking you”—since I was deep in that world 20 years ago. Doomberg’s point is simple:…

Jeff Currie’s “New Joule Order”—A Compelling but Flawed Energy Framework

By Art Berman | March 17, 2025

Jeff Currie is a sharp thinker with decades in oil and commodities—when he speaks, I listen. His “New Joule Order“ offers an interesting but problematic take on the future of energy. Currie argues…

Natural Gas: Winter Price Spike Won’t Break the Gloom

By Art Berman | November 30, 2024

Natural gas prices jumped over 50% from $2.26 on October 18 to $3.43 on November 26, sparking talk of a rally. Don’t get too excited—this is winter weather at work,…

Blows to the Body Electric: AI meets Renewables–Renewables Lose

By Art Berman | November 27, 2024

The energy transition took some body blows in 2024. If you still believe decarbonization is inevitable and just a matter of time, read on. The surge in power demand from…

Energy, Economics, and the Limits of Growth: What Trump’s Victory Reveals About America’s Challenges

By Art Berman | November 20, 2024

Peter Thiel claims that Trump’s election victory marks the collapse of liberalism, a public rejection of progressive academia, and the end of the technocratic deep state. Pippa Malmgren calls it…

Refining Reality: The Hidden Struggles of a World Still Dependent on Oil

By Art Berman | November 15, 2024

Refinery margins are under serious pressure in 2024, squeezed by high costs and an oversupply of refined products. Weak demand and high crude prices are the main culprits. This isn’t…

Naïve Optimism vs Reality: The True State of Our Planet and Energy Future

By Art Berman | November 12, 2024

Last week, I spent time with oil CEOs who understood the complex environmental issues tied to energy but still believed everything would work out for humanity. Technology will fix most…

Dark Matter: Unseen Forces Shaping Our Climate and Future

By Art Berman | October 29, 2024

There’s a hidden framework that holds up our worldview—the rules, assumptions, and structures we rarely notice or question. Indy Johar calls this “dark matter.” It’s dark because it operates beneath…

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Why Climate Denial Is No Longer Possible

By Art Berman | October 1, 2024

The Washington Post recently featured new research by Emily Judd and her team, reaffirming what scientists have long understood: CO2 and temperature are closely linked. What’s new is that this study…

Geopolitics: The Anguish of a Divided World

By Art Berman | August 5, 2024

The risk of global conflict has increased to its highest level in decades because of recent events in the Middle East. The targeted killings of Hamas leaders in Tehran and…

Oil Markets Were Unwise But Right in the Israel-Iran Crisis

By Art Berman | April 24, 2024

The Middle East seemed to be on the brink of war last week and oil prices fell. Was the market wrong? Brent futures price closed at $90.45 per barrel on…

Almost Everything is About Oil in the Middle East

By Art Berman | April 18, 2024

Perhaps the most extraordinary part of Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel was that it was countered by a coalition that included Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates…