Free Republic

The BP-Husky Toledo refinery in Oregon, Ohio, has been “safely shut down” after a fire reportedly broke out for no apparent reason. A BP spokesperson told Reuters that the company suspects “leaking fumes from a crude unit may have caused the ignition in another unit at the facility.” This same person added that workers at the facility had just “finished a maintenance turnaround” a few weeks prior after having been offline for some time. (Related: Remember back in the summer when several Texas oil refineries shut down under similarly suspicious circumstances?) According to reports, the BP-Husky Toledo refinery processes up...

The U.S. new sanctions initiative, strongly supported by Israel, to impose new sanctions against Iran, is designed to punish it for its purported covert nuclear weapons program by imposing new restrictions on Tehran. As a result, many of Iran’s oil customers are scrambling to avoid collateral damage to their economies. The sanctions’ potential fallout is now hitting South Africa, Africa's biggest economy, which receives nearly 25 percent of its needs from Iran, roughly 98,000 barrels per day (bpd), or about 4 percent of Iran’s total exports. South Africa's economy, which has been hit by fuel shortages in the past because...

One is by rail; two is by sea The United States must prepare for the inevitable day when fuel oil supplies run short. If the White House won't lead, the states should. The Roanoke Times Gov.-elect Tim Kaine's transportation listening tour has brought out the rail enthusiasts along the congested Interstate 81 corridor. The need for massive improvements, including dedicated truck lanes and expensive tolls, could be avoided if only truck traffic were diverted off the highways and onto the railroads, chants the rising chorus of rail enthusiasts. They have a point. But making the case on congestion alone won't...

Nigerian Strike To Focus On Oil ExportsNigeria’s largest labor organization has called for its 2nd national strike — to start Nov. 16 — against recent government hikes in the domestic retail oil price. This strike, however, is strategically aimed at stopping Nigeria’s lucrative oil exports. Nigeria is the world’s seventh largest oil producer, and is the fifth largest provider of oil imported by the United States. If the strike is effective, its effects could ripple through the global oil economy, causing wholesale prices to rise beyond its recent record levels, and raising U.S. gas and fuel prices.