Free Republic

The “food versus fuel” debate being waged in the United States has been nothing more than a cleverly planned public relations campaign. A request for a public relations proposal put forth by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the media campaign response by the Glover Park Group prove that there has been a concerted effort to attack the ethanol industry. Both documents were recently made public by long-time ethanol advocate, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The GMA represents more than 300 food, beverage and consumer household goods companies in the United States. The association released a request for a public relations campaign...

More than 200 communities in the English countryside may be sitting on billions of pounds of undiscovered oil, according to prospectors. Scores of greenfield sites across southern and eastern England are being mapped for viability as world oil prices soar. The Government has received 60 applications from 54 companies to explore 182 plots, but is keeping the details confidential because they are commercially sensitive. Villages, hamlets or new estates will learn about a prospector’s interest only if permission is sought to drill or extract oil. The Times has learnt that rural locations from the South Downs to the Lincolnshire Wolds...

Saudi Arabia granted President Bush's request for an increase in oil production yesterday, while the Bush administration heeded calls from Congress to temporarily stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Both moves are aimed at easing tight world oil supplies, but the relatively small steps failed to prevent oil's ascent to another record high over $127 a barrel in New York trading before settling at $126.29 yesterday. Analysts expect pressure on oil prices to remain high as China increases its consumption of diesel to fuel rescue efforts and rebuilding after a devastating earthquake. With regular gas prices nearing $3.80 a gallon...

A reported 3 to 4.3 billion barrels of oil estimate.... North Dakota. Montana. Go to just about the end of the slide show to see the stats. Press Release page: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911

Energy: With the price of oil spiking above $127 a barrel, the search for scapegoats has begun. Some point to the Saudis, OPEC's No. 1 producer. Others blame the oil companies. We have a better candidate: Congress.As President Bush traveled to Saudi Arabia to ask the House of Saud to open the oil spigots a bit wider, Congress showed once again how clueless it is when it comes to energy policy. Underscoring its failure to grasp the nature of our current problems, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday refused to end its moratorium on oil shale development in Colorado. "If...

Galvanized by the heartrending story of Chinese teenager Yang Liu, whose crushed legs were amputated to free her from the rubble of her school in southwestern China, foreign aid groups are preparing to donate prosthetic services and artificial limbs to earthquake victims. Early this morning, Chinese doctors amputated Yang's legs, the only way to rescue her from a massive pile of concrete slabs and bricks before carrying her down to a waiting ambulance that rushed her to a hospital in the nearby city of Deyang. The operation took less than 20 minutes and her condition remains precarious, doctors told reporters...

During the run-up to the 2006 elections, future Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made definitive promises that if Democrats won leadership of Congress, they had a plan to lower gas prices. In November 2006, a gallon of gas cost approximately $2.20; it soon will double. In lieu of the current strategy (or lack thereof) of RNC Chairman Mike Duncan, Senator Mitch McConnell, and House Minority leader John Boehner, I propose the following: "Stop apologizing for Democratic mistakes and start campaigning on them!" --Openly challenge Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Howard Dean to a televised debate (and keep shaming and challenging...

Archer Daniels Midland Co. has kept the nameplate capacities of each of its plants a closely guarded secret for many years. After discovering its Cedar Rapids, Iowa, facility could produce as much as 820 MMgy, EPM wondered how such a large plant might impact the industry.

NEW YORK - As President Bush wrapped up a meeting with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Friday, the country's oil minister announced the Middle Eastern nation had opened its taps and was pumping an additional 300,000 barrels of crude a day. Back in Washington, the Bush administration bowed to congressional pressure and agreed to temporarily stop filling a key government oil stockpile, potentially increasing supply even further. One day, two moves designed to allay concerns about an overheated oil market that's squeezing drivers and inflating the prices of all sorts of goods. The response on Wall Street? Traders did what...

Winnebago, Minn.-based Corn Plus LLLP is interested in an innovative distillers grains microwave drying technology that could bring the facility one step closer to becoming energy independent.

A surprise visit from the ethanol compliance inspector doesn’t have to be an adversarial event. A Minnesota woman is trying to make her regulatory work educational, proactive and fine-free—wherever possible. Her simple advice is to know your permit’s inclusions and limitations, keep your records organized and up-to-date, and appoint a point person responsible for your plant’s compliance. And, if your plant receives a warning letter, act quickly, cooperate with regulatory authorities and take immediate corrective measures. A lapse in compliance doesn’t have to escalate into a fine

Two recently released genome studies are expected to provide answers to how to bolster the production of ethanol from corn and biomass.

Railways are essential to an ethanol producer’s business. Ships are a viable option for only a small number of facilities and trucks can’t handle all of the volume. So rail it is. As the ethanol industry expands, so must the railroad’s capability to handle this commodit

RIYADH (AFP) - The White House announced major new cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia on Friday as US President George W. Bush made his second visit to the oil superpower this year. The agreements cover cooperation on civil nuclear power and protecting the kingdom's oil infrastructure which has come under attack by Islamist militants. "The Saudis bear a special responsibility for protecting key energy facilities of global importance and the world benefits from their abundant energy supplies," a White House statement said. "Our global economy depends greatly on Saudi Arabian energy. The United States has a keen interest in helping...

The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States rose by 16 this week to 1,862. Of the rigs running nationwide, 1,471 were exploring for natural gas and 381 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. Ten were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, the rig count stood at 1,744. Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas added 13 rigs, while California, Wyoming and Alaska each added two and Colorado added one rig. Oklahoma lost five rigs, Louisiana lost one and New Mexico was unchanged. Baker Hughes has tracked rig counts since...

As promised 2006 election: 1) Beg Muslim countries to drill more of their own oil to INCREASE supply(yes) 2) Raise Tax on oil (yes) 3) Use more corn and farm resources for fuel instead of food (yes) 4) Increase illegals food stamps to pay for increasing food prices due to #3 (yes) 5) Cut gas tax prior to election, raise even higher after election as Clinton did 1993(yes) 6) Release strategic oil supply to INCREASE supply before election, draw back to DECREASE supply after election(yes) 7) Drill our own oil to INCREASE supply (no) 8) Build more domestic refineries (no)...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabian leaders made clear Friday they see no reason to increase oil production until their customers demand it, apparently rebuffing President Bush amid soaring U.S. gasoline prices.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The White House said Friday that Saudi Arabia's leaders are making clear they see no reason to increase oil production until customers demand it. President Bush was in the oil-rich country to appeal to King Abdullah for greater production to help halt rising gas prices in the United States. But his national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said Saudi officials stuck to their position that they already are meeting demand.

Having finally worked out the kinks in using more biodiesel in its 600-bus fleet, TriMet is not sure it can afford it because of skyrocketing biodiesel costs.

Senators Warn Bill Could Spike Gas $1.50 to $5 a Gallon Inhofe, Sessions blast massive costs of global warming legislation. By Jeff Poor Business & Media Institute 5/15/2008 5:44:34 PM Worried about gas prices hitting $4 a gallon and beyond? Imagine if they were $6, $7 or even $8 a gallon. Those levels are a certain possibility should Congress pass cap-and-trade legislation, which could face a vote in early June. Oil is trading at record levels, in excess of $120 a barrel. Leading Republican Sens. James Inhofe (Okla.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) both told the Business & Media Institute (BMI)...

LONDON (AFP) — The price of oil rocketed to a record high point of 127.43 dollars per barrel on Friday, as US President George W. Bush prepared to urge Saudi Arabia to pump more crude, analysts said. New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for June delivery, beat the previous all-time peak of 126.98 set on Tuesday owing to worries about tight supplies despite a downgrade to global oil demand growth for 2008. The contract later stood at 126.90 dollars, up 2.78 dollars from Thursday's close. London's Brent crude contract for June spiked as high as 125.85 dollars,...

NEW YORK - Oil prices continued to rise Friday after a whipsaw overnight session that paired the expiration of options with a bevy of news that swung the price of oil per barrel in a $6 range. Light, sweet crude for June delivery was up $1.08 to $125.20 a barrel in electronic trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe. During Thursday’s session, the front-month crude oil contract dropped as low as $120.75 before bouncing back to finish at $124.12 a barrel.

HUGE Oil Field in Montana is Good News for Consumers --Which Makes it Unpalatable for the Mainstream MediaWhile Jeroen van der Veer, Shell’s chief executive, fears for the future of oil supplies after 2015--maybe he's confusing Shell's oil supply with the rest of the world's--Newsmax has just released information on the HUGE oil discovery in Montana: the Williston Basin or "Bakken" field. About 470 miles outside the state capitol of Helena - in a place called Richland County, Montana - more millionaires are being created per capita than anywhere else in America. It's the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska's...

The Austrian oil and gas company OMV signed a huge energydeal with Iran to develop its energy resources in 2007. This was so despite many other European companies who have chosen of their own volition (encouraged by America) to forego deals with Iran. American companies do not do business with Iran's energy sector as a consequence of sanctions being imposed by Congress years ago in response to Iranian violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Pact, and a nuclear program that most analysts perceive as being geared towards developing a nuclear arsenal. This, combined with repeated Iranian threats to destroy Israel, has...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- There's no question about it, a new breed of speculator is pouring money into the oil market and helping drive prices to record levels. What's less certain is if this new money is essential to a healthy market. Many blame record prices on Wall Street investors new to the oil market, saying they're bidding up gas prices to artificially high levels - and soaking drivers. As oil nears $130 a barrel, some say $10 to $70 of that price is due to Wall Street speculation. A slippery debate But that's not the whole story. Nearly everyone...

When President George Bush went to see Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in January to plead for higher oil output, he was politely rebuffed. The rematch is likely to be a great deal more strained. If the Saudis deny help once again, they risk incalculable damage to their strategic alliance with Washington. The price of crude has rocketed by over $30 a barrel since that last fruitless meeting, briefly touching the once unthinkable level of $127. Goldman Sachs fears a "super-spike" to $200 a barrel this year. Asked what he would tell King Abdullah this time, Mr Bush said caustically: "the...

Bloomberg, so cannot be posted (why?).Title says it all, but the story can be found here.

What about Al? There is a rumor among those close to the Obama camp that this weekend will bring a big endorsement for the Illinois Senator. We can scratch John Edwards off that list, he is yesterday's news. Probably the only thing 'bigger' than Edwards would be former Vice-President Al Gore -- who will be in Pittsburgh this Sunday (May 18) to give the commencement speech at Carnegie Mellon University. Gore, after his unsuccessful run for president in 2000, took an environmental path, rather than political, and has become a cult-like figure among the left and environmentally correct.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate late Wednesday approved and sent to the White House legislation directing President Bush to temporarily halt oil shipments into the government's emergency reserve, hoping to lower energy prices. Final approval came without debate after Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada received assurances from other senators, including Republicans, that no one would object. Bush has refused to halt the shipment of about 70,000 barrels of oil a day into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, saying it was such a small amount that it has no impact on gasoline or crude oil prices. Lawmakers acknowledged in debate on...

... So, how is the Democrat’s “common sense plan” working? In the six years before they took control, oil increased an average of about $5 a year. But in the 16 months the Democrats have been responsible for the nation’s energy policy, the price of oil has risen to $126 — an increase of almost $70 a barrel or $5 each month. If I had a choice, I’d take $5 a year over $5 a month. Meanwhile, gas prices on the Democrat’s watch went from $2.20 a gallon to $3.67, an increase of almost 10 cents a month. The Democrat’s...

While oil and gasoline prices continue to rise, the rhetoric and actions of Democrats in Congress seem destined to push those costs even higher, contrary to the Dems' promise that they used to get elected to majorities in 2006 that they had "a common-sense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices". Investor's Business Daily has a continuing series on "Breaking the Back of High Oil", and today's edition has a fascinating breakdown of some of the actions that the Democrats have taken over the last three decades or so to ensure that our country has no defense against the...

HOBBS -- Sen. Pete Domenici will be featured speaker at a national energy policy conference May 27 at the Lea County Event Center titled "The Making of Energy Policy: Where Are We Going?" The conference is sponsored by New Mexico Tech, the Economic Development Corporation of Lea County, and the New Mexico Center for Energy Policy. Co-sponsors are the United States Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute. NMCEP, operated by New Mexico Tech, is organizing the conference, the group said in a news release. Registration will begin at 10 a.m., followed at 11:30 a.m. by a welcome and...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Alaska hit a milestone on Wednesday that could be a sign of things to come around the United States this summer -- it became the first state where the average price for regular gasoline reached $4 per gallon. "It wasn't totally unexpected," said Geoff Sundstrom, spokesman for the travel and auto group AAA which issues a daily gasoline price report.

NMCEP will lead an event in early 2008 that will define the expectations of Americans that they be provided with reliable and competitively priced energy. This will be the first attempt to inject rural viewpoint into energy policy. Senator Pete V. Domenici is expected to deliver a major address at the event. Additional event details will be up soon.

Editorial Director Tom Bryan and Staff Writer Bryan Sims talk about a groundbreaking distillers grains drying technique being explored by one enterprising Minnesota ethanol producer. Akin to a microwave, this novel technology holds the promise of reducing water use and emissions, and producing even better feed.

Politics of oil are bubbling amid calls for lower gasoline pricesMidland Reporter-Telegram Published: Sunday, May 11, 2008 3:22 AM CDT The politics of oil are building. Last week, Sens. Schumer, Dorgan, Sanders, Casey and Landrieu sent President Bush a letter. They are demanding he pressure OPEC to add more oil to the market. However, as illustrated by the recent Rome meetings, consumers' calls for more crude are generally falling on the cartel's deaf ears. The Senate Democrats are threatening to stall arms deals with the Saudis, Kuwaitis and the U.A.E. if the White House doesn't take action and get the...

Democrat Kay Hagan, a state senator from Greensboro, easily won the Democratic Primary last Tuesday night and starts the general election campaign essentially tied with incumbent Senator Elizabeth Dole. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in North Carolina Hagan attracting 48% of the vote statewide while Dole earns support from 47%. A month ago, Dole led Hagan by thirteen percentage points. Hagan currently leads by three points among women while Dole wins by three among men. Hagan leads among voters under 50 while Dole leads among older voters. Both candidates are popular with the state voters—at least before the campaign...

According to the U.S. Department of Energy U.S. domestic oil production has fallen 40% since 1985 while U.S. oil consumption has risen 30%. U.S. oil production is now under five million barrels a day, it was approximately nine million barrels a day in 1985. According to federal government estimates there are 112 billion barrels of oil in the areas that are now placed off limits. This is enough oil to power 60 million cars for 60 years. The Outer Continental Shelf in the United States contains over 44 billion barrels of oil and 232 trillion feet of natural gas. In...

Brazil's state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, will start a long-term production test at its giant Tupi field in March 2009, Chief Financial Officer Almir Barbassa said in a conference call Tuesday. The test will last two to three months, during which the company will produce 30,000 barrels a day from the field from three wells, Barbassa said. The company already has a platform available for the long-term test, and it is already searching for a rig for a pilot production of 100,000 barrels of oil and 4 million cubic meters of gas a day at the field...

By filibustering an amendment to allow development of offshore oil fields and a tiny portion of ANWR, the Democrats in the Senate have essentially said that they WANT the consumers in the US to be hurt by high gasoline prices and they WANT the US to be dependent on terrorist sponsoring nations and tin pot dictators for our supply of crude oil. Part of their reasoning is that even if drilling were allowed in ANWR, it would be years before we saw any relief. They also said the same thing 10 and 15 and 20 years ago. But the sad...

"One of the things I think is very important to realize is that the growth in the world oil consumption is not that strong." —David Kelly, chief market strategist, J.P. Morgan Funds; The Washington Post, May 4, 2008 "...There is substantial evidence that the large amount of speculation in the current market has significantly increased [oil] prices." —U.S. Senate Staff Report, The Role of Market Speculation in Rising Oil and Gas Prices, June 27, 2006 On May 13, the price of a barrel of oil briefly hit a record of $126.98 on the New York Mercantile Exchange The reason was...

UST LUGA, Russia, May 14 (Reuters) - Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged on Wednesday to grant tax breaks to new oil provinces to revive output growth and add over a tenth to current production levels by 2015. The Russian stock market, dominated heavily by oil stocks, rose 3.5 percent on the news with the oil and gas index jumping 5.14 and No.4 oil firm Surgutneftegaz soaring almost 11 percent. Putin said Russia should grant tax breaks for a period of up to seven years to oil companies developing fields located on Russia's continental shelf, the Yamal peninsula and the...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate, in a direct challenge to President Bush, voted Tuesday to temporarily halt the shipment of thousands of barrels of oil a day into the government's emergency reserve. Both Democrats and Republicans said such shipments make no sense when oil is costing more than $120 a barrel and could better be used to add supplies to a tight market and possibly lower prices. "We are buying the most expensive crude oil in the history of the world and storing it," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. "When American consumers are burning at the stake by high energy...

WASHINGTON — Groping for a quick response to rising gas prices, Congress voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to order the Bush administration to stop depositing oil in a national reserve even though lawmakers predicted the impact for consumers would be modest at best. “Is it a giant step? No,” said Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, a leading proponent of the idea of trying to influence the price of gas by redirecting supplies from the reserve to the commercial market. “But is it a step finally, at long last, in the right direction? It is.” Despite initial resistance from the...

Oil at $200 a barrel: that was the warning from Goldman Sachs, published last week. The real price is already at an all-time high (see chart). At $200 it would be twice as high as it was in any previous spike. Even so, it would be a mistake to focus in shock only on the short-term jump in prices. The bigger issues are longer term. Here are three facts about oil: it is a finite resource; it drives the global transport system; and if emerging economies consumed oil as Europeans do, world consumption would jump by 150 per cent. What...

The US House of Representatives will hold hearings on energy markets trying to determine who is causing oil prices to rise. The anti-market investigation will blame hedge funds and investment banks for manipulating the markets to make oil go to record levels. Oil is too global a commodity for speculators to determine its price. We know, for instance, that oil prices are high not only in spot markets but in futures markets, not only on the Nymex but in the UK (Brent), Dubai, Malaysia, and numerous smaller, less liquid markets not accessible to speculators. Are we to believe that the...

The U.S. Senate Tuesday rejected an attempt to expand offshore oil and gas drilling to allow the states to generate revenue. The Republican-backed proposal would have allowed states to drill off their coasts and share revenues with the federal government, the (Newport News, Va.) Daily Press reported. The amendment would have amended a federal ban prohibiting offshore drilling along most coastal states, the newspaper said. The state proposal was packaged with other controversial measures, including drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The amendment was rejected on a mostly party-line vote of 42 to 56. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., urged...

By Sarah Smith OK, so you’ve raised $100 million to build your ethanol refinery that was to be an outlet for struggling farmers, a boon to the local economy and a reducer of greenhouse gases. You spent years fundraising. You sold your soul and your proprietary technology to lenders. You paid a fortune for lawyers to get you through the due diligence, permitting and political hurdles. You’re finally ready to break ground or you already have. Then, cue the music from “Jaws.” Here come the plaintiffs. Across the United States, from coast to coast, ethanol enthusiasts, regarded as the fair-haired...

"Opponents said areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and coastal waters that have been off limits to drilling for 25 years ought to remain that out of bounds to oil companies. The GOP measure, defeated Tuesday by a vote of 56-42, would have allowed coastal states to get a waiver to the offshore drilling ban." Gubmint link: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00123 Not Voting - 2Inhofe (R-OK)McCain (R-AZ)

With gas prices topping four dollars a gallon in some regions of the country, now may not be the best time to say something positive about "big oil," but here goes anyway. Where is it written that the cost for a product or service should be frozen in place and in time, never to rise again, or to rise at a pace commensurate with our incomes? People who think this way know little to nothing about supply and demand and less than nothing about the profit motive. That's because at least three generations have been raised on the notion of...