The world is rapidly depleting the easy-to-reach fossil fuel sources, and new finds are smaller and more expensive to extract, which McIlvaine predicts will drive demand in the unconventional fuels sector. In addition, there is turmoil putting into question the reliability of these sources. The inertia toward unconventional fuels is exacerbated by the rapidly increasing needs in Asia and other developing regions. According to McIlvaine, there are immediate short-term opportunities in the following categories:
· Gas Shale
· Coal-Bed Methane
· Heavy Oil
· Gas-to-Liquids
· Coal-to-Liquids
· Biofuels
· LNG
Valves represent the largest category, with revenues projected at $700 million.