While the amount of energy the world demands every year is tremendous, the cost of finding and purchasing that energy is just as staggering. According to this article, ExxonMobil plans to spend between $25 and $35 billion every year for the foreseeable future in search of more oil. Even as established oil reserves dry up, the company is finding more oil through their new operations than they have been losing from closing their old ones. With $40.6 billion dollars in profits last year, the company surely has plenty of cash on hand to go out and search for even more crude.

Although Exxon Mobil is spending a pile to discover new oil sources, the amount pales in comparison to the $1 trillion in total money that the world will spend on new energy projects in the coming years. We wish that more of that money were being spent on alternatives to oil, but, as this article points out, we will undoubtedly consume all of the oil that anyone can find.

[Source: CNN Money]

Looks like Chavez was not kidding around when he said he would stop oil shipments. Late Tuesday, according to Reuters, Venezuela stopped selling oil to the Exxon Mobil. What does this mean? It's unclear and no one is commenting, according to MSNBC. We will have more as the story develops.

[Source: Reuters, MSNBC]

Late last week, ExxonMobil announced that it, along with Japanese company Tonen Chemical, had developed a new plastic film technology for automotive lithium-ion batteries. And, since ExxonMobil was going to be at EVS23, I set up an interview with people who could tell AutoblogGreen readers more about this product. Thanks to a missed flight, I was not able to meet with ExxonMobil representatives at our appointment on Sunday but did connect with James Harris (pictured), the senior vice president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company and Patrick Brandt, the chief polymer scientist, R&D product technology, on the phone from Houston this afternoon.

Brandt and Harris spoke with AutoblogGreen about the way the new plastic sheet technology might affect future HEVs and BEVs. They're not naming names (big surprise), but did say that at least one major farm equipment manufacturer expressed an interest in the technology for farm implements right away.

Brandt walked us through some details on what the technology does. According to him, with this safe, higher-viscosity sheet, more lithium ions can safely move around between the electrodes in the battery. This results, apparently, in a more efficient and affordable lithium ion battery, which could potentially make hybrids and electric cars cheaper.

You can listen to the interview here (15 min, 10.3 MB). My own voice was recorded at a lower level, but you don't tune in to hear me, right? It's all about getting information from sources in the industry. It's unclear just how all this will fit into ExxonMobil's overall energy strategies, but that shouldn't stop anyone from speculating.

I just read the ExxonMobil advertorial in the NYTimes. The second in a 3-part series, this one is titled "Energy close to home." It is a very well-done piece that cherrypicks information. For instance, while admitting that the US is the world's leading oil consumer, it notes we are the No. 3 oil producer. It doesn't mention the we are No. 3 out of about 80 countries providing oil to the US economy. Nor does it say we are No. 3 but slowly declining in production or that the U.S.-sourced portion of our oil supplies is only about one third of our needs.

To be sure, we need U.S. and ExxonMobil oil production - I use about four gallons a week myself - and I credit the geologists and petroleum engineers of the world for getting it to us. After all, we need it to keep ourselves moving while we transition to the vehicles you read about here on ABG and their non-petroleum energy sources - biofuels, hydrogen, renewable electricity, plus the alternate lifestyles global warming will require - more biking, walking, telecommuting, etc. The point is we can't live a 21st century life using 20th century habits, not if we want to remain a strong and free society.

The advertorial is meant to attack the U.S. policy of keeping certain energy resources "off limits" to current exploration and production. While tempting, isn't it best that we sip rather than slurp up the last of our remaining petroleum sources? After all, once we use it all up and we are not done transitioning, what do we do then? Turn all our petroleum-dependent vehicles into horse drawn buggies or large planters? Our oil has to last till about 2050. That is a stretch.

When we write about Exxon Mobil here on AutoblogGreen, we mostly do it to point out just how much money they make. In 2006, after all, the company did make $1,252 every second. Sometimes we write about their shady ethanol studies or other ways the giant oil company is trying to buy off scientists. What I'm saying is that it's not too often that we say somewhat nice things about Exxon Mobil.

Today we do. The AP has a story about Exxon's new greener car announcement. Apparently, the latest technological advancement the company is working on (with Japan's Tonen Chemical) is a new film for lithium-ion batteries that would make electric and hybrid cars more efficient and affordable. Exxon will release more information at the Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition (aka EVS23) in Anaheim. I'll be attending that conference, and will make sure to bring you more details from Exxon.

[Source: AP via CNN Money]