# Oil production facts and figures for P38



## syscom3 (Aug 1, 2006)

Since P38 has not a clue about the oil industry, and who is exporting what, to which country, This thread is to educate him.

Oil imports to the USA, Crude oil only.

Top 15 countries, May 2006 data. Rate is Thousand barrels per day.

Canada 1868
Mexico 1576
*Saudi 1457*
Venzuela 1169
Nigeria 1075
*Iraq 666* (the devils number!!!!)
Angola 379
*Algeria 350*
Russia 255
Ecuador 239
*Kuwait 220*
Columbia 185
UK 174
Norway 98
Brazil 96


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## P38 Pilot (Aug 1, 2006)

Well, **** you!


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## P38 Pilot (Aug 1, 2006)

Well, at least I did learn something from your chart up there Syscom.


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## syscom3 (Aug 1, 2006)

I learned something too. Notice the absence of oil from Libya and the UAE?

And I had no idea that Brazil was an oil producer.


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## P38 Pilot (Aug 1, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> I learned something too. Notice the absence of oil from Libya and the UAE?
> 
> And I had no idea that Brazil was an oil producer.



Your right. I wonder why their not up there...

Didnt realise Brazil even ran on oil!


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## plan_D (Aug 2, 2006)

My god, syscom, you abuse P-38 for not knowing about oil production. And you didn't even realise Brazil produced oil? Next you'll be shocked to find Venezuala produces coal!


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## Gnomey (Aug 2, 2006)

Brazil uses a lot of Biofuel - petrol made from sugar and oil products...


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## syscom3 (Aug 2, 2006)

plan_D said:


> My god, syscom, you abuse P-38 for not knowing about oil production. And you didn't even realise Brazil produced oil? Next you'll be shocked to find Venezuala produces coal!



huh?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 3, 2006)

Gnomey said:


> Brazil uses a lot of Biofuel - petrol made from sugar and oil products...



Thats really starting to take off here in Germany. Atleast non petrol fuels are that is.


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## timshatz (Aug 3, 2006)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Thats really starting to take off here in Germany. Atleast non petrol fuels are that is.




Cool, the more options out there for energy, the better. Hate to think that every dollar we send over there for oil is going to come back to us in the form of something that goes "Bang" in the future. Kind of like sending Japan our scrap metal in the 30s to see it come whistling back in the form of shells and whatnot.


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## P38 Pilot (Aug 3, 2006)

timshatz said:


> Cool, the more options out there for energy, the better. Hate to think that every dollar we send over there for oil is going to come back to us in the form of something that goes "Bang" in the future. Kind of like sending Japan our scrap metal in the 30s to see it come whistling back in the form of shells and whatnot.



He's right.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 4, 2006)

timshatz said:


> Cool, the more options out there for energy, the better. Hate to think that every dollar we send over there for oil is going to come back to us in the form of something that goes "Bang" in the future. Kind of like sending Japan our scrap metal in the 30s to see it come whistling back in the form of shells and whatnot.




That was a really dumb comment there tim. If I misunderstood you then I am sorry and please inform me. Germany is not going to send anything back to the US that goes "bang". WW2 is over. Germany has changed, get over it now, it has been 60 years for christ sakes.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 4, 2006)

P38 Pilot said:


> He's right.



Read the post P38. Do you really think that Germany is going to attack the United States?

Besides Germany does not buy most of its fuel from the US.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Aug 4, 2006)

i think he meant the middle east


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## timshatz (Aug 4, 2006)

How did Germany get in there?

Whoops, reread the post. I got it now. Posting at cross purposes. Good for Germany on the various fuels it is using (the more the merrier on that one), bad for the west that every buck/euro/yen we send over there has the potential to come back in a form not of our choosing.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 4, 2006)

Im sorry I think you misunderstood you. Like I said if I did then I am sorry. I was talking about how Germany was starting to use other alternatives than petrol and you quoted that. 

Sorry for the misunderstanding.


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## syscom3 (Aug 4, 2006)

While I dig up some more facts and figures for the oil industry, how about some of you members who live in Europe, Africa and Asia tell us how much you pay for fuel.

If you also know how much of the price is in tax's, let us know too.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Aug 4, 2006)

everything but one of our jeeps, our lawnmower and our strimmer uses diesil on the farm, we don't get it at the pump we get it straight from the supplier so we pay less, but at the pumps petrol's about £1 a litre........


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## syscom3 (Aug 4, 2006)

the lancaster kicks *** said:


> everything but one of our jeeps, our lawnmower and our strimmer uses diesil on the farm, we don't get it at the pump we get it straight from the supplier so we pay less, but at the pumps petrol's about £1 a litre........



1 pound = $1.9

so thats $1.9 to the liter..... 3.8 liters to the gallon, so ....

3.8 times 1.9 = $7.22/gallon

Are you paying that much?


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## timshatz (Aug 4, 2006)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Im sorry I think you misunderstood you. Like I said if I did then I am sorry. I was talking about how Germany was starting to use other alternatives than petrol and you quoted that.
> 
> Sorry for the misunderstanding.



No worries dude, your English is far better than my German. And, having re-read it , my post could've been misconstrued to mean what you thought. 

Like I said, no worries.


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## Gnomey (Aug 4, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> 1 pound = $1.9
> 
> so thats $1.9 to the liter..... 3.8 liters to the gallon, so ....
> 
> ...


Yes if not more. For normal unleaded it ranges between 98p and 105p. You can get autogas though for 38p a litre...


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## timshatz (Aug 5, 2006)

Gnomey said:


> Yes if not more. For normal unleaded it ranges between 98p and 105p. You can get autogas though for 38p a litre...



What's the difference between Autogas and Regular Unleaded? Have seen that over in Europe but am not familiar.


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## Bullockracing (Aug 5, 2006)

Interesting syscom, where can I find that data?


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## cheddar cheese (Aug 5, 2006)

timshatz said:


> What's the difference between Autogas and Regular Unleaded? Have seen that over in Europe but am not familiar.



Gas is actually a gas, because we name things properly over here 


Down at our local garage unleaded is 'only' 92p...


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 5, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> While I dig up some more facts and figures for the oil industry, how about some of you members who live in Europe, Africa and Asia tell us how much you pay for fuel.



I pay 60 euro cents a liter approx.


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## P38 Pilot (Aug 5, 2006)

In Auburn, the average price is $2.70


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

I posted thsi a while back...
Inflation adjusted Gasoline Price Chart


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## P38 Pilot (Aug 5, 2006)

Just keeps getting more expensive. I may have to re-think about getting a Wrangler when Im older....


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

Actually if you look at that chart, factor in inflation and depending what part of the country you live, gas is about where it should be, maybe about 30 cents a gallon over priced...


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Aug 5, 2006)

good God i knew you guys got it cheaper than us but that's rediculous.......


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

the lancaster kicks *** said:


> good God i knew you guys got it cheaper than us but that's rediculous.......


I paid $2.87 the other day, I figure that to be 1.51 pounds...


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Aug 5, 2006)

yeah but that's for a gallon aint it?


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

the lancaster kicks *** said:


> yeah but that's for a gallon aint it?


Yep - US gallon


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2006)

Here in Orange county, Its $3.30 per gallon for 89 octane.

And thats at a Shell station.

California needs special blends of gas because of EPA rules, so we tend to be about a dime a gallon more expensive than the rest of the states.


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> Here in Orange county, Its $3.30 per gallon for 89 octane.
> 
> And thats at a Shell station.
> 
> California needs special blends of gas because of EPA rules, so we tend to be about a dime a gallon more expensive than the rest of the states.


The PRC strikes again!


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Aug 5, 2006)

quit complaining about how you're paying a tiny fraction more for a lot of "gas", you've got it a lot easier than us........


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

the lancaster kicks *** said:


> quit complaining about how you're paying a tiny fraction more for a lot of "gas", you've got it a lot easier than us........


I know.....And I laugh at those who are complaining but yet they still drive their huge gas guzzling trucks as daily commuters.

But consider how much of your gas prices is tax????


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## timshatz (Aug 5, 2006)

P38 Pilot said:


> Just keeps getting more expensive. I may have to re-think about getting a Wrangler when Im older....



Choppy ride, go over a bump and spill your beer all over your lap...


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2006)

FLYBOYJ said:


> The PRC strikes again!



Not true.

These rules were forced onto the state by the feds.


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2006)

timshatz said:


> Choppy ride, go over a bump and spill your beer all over your lap...



Driving while drinking alcohol isnt a smart thing to do.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 5, 2006)

Depending on the exchange rate I pay roughly $3.15 for a gallon. Changes daily though obviously.


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> Not true.
> 
> These rules were forced onto the state by the feds.


Your state tax is 18 cents. Then you have a 6% state sales tax and 1.25% county, plus additional local sales taxes and 1.2 cents per gallon state UST fee. We pay a flat 22 cents in Colorado and have the same requirements you guys have for federal emissions (especially around Denver and the surrounding counties). Gas here is between 30 and 40 cents a gallon cheaper and its been that way since I first starting coming out here in 1998.


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2006)

I was referring to the EPA forcing California to use special blends of gasoline that isnt used in neighboring states.


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> I was referring to the EPA forcing California to use special blends of gasoline that isnt used in neighboring states.


I am too - we have to use the same additives in some parts of Colorado that's used all over California.


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2006)

FLYBOYJ said:


> I am too - we have to use the same additives in some parts of Colorado that's used all over California.



And another reason we have higher costs for our gasoline, is the ethanol we need for the blends, all comes in from out of state.

Youre closer to the corn belt (ethanol belt?). Were a good thousand miles futher west, so the transportation costs add to the gallon.


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2006)

Heres some information on crude oil sources for California. This is year 2005 data. 

Crude oil in thousands of barrels:

California oil well sources:
39% of the states total @ 266,052
Alaskan sources:
20% of the states total @ 135,906
Foreign countries:
40% of the states total @ 272,318


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2006)

Heres some neat information. I always wondered what "sweet" oil was.

*Sulfur Content*
Crude oil is defined as “sweet” if the sulfur content is 0.5 percent or less by weight and “sour” if the sulfur content is greater than 1.0 percent. Sulfur compounds in crude oil are chemically bonded to hydrocarbon molecules in the oil. Additional equipment in the refinery is required to remove the sulfur from crude oil, intermediate
hydrocarbon feedstocks, and finished products. Transportation fuel specifications require extremely low sulfur contents, usually less than 80 parts per million (ppm).

*Acid Content*
Another characteristic of crude oil is the total acid number (TAN). The TAN represents a composite of acids present in the oil and is measured in milligrams (mg). A TAN number greater than 0.5 mg is considered high. As an example, Wilmington and Kern crude oil have a TAN ranging from 2.2 to 3.2 mg, respectively. However, some acids are relatively inert. Thus, the TAN number does not always represent the corrosive properties of the crude oil. Further, different acids will react at different temperatures – making it difficult to pinpoint the processing units within the refinery that will be affected by a particular high TAN crude oil. Nonetheless, high TAN crude oils contain naphthenic acids, a broad group of organic acids that are
usually composed of carboxylic acid compounds. These acids corrode the distillation unit in the refinery and form sludge and gum which can block pipelines and pumps entering the refinery.

The impact of corrosive, high TAN, crude oils can be overcome by blending higher and lower TAN oils, installing or retrofitting equipment with anticorrosive materials, or by developing low temperature catalytic decarboxylation processes using metal catalysts such as copper. Many California refineries already process high TAN crude. High TAN oils are sold on the market at a discount compared to higher quality crude oils. High TAN oils account for an increasing percentage of the global crude oil market. Crude oil with a TAN greater than 1.0 mg increased in the world market from 7.5 percent in 1998 to 9.5 percent in 2003.


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> And another reason we have higher costs for our gasoline, is the ethanol we need for the blends, all comes in from out of state.
> 
> Youre closer to the corn belt (ethanol belt?). Were a good thousand miles futher west, so the transportation costs add to the gallon.


Actually that transportation to *Southern California *(and areas of other large demands) - drive up to Bakersfield and you'll pay between 25-30 cents a gallon less (check the prices on line)

No matter how you slice it the pinko goofballs in Sacramento via San Francisco continue to rape the California population...


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 5, 2006)

Alot of oil in California!!! - Drive up the 14 by San Fernando Rd. - you could see all the wells on the left side of the FWY heading north. BTW Gene Autrey used to own all that land....

Sweet oil - the highest percentage of sweet oil in the world I believe is found in Iraq!!!!!


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## syscom3 (Aug 7, 2006)

This is todays news out of Alaska. Funny, since I was going to post some Alaskan oil figures.

Its good that they caught the problems in the pipeline before one of them ruptured big time. But I'm a little suspicious about the timing of this. Corrosion on this type of scale takes a while to develope, and I wouldnt be surprised if they knew about this weeks or even months ago.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Oil company BP scrambled Monday to assess suspected pipeline corrosion that will shut shipments from the nation's biggest oilfield, removing about 8 percent of daily U.S. crude production and driving oil prices sharply higher.

BP, which is already facing a criminal investigation over a large spill in March at the same Prudhoe Bay oilfield, said it did not know how long the field would be offline. "I don't even know how long it's going to take to shut it down," said Tom Williams, BP's senior tax and royalty counsel.

While BP suspects corrosion in both damaged lines, it can't say for sure until further tests are complete. Workers also found a small spill of about 4 to 5 barrels, which has been contained and is being cleaned up, BP said.

The news sent the price of light, sweet crude oil up $1.53 to $74.57 a barrel in electronic trading Monday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Steve Marshall, president of BP Exploration Alaska Inc., said Sunday night that the eastern side of the Prudhoe Bay oilfield would be shut down first, an operation anticipated to take 24 to 36 hours. The company will then move to shut down the west side, a move that could close more than 1,000 Prudhoe Bay wells.

Once the field is shut down, BP said oil production will be reduced by 400,000 barrels a day. That's close to 8 percent of U.S. oil production or about 2.6 percent of U.S. supply including imports, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The shutdown comes at an already worrisome time for the oil industry, with supply concerns stemming both from the hurricane season and instability in the Middle East.

A 400,000-barrel per day reduction in output would have a major impact on oil prices, said Tetsu Emori, chief commodities strategist at Mitsui Bussan Futures in Tokyo. A barrel contains 42 gallons of crude oil.

"Oil prices could increase by as much as $10 per barrel given the current environment," Emori said. "But we can't really say for sure how big an effect this is going to have until we have more exact figures about how much production is going to be reduced."

But Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin Gertz in Singapore, said he expected the impact to be minimal since crude inventories are high.

"So while this won't have any immediate impact on U.S. supplies, the market is in very high anxiety. So any significant disruption, traders will take that into account, even though there is no threat of a supply shortage."

Marshall said tests Friday indicated that there were 16 anomalies in 12 areas in an oil transit line on the eastern side of Prudhoe Bay. Tests found losses in wall thickness of between 70 and 81 percent. Repair or replacement is required if there is more than an 80 percent loss.

"The results were absolutely unexpected," Marshall said.

BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone said Prudhoe Bay will not resume operating until the company and government regulators are satisfied it can run safely without threatening the environment.

"We regret that it is necessary to take this action and we apologize to the nation and the State of Alaska for the adverse impacts it will cause," Malone said in a statement.

The troubles at the Alaskan oilfield add to other problems for BP in the United States, where the company is the largest oil producer, following an explosion at its Texas City refinery that killed 15 workers in March 2005 and a trading scandal.

The shutdown comes six months after the North Slope's biggest ever oil spill was discovered on a Prudhoe Bay transit line. Some 267,000 gallons of oil spilled. BP installed a bypass on that line in April with plans to replace the pipe. Only one of BP's three transit lines is now operating.

BP puts millions of gallons of corrosion inhibitor into the Prudhoe Bay lines each year. It also examines pipes by taking X-rays and ultrasound images.

BP has a 26 percent stake in the Prudhoe Bay field, meaning its own production would be cut by 100,000 barrels a day, or around 2.5 percent of the company's worldwide production, said spokesman David Nicholas. He declined to provide any forecast on the impact of the shutdown on earnings.

BP shares dropped 2 percent to 623 pence ($11.89) on the London Stock Exchange.

A prolonged Prudhoe Bay shutdown would be a major blow to domestic oil production, but even a short one could be crippling to Alaska's economy.

Alaska House Speaker John Harris said it was admirable that BP took immediate action, although it's sure to hurt state coffers. "This state cannot afford to have another Exxon Valdez," said Harris, R-Valdez.

The Exxon Valdez tanker emptied 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound in 1989, killing hundreds of thousands of birds and marine animals and soiling more than 1,200 miles of rocky beach in nation's largest oil spill.


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## plan_D (Aug 7, 2006)

... hehe ... a bunch of Brits making America panic.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 8, 2006)

Not to try and be a tree hugger but I hope the environment will not be too effected. I only say this because Alaska is my future home.


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## syscom3 (Aug 8, 2006)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Not to try and be a tree hugger but I hope the environment will not be too effected. I only say this because Alaska is my future home.



Alaskan residents receive an annual check from the state, depending on how much oil is pumped.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 8, 2006)

Yes I know that, but what does that have to do with the environment.

That check is also per person in your family as well.


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## syscom3 (Aug 14, 2006)

This is an interesting graph of whats refined from 1 barrel of oil.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Aug 14, 2006)

one can only assume "distilate fuel oil" is diesil?


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## Parmigiano (Aug 14, 2006)

Here the oil prices in Europe at August 7, 2006

BPH - Prezzi Europa

where:
- Price is in Euro per liter of fuel
Benzina Senza Piombo: unleaded gasoline
Gasolio Autotrazione: diesel fuel
Gasolio Riscaldamento: diesel oil for heating (detaxed)
Olio Combustibile: bunker C fuel oil

And Adler, the 'military detaxed' price you pay for gas is not representative.. PS: can we arrange some business with that? I need about 80 litres of diesel per month... how about a railroad shipment?

The high price of gasoline has pushed Europe to develop very efficient diesel engines, in normal traffic a diesel car drinks about 30% less than a gasoline car of similar displacement and power (the more you drive in traffic and stop-and-go, the more you save)
I would not be surprised if the next step for USA will be the 'conversion' to diesel...


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## syscom3 (Aug 14, 2006)

Distillite fuel oil does include both diesel and heating oil.


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## davparlr (Aug 14, 2006)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Not to try and be a tree hugger but I hope the environment will not be too effected. I only say this because Alaska is my future home.



Alaska is one fifth the size of the rest of the US and twice the size of Texas. It would take one massive disruption to make any impact the environment. There was great gnashing of teeth on the threat of the oil line to the caribou. There are now more caribou than was before. 

However, I think the oil companies should be held to high standards on the environment. Its for their and our own good. Unfortunately they are sometimes not so smart.

I am off to Alaska tomorrow. My sister lives slightly north of Anchorage in a place called Big Lake. Alaska seems to be in a building spurt with the large increase in oil prices.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 15, 2006)

Parmigiano said:


> And Adler, the 'military detaxed' price you pay for gas is not representative.. PS: can we arrange some business with that? I need about 80 litres of diesel per month... how about a railroad shipment?


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## syscom3 (Aug 23, 2006)

USGS Fact sheet: Gas (Methane) Hydrates -- A New Frontier

Methane trapped in marine sediments as a hydrate represents such an immense carbon reservoir that it must be considered a dominant factor in estimating unconventional energy resources; the role of methane as a 'greenhouse' gas also must be carefully assessed. 
Dr. William Dillon, 
U.S. Geological Survey 
Hydrates store immense amounts of methane, with major implications for energy resources and climate, but the natural controls on hydrates and their impacts on the environment are very poorly understood.
Gas hydrates occur abundantly in nature, both in Arctic regions and in marine sediments. Gas hydrate is a crystalline solid consisting of gas molecules, usually methane, each surrounded by a cage of water molecules. It looks very much like water ice. Methane hydrate is stable in ocean floor sediments at water depths greater than 300 meters, and where it occurs, it is known to cement loose sediments in a surface layer several hundred meters thick. 

*The worldwide amounts of carbon bound in gas hydrates is conservatively estimated to total twice the amount of carbon to be found in all known fossil fuels on Earth.*

This estimate is made with minimal information from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other studies. Extraction of methane from hydrates could provide an enormous energy and petroleum feedstock resource. Additionally, conventional gas resources appear to be trapped beneath methane hydrate layers in ocean sediments. 

*Recent mapping conducted by the USGS off North Carolina and South Carolina shows large accumulations of methane hydrates.*

A pair of relatively small areas, each about the size of the State of Rhode Island, shows intense concentrations of gas hydrates. USGS scientists estimate that these areas contain more than 1,300 trillion cubic feet of methane gas, an amount representing more than 70 times the 1989 gas consumption of the United States. Some of the gas was formed by bacteria in the sediments, but some may be derived from deep strata of the Carolina Trough. The Carolina Trough is a significant offshore oil and gas frontier area where no wells have been drilled. It is a very large basin, about the size of the State of South Carolina, that has accumulated a great thickness of sediment, perhaps more than 13 kilometers. Salt diapirs, reefs, and faults, in addition to hydrate gas, may provide greater potential for conventional oil and gas traps than is present in other east coast basins. 

*The immense volumes of gas and the richness of the deposits may make methane hydrates a strong candidate for development as an energy resource. *

Because the gas is held in a crystal structure, gas molecules are more densely packed than in conventional or other unconventional gas traps. Gas-hydrate-cemented strata also act as seals for trapped free gas. These traps provide potential resources, but they can also represent hazards to drilling, and therefore must be well understood. Production of gas from hydrate-sealed traps may be an easy way to extract hydrate gas because the reduction of pressure caused by production can initiate a breakdown of hydrates and a recharging of the trap with gas. 

*USGS investigations indicate that gas hydrates may cause landslides on the continental slope*. 

Seafloor slopes of 5 degrees and less should be stable on the Atlantic continental margin, yet many landslide scars are present. The depth of the top of these scars is near the top of the hydrate zone, and seismic profiles indicate less hydrate in the sediment beneath slide scars. Evidence available suggests a link between hydrate instability and occurrence of landslides on the continental margin. A likely mechanism for initiation of landsliding involves a breakdown of hydrates at the base of the hydrate layer. The effect would be a change from a semi-cemented zone to one that is gas-charged and has little strength, thus facilitating sliding. The cause of the breakdown might be a reduction in pressure on the hydrates due to a sea-level drop, such as occurred during glacial periods when ocean water became isolated on land in great ice sheets. 



*Methane, a "greenhouse" gas, is 10 times more effective than carbon dioxide in causing climate warming.*

Methane bound in hydrates amounts to approximately 3,000 times the volume of methane in the atmosphere. There is insufficient information to judge what geological processes might most affect the stability of hydrates in sediments and the possible release of methane into the atmosphere. Methane released as a result of landslides caused by a sea-level fall would warm the Earth, as would methane released from gas hydrates in Arctic sediments as they become warmed during a sea-level rise. This global warming might counteract cooling trends and thereby stabilize climatic fluctuation, or it could exacerbate climatic warming and thereby destabilize the climate. 

*Results of USGS investigations indicate that methane hydrates possess unique acoustic properties.*

The velocity of sound in hydrate is very high, and therefore the velocity of sound in the surface layer of hydrate-cemented sediments also is high. Specific acoustic characteristics of hydrate-cemented sediments are not well known and require further study. Such information has significant implications in the use of sonar devices for defense, seismic exploration, and research. 

Realizing the importance of methane hydrates in marine sediments, the USGS has focused work on selected areas where hydrates are known to be common, and where the influences of hydrates on energy resources, climate, and seafloor stability can be analyzed. 

At this stage, it is important for USGS scientists to learn how the hydrates form, evolve, and break down, how they affect sediments, and what factors control their concentration at certain locations, as well as to explore for new hydrate accumulations. Cooperation with other Federal agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for bathymetry studies, the Department of Energy for application of hydrate gas extraction technology, and the U.S. Navy for acoustic studies, will enhance the success of future work.


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 23, 2006)

Good info - If I was Pres., I'd dump half of congress paywages into this, just for starters


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## syscom3 (Sep 5, 2006)

OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Tests of a deep-water well in the Gulf of Mexico could indicate a significant oil discovery, three companies announced Tuesday, in the first project to tap into a region that reportedly could boost U.S. oil and gas reserves by as much as 50 percent.

The Jack 2 well was drilled by U.S. oil company Chevron Corp., with partners Statoil ASA of Norway and Devon Energy Corp. of Oklahoma City.

"Test results are very encouraging and may indicate a significant discovery. The full magnitude of the field's potential is still being defined," Statoil said in a statement.

During the test, the Jack 2 well sustained a flow rate of more than 6,000 barrels of oil per day, Statoil said.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the region where the well is located could become the nation's biggest new domestic source of oil since the discovery of Alaska's North Slope more than a generation ago.

The Journal said Chevron and Devon officials estimate that recent discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico's lower-tertiary formations hold up to 15 billion barrels' worth of oil and gas reserves, a total that would boost the nation's current reserves by 50 percent.

The well was drilled in the Walker Ridge area of the Gulf, about 270 miles southwest of New Orleans and 175 miles off the coast. It followed up a discovery made by Chevron in 2004.

"This area is one of the new and promising deep-water areas in the Gulf of Mexico," said Oivind Reinertsen, senior vice president of Statoil's Gulf of Mexico assets in Houston.

"The Jack 2 well test data are encouraging and may form the basis of future development projects in Walker Ridge," he said.

In a separate statement, San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron said the well set a variety of records, including the deepest well successfully tested in the Gulf of Mexico. Chevron said it was drilled to a total depth of 28,175 feet in waters that are 7,000 feet deep.

Chevron has a 50 percent stake in the field, while Statoil and Devon own 25 percent each.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-09-05-08-28-12


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## syscom3 (Nov 5, 2006)

Heres something for Deradler to ponder:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Alaskan voters will decide this week whether to impose a nearly $1 billion-a-year tax on oil companies holding leases for undeveloped natural gas lying in the ground on the state's North Slope region.

The ballot initiative, to be voted on in the general election on Tuesday, would assess a tax at a rate of 3 cents per 1,000 cubic feet on long-known large deposits of conventional natural gas.

The target is the approximately 35 trillion cubic feet of known natural gas on the North Slope, most of it in the Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson fields.

Written by a trio of state lawmakers who were unable to get similar tax passed by the legislature, the initiative reflects frustration over the failure to realize Alaska's decades-long dream of building a pipeline to deliver the North Slope's bounty of natural gas to the lower 48 U.S. states.

Supporters say ConocoPhillips, BP Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp. are just warehousing the known natural gas and biding their time on the gas pipeline while investing in more profitable gas projects overseas.

"This makes delay expensive," said state Rep. Eric Croft, a Democrat from Anchorage and one of the initiative authors and sponsors. "We're the one place on the planet of any significance that lets our resource be warehoused until it's convenient for Exxon."

Both sides say they want a natural gas pipeline, a massive project that would cost over $20 billion and would transport about 4 billion cubic feet a day.

Opponents, including the oil companies, say the reserves tax will delay rather than encourage a gas pipeline because it will cause lengthy litigation, higher costs and a diversion of investment dollars.

Roger Marks, an economist who works for the Alaska Department of Revenue, predicted dire consequences if producers have to pay the reserves tax.

Even though the initiative promises a tax refund once a gas pipeline is built, the chance for the companies to make the investment needed to prop up dwindling North Slope oil production will be lost, he said.

"Production will drop like a rock, and 10 years from now, when there's no oil left, they may build a line or they may not," Marks told the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, one of many business groups that opposes to the initiative.

As of mid-October, the measure was failing to win public support, according to a survey taken by Anchorage-based pollster Jean Craciun. Polls showed that 42 percent of likely voters opposed the initiative, while 28 percent favored it with the remainder undecided.

An advertising blitz financed by the oil industry is trying to drum up opposition to the initiative and overcome public resentment to the oil companies, now making record profits. 

Alaskans to vote on taxing natural gas reserves - Yahoo! News


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