Abstract: 

From One Chokepoint to Another: Rethinking Global Energy Landscape

The closure of Strait of Hormuz created an energy shock throughout Asia, Europe and elsewhere that depend on imported energy. This was preceded by an earlier shock in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. As a result, the energy market has been shifting, the energy mix is changing and the hunt for alternatives such as solar and wind has accelerated. China seems to be a major beneficiary of this transition to renewables. However, with their dominant position on rare earth minerals, it seems like the world is moving from one chokepoint to another. So, how do we ensure global energy accessibility?

Beginning with the UN Sustainable Development (SD) goals and the evolution of energy sources in meeting them over the past century, I will discuss the pentalemma facing the future of energy and the environment: Flexibility, Affordability, Conservation, Transition, and Sustainability. I will then rank energy sources against the UN SD goals. Finally, I will present a few case studies on the social dimensions of different energy sources and the importance of public awareness.

Speaker Bio: 

Dr. M. Reza Fassihi is a Research Visitor at the University of Calgary in Canada and a BHP Distinguished Advisor Emeritus and Founder of Beyond Carbon, LLC.  His interests include: reservoir management, carbon capture and storage, and low‑carbon energy technologies. With more than 45 years of experience in the Energy industry across major oil companies, Arco, Amoco, BP and BHP, he has led many technical and engineering teams with a focus on energy extraction, technology development and field applications. His most recent focus areas have been in situ hydrogen generation, CO₂ sequestration, geothermal energy, and mineral extraction. He is widely recognized for his influential publications (more than 50 papers) and three books, Low-Energy Processes for Unconventional Oil recovery (2017), Integrated Aquifer Characterization and Modeling for Energy Sustainability, (2023) and F.A.C.T.S., Flexibility, Affordability, Conservation, Transition and Sustainability (2026).  Reza is a SPE Distinguished member and has received the SPE IOR Pioneer award.  Reza holds A BSc degree from Abadan Institute of Technology (AIT) in Iran and a PhD degree in Reservoir Engineering from Stanford university in CA (USA).