Energy / Energy-General

• Canada's Shameful Propaganda Against Saudi Arabian Oil Reaches New Levels

  Almost exactly nine years ago, opposition to the US invasion of Iraq was reaching a fever pitch. On February 15, 2003 millions of people around the world rallied to protest the inexorable march to war, including in over 150 cities in the United States. The case for war — coming from the Bush White House and its supporters through every pore of the mainstream media complex — was fierce and demanding, an hourly barrage of breathless warnings that at any moment Saddam Hussein could unleash nuclear or biological terrorism on Americans. And yet, while the vast majority of Americans (wrongly)…

• Lebanon's Electrical Woes Become Political Football

  Beirut, the “Paris of the Middle East,” has one problem that the City of Light does not – electricity shortages. In a country whose complex politics frequently produce gridlock, concerns about the country’s shambolic electrical infrastructure have become a political football. Lebanon’s consumption exceeds 2,400 megawatts, far greater than the 1,500 megawatts produced and the country currently faces a generating shortfall of 1,000 megawatts, leading to widespread blackouts and rising political unrest. The failure of the current government to grapple with the problem has resulted in demonstrations in south Lebanon, the Chouf and the Bekaa regions. Endemic power cuts have worsened during…

• International Pipelines - Peacemakers or Hostages to Fortune?

  Supporters of pipelines that cross international frontiers have fervent supporters in the energy industry, who maintain that they are “win win” solutions for both energy producing nations and transit countries. The reality is however that the true picture is more mixed, as the following survey shows. Perhaps Exhibit A for the view that international pipelines in fact raise tensions is the ongoing dispute between Sudan and South Sudan over the latter’s exports through Khartoum’s pipeline network to Port Sudan. The issue? Transit fees – South Sudan proposed paying $1 per barrel, while Sudan insisted on a $32.20 per barrel tariff, causing the South Sudanese…

• Why is Gulfsands Petroleum Still Drilling in Syria?

  Authors note: After publication this week, Gulfsands Petroleum announced Thursday it was ending its exploration campaign in Syria while sanctions are in place.Independent energy company Gulfsands Petroleum announced this week that it made oil and natural gas discoveries during drilling operations in the country's northeast. Gulfands was forced to halt production activity in Syria late last year because of sanctions pressure but that did little to curb its Syrian exploration campaign. The 10-month-old conflict in Syria is looking more and more like full-blown civil war and, with most oil majors headed for the exit doors, unless there's some sort of…

• Methane Gas Hydrates - Vast Energy Resource or Ecological Disaster Awaiting?

  A vast and untapped resource of fuel? A contributor to global climate change? A submarine hazard and potential trigger of tsunami's? A cause of catastrophic species extinction? An ELE - Extinction of Life Event? All of these are postulated scenarios for methane gas hydrates. Methane hydrate is formed when methane gas and water are brought together under suitable conditions of low temperature and elevated pressure, such that an "ice" type structure is formed containing methane molecules in considerable quantity. It is thought that vast quantities of methane hydrate exist on the ocean beds and in the sediments of the sea…

• Oil Rich Venezuela's Electricity Shortfalls Lose Economy $80 Billion

  One of the odder inconsistencies in the global energy market is the fact that many energy rich nations are plagued by indigenous shortages. Among them is Venezuela, which has the largest conventional oil reserves and the second-largest natural gas reserves in the Western Hemisphere and is the United States' fourth largest oil importer, accounting for roughly 1.5 million barrels a day. But in domestic energy policies President Hugo Chavez, leader of his self-proclaimed "Bolivarian revolution," has stumbled badly in addressing his nation’s chronic electricity shortages.  The cost to the nation? $81 billion, according to a report in Venezuela’s most popular newspaper, El…

• The Difficult Chemical Processes Involved in Waste-to-Energy

  Waste-to-Energy is a multifaceted concept; it means different things to different people, it is underestimated in complexity and questionable in terms of profitability and carbon neutrality.  Waste can be solid or liquid; gaseous waste products are referred to as emissions. Energy can be a stream of electrons injected into the grid as electricity or combustible fuel commodities such as ethanol or synthetic fuels. The emissions and the restriction thereof, from converting solid waste into energy have a significant impact on the way energy is generated. This discussion will be restricted to “organic” solid wastes. The conversion of organic solid waste…

• Energy Innovation: Tackling Climate Change from a Different Direction

  Obama's focus on energy innovation and the regulation of conventional pollutants, rather than climate science and carbon pricing, is part of a growing climate centrism that could hold bipartisan support on addressing issues related to climate change. In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama tacitly acknowledged how politically toxic climate change had become by not mentioning it once. His move angered many environmentalists who insisted there could be no significant action without a full-throated defense of the climate science against sceptics. But one year later, President Obama's shift can be understood as part of a new climate…

• Where Does the Future Lie, Natural Gas Vehicles or Electric Vehicles?

  Natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, and is much cheaper. It could certainly help reduce carbon emissions in the short term. In fact many people are lobbying for natural gas powered vehicles as the future of clean (well, cleaner) transport that reduces dependence on foreign oil. President Obama recently gave a speech in Las Vegas, where he pitched some new energy policies such as; giving tax breaks to firms who buy natural gas-powered trucks. Very admirable! Yes natural gas-powered vehicles will obviously reduce consumption of crude oil, and due to the cleaner nature of the fuel it will…

• Is Deepwater Horizon the New Ecuador?

  Nearly two years after the worst accidental offshore oil spill in the history of the energy industry, some of the biggest companies in the world are busy pointing their legal fingers at one another in court over who has to pay what in claims, damages and fines over the deadly Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A federal judge this week ruled that BP is still obligated to a clause in its contract with Transocean that would protect the rig owner from damages related to the spill. That means BP still has to shell out money to settle claims filed by those…