http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/energy/ en-us Sat, 2 Jan 2010 01:34:02 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419276/posts Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday he will ask Boston’s lawyers to see whether the city can block Yemeni tankers from delivering liquefied natural gas into Boston Harbor, calling such deliveries “wrong.’’ “We’re in extraordinary times that call for extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of our city,’’ the mayor said in an interview. “They cannot be coming into a harbor like Boston, where there is less than 50 feet between the tankers and residential areas.’ -snip- The Globe reported yesterday that shipments of liquefied natural gas from Yemen are scheduled to arrive for the first time in Boston as... The Boston Glob http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419276/posts#comment Sat, 2 Jan 2010 01:34:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419165/posts Canadian natural gas exports to the United States have gone into a nosedive, hitting their lowest point in the 24 years that volumes have been tracked by the National Energy Board. The cross-border shipments were down 10.76 percent in the first nine months of 2009 from a year earlier, while the 2008-09 contract year numbers for the 11 months to Sept. 30 slumped 10.4 percent. As a result of plunging exports and prices, revenues for the January-September period fell 55 percent to C$11.57 billion from almost C$26 billion a year earlier and average prices spiraled 51 percent to C$4.28 per... Petroleum News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419165/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 21:54:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2418678/posts SuperPower will optimize their second-generation high-temperature superconducting (2G HTS) wire to provide a unique ‘low ac loss’ conductor that will significantly reduce energy losses in the proposed 28 megavolt ampere utility-scale transformer. Next Big Future http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2418678/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:49:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418612/posts Heating no longer free for couple Dave Chidley, the Canadian Press Forced to close family gas well after 78 years December 31, 2009 The Canadian Press SOUTHWEST MIDDLESEX, Ont. (Dec 31, 2009) For decades, the Murray family of southern Ontario has lived on a rare luxury -- they've heated their household for free. But a government order is now demanding that the couple in their 70s shut down a 1931 natural gas well on their property, and the two will have to cough up tens of thousands of dollars to cap the historic well. "We got something we're not paying... Hamilton Spectator http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418612/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:40:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2418413/posts A state investigation sparked by a local environmentalist who rented an airplane to gather photographic evidence has revealed an unreported contaminate release at a natural gas drilling site in Wayne County. A preliminary investigation of the Oregon Twp. well pad, operated by Chesapeake Appalachia, found in October that a "weathered petroleum product" of unknown quantity was discharged onto the site and into a forested area, in breach of state environmental laws, according to the notice of violation issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The drilling firm reported no incidents, and DEP had been unaware of any problem. But... The Times-Tribune (Scranton PA) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2418413/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:49:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418383/posts In a sign that low natural-gas prices are probably here to stay, big U.S. energy companies are pushing to sign long-term contracts with electric utilities and other customers. Major producers such as Chesapeake Energy Corp. and Devon Energy Corp. are trying to reach multiyear deals -- likely five or 10 years long--that would guarantee them buyers for their gas but would deny them the benefits from any sudden price increases. For a decade, energy companies have shunned such agreements because they wanted to profit when gas prices soared, as they often did, especially in advance of rising winter demand for... WSJ via Rig Zone http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418383/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:58:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418351/posts Today, we have learned that Indian automaker Mahindra is on track to sell the TR-series diesel trucks after completing all federal tests and is set to submit certification paperwork to the government in January. Final federal approval is expected in February; the trucks would then finally go on sale in the spring. It was just last month that we reported that the trucks were under review by the EPA and NHTSA, with final approval expected by Q1 2010. “As of today, we are projecting that the vehicles will be on sale in the middle of spring, [2010],” said John Perez,... www.trucktrend.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418351/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:26:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418313/posts A state senator says Alaska oil refineries have been gouging Alaskans at the gas pump for more than a year, reaping profit margins unparalleled to ones in the Lower 48, and he is once again calling for government to step in. The state's oil refineries are making far more profit on their gasoline as the national average, according to the report released Wednesday by Sen. Bill Wielechowski and authored by the nonpartisan Legislative Research Services Division. But not everyone -- including the refineries and at least one legislator -- agrees with Wielechowski's conclusions, calling them an oversimplification of complicated market... Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418313/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:09:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418278/posts Foster Wheeler AG said Refineria de Cartagena SA (Reficar) has accepted the offer by a joint venture of Foster Wheeler USA Corp. and Process Consultants Inc. to serve as consultant for the expansion of the Cartagena refinery. The project, which will expand the refinery's capacity to 165,000 b/d from 80,000 b/d, will also improve the fuel quality to meet Colombian and international environmental specifications. In addition to doubling its refining capacity, Reficar’s expanded facility will also have the flexibility to process heavy crude, including crude from the Rubiales and Piriri fields in the Eastern Plains region of Colombia. The goal... Oil & Gas Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418278/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:17:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/2418202/posts In response to national and local liberals who continually bash former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, I, as a conservative along with millions of conservatives across the country, would like to set the record straight. Palin has more common sense solutions regarding the problems facing our country than the entire administration of President Barack Obama. An example: Palin understands that the health care system needs to be fixed, but also understands as do most people that the Nancy Pelosi-Harry Reid 2,000-pages of smoke and mirrors is not the answer. Common sense says you don't destroy the system to fix it. Palin... The Evansville Courier & Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/2418202/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:17:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417996/posts Saudi Arabia will quit a long-held lease for five million barrels of Caribbean oil storage near the key U.S. market on Thursday and state giant PetroChina is poised to move in, industry sources said, a potential major shift in global oil trade dynamics. Coming just weeks after Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi revealed the world’s top oil exporter accepted an offer for free storage in Japan, the news underscored the growing importance of China and Asia versus the United States, where the government says oil demand has already peaked and supply competition from nearby Brazil and Canada is expanding. It... Reuters via Calgary Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417996/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:48:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417990/posts Richmond, VA) -- Governor-elect Bob McDonnell wants Virginia to become the first state on the Atlantic seaboard to explore and drill for oil. The Republican has sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, asking that Virginia be allowed to move ahead on offshore energy exploration. McDonnell cites an Old Dominion University study that concluded natural gas production would create hundreds of jobs and generate millions of dollars for the state. It's believed at least 500-million barrels of oil could lie off the coast of Virginia. WMAL http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417990/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:41:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417985/posts A $40-billion US deal by the United Arab Emirates to acquire nuclear reactors puts it ahead in a drive to meet fast growing power needs among its Gulf neighbours, while also allowing it to export more of its oil. The prospect of starting electricity exports within the next decade is a key element behind the UAE’s award to a South Korean consortium on Sunday of the deal to build and operate four reactors in the third largest oil exporter. “As part of the UAE’s strategy the nuclear power plants will not only supply power domestically, but they are also planning... Reuters via Calgary Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417985/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:37:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417921/posts The amount of venture capital that went toward green-technology companies fell to $4.85 billion in 2009, compared to $7.6 billion in 2008, according to numbers published on Wednesday by Greentech Media. The number of deals was up slightly from 350 in 2008 to 356 this year. ... But even with billions of government stimulus dollars spent on energy, the economic downturn has clearly had an impact on the overall sector. Venture capitalists cut off funding for at least two companies in 2009--algae fuel company Greenfuel Technologies and battery company Imara, which both failed to generate significant revenues. CNET http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417921/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:13:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417728/posts HONG KONG (MarketWatch)-- The Canadian government approved Tuesday PetroChina Co.'s 1.9 billion Canadian dollar ($1.8 billion) bid to buy a majority stake in two Alberta oil-sands projects. Canada's Industry Minister Tony Clement said in a statement he was satisfied the investment is "likely to be of net benefit to Canada." Marketwatch http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417728/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:00:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2417600/posts The terror attack on Christmas Day has brought out all sorts of revelations about just how pathetic our terror fighting abilities truly are. I mean this deal was a comedy of errors and it was only by the grace of God almighty himself that this Islamic mad man’s Underbooms© failed to explode and take the plane down. Not only was Abdul Farouk Umar Abdulmutallab on several watch lists, and from a real hotbed of al Qaeda terrorist activity, the guy’s own father warned the embassy that his son had become radicalized by militant Islamic fanatics. Never mind Abdul showed up... TheCypressTimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2417600/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:29:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2417597/posts The terror attack on Christmas Day has brought out all sorts of revelations about just how pathetic our terror fighting abilities truly are. I mean this deal was a comedy of errors and it was only by the grace of God almighty himself that this Islamic mad man’s Underbooms© failed to explode and take the plane down. Not only was Abdul Farouk Umar Abdulmutallab on several watch lists, and from a real hotbed of al Qaeda terrorist activity, the guy’s own father warned the embassy that his son had become radicalized by militant Islamic fanatics. Never mind Abdul showed up... The Cypress Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2417597/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:27:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417387/posts <p>Russia and Ukraine agreed new terms Tuesday for oil transit to Europe, averting the threat of another year-end energy crisis after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused Kiev of "abuse" on the deal.</p> <p>"Yesterday night, everything fell into place. An additional agreement has been signed," Valentyn Zemlyansky, spokesman for Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz, said in Kiev.</p> Rig Zone http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417387/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:10:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417382/posts RENTON, Wash. – A Tacoma man called 911 to report the truck he had just stolen had run out of gas. But not only was he arrested, he learned not all vehicles run on the same type of fuel. The Washington State Patrol says at about 12:30 p.m. Monday, a City Transfer employee headed south on State Route 167 spotted the silver 1985 Chevy truck that was stolen from their yard earlier that day. Someone was seen in the truck as it sat, disabled, on the shoulder in Renton. Minutes later, and before troopers arrived, the suspect called 911 to... KING 5 News (Seattle) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2417382/posts#comment Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:59:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416860/posts Senate Democrats will face a problem when they return in January every bit as tough as crafting the healthcare bill: Assembling a climate and energy package that can be shoehorned into the election-year calendar. Imposing limits on greenhouse gases is a White House and Democratic priority, but it’s stuck in line behind health care, Wall Street reform and jobs legislation. It’s also become increasingly apparent since the Copenhagen climate summit that the Senate will go forward in a dramatically different direction than the House, which approved its own climate bill last summer. Environmentalists familiar with Democratic plans say party leaders... The Hill, Washington, DC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416860/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:09:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416498/posts CNSNews.com) – Wind-power projects funded in part by the $787-billion Recovery Act (stimulus law) are coming under scrutiny at a time when President Obama and other Democrats have promoted alternative forms of energy production. Two New York Democrats – Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Eric Massa – are among the lawmakers criticizing specific wind-power projects that are getting hundreds of millions in taxpayer subsidies. A “definitive agreement” was reached on one of those projects two weeks ago, according to a Dec. 20 news release from the Austin, Texas-based Cielo Wind Power. The deal is between Cielo, U.S. Renewable Energy Group... CNS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416498/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:44:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416433/posts One of the solutions to Long Beach's ongoing budget problems may be buried deep underground. Complex contract negotiations involving the Wilmington Oil Field in and around the Port of Long Beach could uncover a cash gusher for public and private interests. Preliminary 10-year financial projections associated with the project include eye-popping numbers: $130 million for the city's general fund, which pays for services such as police and firefighting; $150 million for the city's Tidelands Fund, which pays for services such as lifeguards and coastal development; $240 million for Occidental Petroleum, which is under contract with the city to extract oil... Press-Telegram via Rig Zone http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416433/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:17:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416428/posts <p>Russia has warned the European Union it may cut its crude oil supplies via the Druzhba oil pipeline connecting Siberian oil fields with Europe to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary due to demands by Ukraine for higher transit fees, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Monday.</p> Dow Jones Newswires via Rig Zone http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416428/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:09:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416299/posts Su Shulin, general manager of Sinopec Group, has forecasted an oversupply for China's product oil market in 2010 despite an increase of apparent demands. A report on the company's website on Thursday said Su made the remark in his report at an annual workshop, saying that new refining capacity from new projects and expansion schemes is the major cause of such oversupply. The general manger forecasted that China's apparent demand for ethylene would have a small growth in the coming year, compared with a rapid increase of domestic ethylene production capacity. He warned that a stronger competition will be seen... Rig Zone http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416299/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:03:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416297/posts The GCC continues to be a potent investment and business destination for a wide range of oil and gas projects, particularly with Saudi Arabia poised to spend up to USD 400 billion for its own high-profile oil and gas projects within the next several years. The Saudi Government's enormous oil and gas project investments are also in line with the country's Master Gas Strategy Plan, which aims to harness Saudi Arabia's expansive gas reserves estimated to reach up to 230 trillion cubic feet to help address the growing global demand for gas. The Saudi Oil and Gas 2010, a business-to-business... Rig Zone http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416297/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:02:04 GMT