Concern grows on refinery safety

Refineries in California and across the country are breaking down with unusual frequency this year, boosting prices at the pump and endangering workers and communities.

The rash of oil plant problems may not be a coincidence. The breakdowns stem from the hard use of aging equipment, a shortage of trained workers, corporate cost cutting and ownership changes, refinery experts say.

T. Boone Pickens to discuss peak oil concerns with Midland audience

I'll talk about world oil peaking, yes. I believe that to be the case, that 85 million barrels a day is the best the world can do. I think we'll be tested in the fourth quarter of this year. Oil demand globally should be 86-87 million barrels a day. Now, that's if the global economy holds up. If the global economy declines any, oil demand should ease. If demand continues to strengthen, prices will move higher and could reach $70 a barrel.

IEA report shows oil demand is up, supplies are down

The IEA report says the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development inventories decreased 8.6 million barrels in January. The data for February suggests stock piles may have fallen 65.7 million barrels in the OECD nations. This suggests industrialized countries are heading towards their largest decline in reserves (for the first quarter) in 10 years. The data is bullish on numerous fronts.

McFarlane: Renewable Energy Best Solution To Terror Threats

The United States should accelerate development of renewable energy sources because of increased risk from terrorist attacks that could cripple the economy, former national security adviser Robert McFarlane said Saturday.

Speaking at a renewable energy summit organized by Sen. Ken Salazar, McFarlane, who was national security adviser for President Reagan, said an attack last year on a Saudi oil terminal was a warning of what could happen if terrorists carry out their threats to go after oil supplies.

He said a truck filled with explosives came within 100 yards of the oil terminal before it was stopped. Had the attack succeeded, it would have knocked out a terminal that supplies 6 million barrels of oil a day for a year, tripling the cost a barrel of oil to $150 a barrel overnight.

Venezuela fears boom may go bust: Declining currency value and political strategies threaten to hamper oil-rich nation's economic frenzy

Inflation has jumped to 20 percent, imports are more expensive because the local currency's value is dropping and Chavez has moved to nationalize key sectors of the economy, vowing to make Venezuela a socialist country.

Yukos investor warns oil giants: 'We will sue you for billions'

The owners of Yukos have warned BP and other Western companies they face claims for billions of pounds in compensation if they participate in this week's auction of the former Russian oil giant's remaining assets.

Catastrophic Hypothesis: Could Global Warming Melt All Ice On Earth?

Our institute has prepared an atlas of the world's snow and ice resources, which describes all the ice on the earth and even offers a map of the world without ice. It is, however, a model, not a forecast. Yet there are forecasts warning that if the global warming seen at the end of the 20th century continues for several decades, a lot of ice in the Artic Ocean will melt.

China, Venezuela to cement ties with oil deals

Venezuela said on Saturday it was working on a raft of oil deals with China, giving impetus to President Hugo Chavez's attempts to break his country's dependence on oil exports to the United States.

India committed to Iran gas pipeline: oil minister

India is committed to a multi-billion dollar pipeline that will transport gas from energy-rich Iran through Pakistan despite reported objections from United States, Oil Minister Murli Deora said.

China starts drilling 'Asia's deepest' oil well

Energy-hungry China has started drilling what it says will be Asia's deepest oil and gas well, state media said Sunday.

State-owned Sinopec plans for the Chuanke No. 1 Well in southwest Sichuan province to reach a depth of 8,875 metres (30,000 feet) -- more than the height of Mount Everest, Xinhua news agency reported.

Will anxious Arab states soon form a nuclear family?

From Libya to Egypt to fuel-strapped Jordan, Arab countries have signaled their desire to develop nuclear power, even amid a concerted attempt by the United States to tighten the noose around Iran lest it join the nuclear club. These new players are entering a nuclear race in an unstable zone, dominated by two regional powers, Iran and Israel.

Australian city aims for world first climate change blackout

Australia's largest city will be plunged into darkness for an hour on Saturday in an attempt at a world first blackout to raise awareness of global warming, organisers say.

Development in harmony with nature

O'Brien said those who squawk about the costs of going green are shortsighted.

"Between peak oil and climate change, energy is going to get very, very expensive," he said. "The dilemma of the dollar is that dollars don't measure social values. Global warming is the biggest, most colossal catastrophe that the human race has ever seen. You've got to start somewhere."

Renewable sources the key to energy crisis?

Biofuel and other renewable energy sources may hold the key to Africa's energy crisis. Without intervention, this crisis is set to grow. Southern African cities such as Lusaka in Zambia, Harare in Zimbabwe, Gaborone in Botswana and Dar-Es-Salaam in Tanzania will be affected.

Deep economy: Localism, innovation and knowing what's what

I have no faith that people in the United States or elsewhere will voluntarily reduce their standards of living: indeed, outside of a few statistical outliers, like the Amish, I know of no evidence that anyone ever has, at least for very long. The way forward is not by going back to some earlier model of living which we believe to have less impact on the Earth, because people won't accept it, and we need mass popular support for dramatic change if we are to avert catastrophe.

So, we must ask ourselves, How can we deliver the prosperity billions of people expect, while reducing the ecological footprint it exacts?

Open skies deal will undo curbs on CO2, say Greens

Environmental groups warned yesterday that the open skies treaty to liberalise transatlantic flights could undermine efforts to combat climate change.

Five years to save the orangutan

A shocking UN report details how the booming palm oil industry is wiping out one of man's closest relatives as its forest habitat disappears.

Algae Biofuel Company to Grow Miscanthus as Biofuel Feedstock

AlgoDyne Ethanol Energy, the developers of a proprietary based process to continuously harvest algae biomass from photobioreactors to produce electricity and fuel, is acquiring 3,000 acres of agricultural land in Saskatchewan, Canada, to grow bioenergy crops, including Miscanthus.

How to boost Wind Power Development

The current study shows that the existing policy instruments intended to promote wind power are strong enough to make wind power projects competitive, but current legal rules for environmental permits and territorial planning, and public criticism at the local level, create substantial investment uncertainties.

Saudi Arabia not planning oil market crash

The reports that Saudi Arabia is about to engineer oil market collapse so as to contain its over-zealous neighbour, kept echoing in Zurich and London, over the last week or so, as people in the energy fraternity seemed deeply interested in finding out the truth on the issue on the sidelines of an industry conference.

BHP chief's doubts over clean coal technology

The former head of BHP has punctured the optimism of the Howard Government about clean-coal technology by saying the long-term storage of the carbon waste may be as difficult as dealing with nuclear waste.

Clean coal would cost billions

It could cost $4 billion annually to eliminate the carbon dioxide generated by power plants in the Carolinas.

The immense cost for cleaning up coal would be equivalent to building two nuclear power plants every year.