OilPrice.com | Energy | Energy-General

OilPrice.com | Energy | Energy-General Articles and analysis on all types of energy production and consumption from fossil fuels such as crude oil and coal to renewable energy technologies. http://oilprice.com/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:27:11 GMT Oilprice.com (info@oilprice.com) Israeli Company Promotes Shale Oil and Natural Gas Production, Protests Ensue http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Israeli-Company-Promotes-Shale-Oil-and-Natural-Gas-Production-Protests-Ensue.html Israel imports all its oil and coal and 70 percent of its natural gas needs, leaving the government deeply interested in developing indigenous alternatives. Highlighting the vulnerability of its imports, on 5 February there was an explosion on Egypt's $500 million East Mediterranean Gas Company Ltd. (EMG) pipeline, that transits Egyptian natural gas to Israel and Jordan in northern Sinai in the Massaeed area, west of al Arish. The attack on the EMG pipeline is the 12th since February 2011, when a popular uprising deposed Egyptian President…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:35:18 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Israeli-Company-Promotes-Shale-Oil-and-Natural-Gas-Production-Protests-Ensue.html Similarities Between Climate and Energy Policies are Only Skin Deep http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Similarities-Between-Climate-and-Energy-Policies-are-Only-Skin-Deep.html It has been claimed that energy security and climate policy should be considered “two sides of the same coin.” In 2006, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said, “We must treat energy security and climate security as two sides of the same coin.” Other leaders in Europe, members of the United States Congress and many commentators have echoed Blair’s statement. Are both energy security and climate policy best addressed by the same policies, or do policies that are best for one goal possibly compromise attainment of the…

]]> (Judith Curry) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:26:44 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Similarities-Between-Climate-and-Energy-Policies-are-Only-Skin-Deep.html Self-Sufficient Floating Cities to be Produced by 2025 http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Self-Sufficient-Floating-Cities-to-be-Produced-by-2025.html Japanese scientists are working on a concept to build carbon-neutral, self-sufficient floating cities. Japanese firm Shimizu has a startling new concept: mini floating, carbon-neutral cities that drift across the Pacific on giant water lilies. The Green Float concept includes a number of cells that could house between 10,000 to 50,000 people. The cells, each about 1 kilometre wide, could float freely or attach onto other cells to form larger towns, cities or even countries. At the centre of each cell, a 1 kilometre high “City in the Sky”…

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]]> energydigital@oilprice.com (Energy Digital) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:21:32 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Self-Sufficient-Floating-Cities-to-be-Produced-by-2025.html The Energy Mix that will help us Survive without Fossil Fuels http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Energy-Mix-that-will-help-us-Survive-without-Fossil-Fuels.html Breathe, Neo. I’ve been running a marathon lately to cover all the major players that may provide viable alternatives to fossil fuels this century. Even though I have not exhausted all possibilities, or covered each topic exhaustively, I am exhausted. So in this post, I will provide a recap of all the schemes discussed thus far, in matrix form. Then Do the Math will shift its focus to more of the “what next” part of the message. The primary “mission” of late has been to sort possible future energy resources into boxes…

]]> murphyt@oilprice.com (Tom Murphy) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:14:37 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Energy-Mix-that-will-help-us-Survive-without-Fossil-Fuels.html Oil Rich Azerbaijan Looking for Investors http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Rich-Azerbaijan-Looking-for-Investors.html The prosperity of former republics of the USSR, which collapsed in December 1991, has primarily been driven by the development of energy resources in the post-Soviet era, notably around the Caspian. Out of the debris of the Soviet Union have arisen four petro-states ringing the Caspian – the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The possibilities there have focused the attention of investors for the last twenty years. More than a decade ago Vice President Dick Cheney, then Halliburton CEO, remarked, "I can't think…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:11:24 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Rich-Azerbaijan-Looking-for-Investors.html How Energy Availability Affects Economies and Societies http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/How-Energy-Availability-Affects-Economies-and-Societies.html So familiar has the social economy of energy become in modern societies, so routine its extraordinary wastefulness, so toxic its effects, that the capacity for a better way can be missed. By questioning the how, why and what of energy use, says Rebecca Willis, new possibilities - of living, travelling, eating, working and buying - can open. There are no pavements in downtown Bahrain. Visiting a few years ago for a family wedding, I wanted to pop to the shops to pick up some nappies. I could see a chemist from our hotel window, but the receptionist…

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]]> opendemocracy@oilprice.com (Open Democracy) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:06:35 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/How-Energy-Availability-Affects-Economies-and-Societies.html U.S. Energy Trade Mission to Visit Four African Countries http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/U.S.-Energy-Trade-Mission-to-Visit-Four-African-Countries.html For the last decade, as China has advanced its economic interests on the Dark Continent, Washington regarded Africa primarily through its ‘global war on terror” lens. Top of the U.S. agenda was combating terrorism. After World War II, the US military carved up the globe outside its borders into a series of Unified Combatant Commands (UCC) to project military power and safeguard interests abroad. In 2008 the Pentagon’s fifth UCC was established, when the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) became operational. Except for Egypt,…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:40:21 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/U.S.-Energy-Trade-Mission-to-Visit-Four-African-Countries.html Are There Holes in Pipeline Transparency? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Are-There-Holes-in-Pipeline-Transparency.html An assistant attorney general in Montana announced this week he was trying to decide whether or not to move ahead with claims against Exxon Mobil for a July oil spill in the Yellowstone River. Exxon had agreed to a million-dollar settlement for environmental damage that resulted from the rupture of its Silvertip oil pipeline that, at the time, was buried just four feet below the riverbed. A state attorney general was quoted by local media as saying all of the environmental issues weren't resolved yet but statements last year suggested all was well,…

]]> dg@oilprice.com (Daniel J. Graeber) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 4:48:15 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Are-There-Holes-in-Pipeline-Transparency.html Cambodia - Next Oil and Natural Gas Frontier? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Cambodia-Next-Oil-and-Natural-Gas-Frontier.html U.S. and Japanese companies are interested in prospecting for oil and natural gas in Cambodia. According to Phai Siphan, state secretary and spokesman of the Council of Ministers Office, in the provinces of Preah Vihear, Siemreab, and Kampong Thom there are 17 oil blocs covering a total area of over 2,300 square miles undergoing seismic study, where around 6,000 boreholes, each 0.2 inches in diameter, are drilled to a depth of 20 to 65 feet. Phai noted that Japanese company JOGMEC (Japan Oil Gas, Metals Corporation) began prospecting…

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]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 4:46:30 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Cambodia-Next-Oil-and-Natural-Gas-Frontier.html The Energy Fallout from the Arab Spring http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Energy-Fallout-from-the-Arab-Spring.html Jordan announced this week it was discussing with Baghdad the development of natural gas fields along its northern border with Iraq. The pipeline system in the Sinai Peninsula carrying natural gas from Egypt to its Middle East customers was the target of nearly a dozen attacks since Hosni Mubarak was ousted during last year's revolution. Authorities from Mubarak's administration were accused of getting rich off of shady gas contracts with Israel. Though Mubarak's cronies are out of the picture, the military leadership in Cairo hasn't exactly been…

]]> dg@oilprice.com (Daniel J. Graeber) Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:10:20 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Energy-Fallout-from-the-Arab-Spring.html Canada's Shameful Propaganda Against Saudi Arabian Oil Reaches New Levels http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Canadas-Shameful-Propaganda-Against-Saudi-Arabian-Oil-Reaches-New-Levels.html 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.…

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]]> postcarbon@oilprice.com (Post Carbon) Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:07:24 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Canadas-Shameful-Propaganda-Against-Saudi-Arabian-Oil-Reaches-New-Levels.html Lebanon's Electrical Woes Become Political Football http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Lebanons-Electrical-Woes-Become-Political-Football.html 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…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Fri, 03 Feb 2012 2:44:16 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Lebanons-Electrical-Woes-Become-Political-Football.html International Pipelines - Peacemakers or Hostages to Fortune? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/International-Pipelines-Peacemakers-or-Hostages-to-Fortune.html 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…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:26:32 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/International-Pipelines-Peacemakers-or-Hostages-to-Fortune.html Why is Gulfsands Petroleum Still Drilling in Syria? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Why-is-Gulfsands-Petroleum-Still-Drilling-in-Syria.html 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…

]]> dg@oilprice.com (Daniel J. Graeber) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:20:27 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Why-is-Gulfsands-Petroleum-Still-Drilling-in-Syria.html Methane Gas Hydrates - Vast Energy Resource or Ecological Disaster Awaiting? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Methane-Gas-Hydrates-Vast-Energy-Resource-or-Ecological-Disaster-Awaiting.html 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…

]]> profs@oilprice.com (Professor Chris Rhodes) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:17:42 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Methane-Gas-Hydrates-Vast-Energy-Resource-or-Ecological-Disaster-Awaiting.html Oil Rich Venezuela's Electricity Shortfalls Lose Economy $80 Billion http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Rich-Venezuelas-Electricity-Shortfalls-Lose-Economy-80-Billion.html 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…

]]> admin@namecake.com (John Daly) Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:37:00 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Rich-Venezuelas-Electricity-Shortfalls-Lose-Economy-80-Billion.html The Difficult Chemical Processes Involved in Waste-to-Energy http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Difficult-Chemical-Processes-Involved-in-Waste-to-Energy.html 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…

]]> stevensba@oilprice.com (Barry Stevens) Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:23:24 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Difficult-Chemical-Processes-Involved-in-Waste-to-Energy.html Energy Innovation: Tackling Climate Change from a Different Direction http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Energy-Innovation-Tackling-Climate-Change-from-a-Different-Direction.html 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…

]]> breakthrough@oilprice.com (Breakthrough Institute) Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:15:27 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Energy-Innovation-Tackling-Climate-Change-from-a-Different-Direction.html Where Does the Future Lie, Natural Gas Vehicles or Electric Vehicles? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Where-Does-the-Future-Lie-Natural-Gas-Vehicles-or-Electric-Vehicles.html 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…

]]> burgessj@oilprice.com (James Burgess) Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:21:31 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Where-Does-the-Future-Lie-Natural-Gas-Vehicles-or-Electric-Vehicles.html Is Deepwater Horizon the New Ecuador? http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Is-Deepwater-Horizon-the-New-Ecuador.html 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…

]]> dg@oilprice.com (Daniel J. Graeber) Mon, 30 Jan 2012 2:05:47 GMT http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Is-Deepwater-Horizon-the-New-Ecuador.html