Next* Magazine, Issue 4 - Chevron

WelcomeMany Paths to the FutureEnergy fuels human progress. Around theworld, local economies depend on access tosafe, reliable and affordable energy to meetbasic human needs—light, heat, food, transportation—andto raise living standards. And thedemand for this energy will continue to rise, asthe world’s population is expected to grow byabout 20 percent over the next 20 years.As a global society, how will we meetthe aspirations and growing energy needs ofdeveloped and developing nations as populationsincrease, and how do we deliver thisenergy at the enormous scale required whileminimizing impacts on the environment?This is one of the great challenges of ourtime. The solutions depend not just on thechoices made by business and government,but by people like you and me. And the solutionsare enabled by technology.carbon dioxide–injection project. It looks atCollaborating with government, academicTechnology, and the know-how requirednew technologies that enhance oil recovery,and research institutions helps Chevron differ-to develop and deploy it at scale, will delivershale gas production and reservoir man-entiate its performance through technology—the breakthroughs, just as they have done inagement. These technologies can increaseby delivering superior performance in its corethe past. The world will need all the energythe ability to meet current demand whilebusinesses and leading in emerging technolo-it can get from all sources, using technologyimproving efficiency and reducing our envi-gies, moving ideas off the lab bench onto pilotto tap the high energy density, reliability andronmental footprint.demonstrations and into large-scale commer-fungibility of hydrocarbons and to find waysThis issue also explores one university’scial applications.of turning less dense feedstocks, such as bio-work to develop our greatest and most plenti-The challenges facing our world aremass, into energy supplies at scale.ful source of new energy, the energy eachimmense, yet so are the opportunitiesBy necessity there will be many paths toof us can save through efficiency. Accessingfor human ingenuity to create solutions.the future, using different technology break-this resource involves choices: the individualAt Chevron, we call this human energy.throughs to get more energy from resourceschoices we all make each day—the cars weAs you’ll see in this issue of Next*, it’s onewe already have—technologies that reducedrive, appliances we use and lifestyles weform of energy in great abundance and is thecarbon, enable resources of cleaner-burningadopt—and the choices businesses and institu-catalyst for new technologies that facilitatenatural gas or unlock renewable resources.tions make to boost energy efficiency.human progress.To be sustainable, these solutions must beTechnology is a great enabler. But evenbuilt on business models and technologiesthe greatest of enablers is ultimately just aSincerely,that are scalable, environmentally sound andtool. And tools rely on people, processes and,PHOTO: SUZIE SAKUMAeconomically viable.This issue of Next* probes such breakthroughs,including the development of ahuge natural gas resource in Australia thathas the world’s largest commercial-scalein a larger sense, collaboration in order to“get it right” on a safe and sustained basis.That’s the value of partnership and an integratedapproach to technology developmentand deployment.John W. McDonald, Chevron CorporationVice President and Chief Technology OfficerNext* | 1