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DrumBeat: June 19, 2007
Posted by Leanan on June 19, 2007 - 9:01am
Topic: Miscellaneous
Tags: pakistan electricity [list all tags]
Gazprom bid to cut off China gas
Russian energy giant Gazprom has asked the government to cancel an agreement to pipe large quantities of gas to China from fields in Siberia.Alexander Ananenkov, the group's deputy chief executive, said plans to deliver 80bn cubic metres of gas a year to China would leave Russia short.
Our power, water and communications utilities are now heavily interdependent and are particularly energy hungry — being unable to withstand interruptions to their energy source for more than a few hours or days at most. The impending peak in the world’s production of oil will have unforeseen consequences to the supply of all utilities that are wide ranging and potentially severe. The Hubbert curve which may be used to predict the supply of oil suggests a gentle decline in the oil flows of around 3% to 6% per year. The consequences of that decline will be anything but gentle and unless action is taken beforehand will potentially result in a simultaneous and catastrophic collapse of all our utilities and along with it our present way of life.
Green Concerns Over the Energy Bill
Environmental groups are anxiously watching three votes this week that could significantly water down the energy bill currently before the Senate. The outcome of the votes will determine whether or not the environmental community supports the legislation drafted by Senate Democrats.
Russia's Thermal Coal Demand Seen Tripling by 2020
Demand for thermal coal in Russia, the world's fifth-largest coal miner, could more than triple by 2020 as the country invests billions of dollars to expand its power network, industry officials said on Monday.Thermal coal supply would rise by more than 50 percent and the proportion of exports in overall output from the world's third-biggest coal exporter would fall, said Vladimir Shchadov, deputy director of Rosenergo, an agency within the Energy Ministry.
Pakistan Shrugs Off US Opposition to Gas Pipeline Project
Pakistan vowed on Monday to go ahead with the US$7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project despite opposition from the United States.US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher last week reiterated Washington's opposition to the gas pipeline project in Islamabad and advised Islamabad to turn to Central Asia for its energy needs.
"We repeatedly have said that we have energy requirements and we find this pipeline feasible," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam told reporters in Islamabad.
Quenching China's thirst for oil
In the first five months this year, China's net oil import roared to 65.83 million tons, an increase of 11.5 percent from the same period last year. At the same time, China produced 77.51 million tons of oil, a 1.7 percent rise year-on-year.Customs statistics show that from January to May, China imported 67.43 million tons of crude oil, up 9.6 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, it exported 1.6 million tons, down 36.6 percent.
IEA Studies Safety Net for Natural-Gas Supply
The International Energy Agency, an adviser to 26 oil-consuming nations, may build a "safety net" of natural-gas stockpiles to buttress supply, said the agency's executive director, Claude Mandil.
Gunmen Occupy Nigerian Oil Installation
Unidentified gunmen have occupied an oil pipeline switching center in Nigeria and are preventing local workers and security forces from leaving, company officials said Monday.
Chevron's Nigeria Oil Output Down 42,000 bpd After Attack - Report
Chevron Corp. (CVX) has cut oil output from Nigeria by 42,000 barrels a day following an invasion of its Abiteye flow station, Reuters news agency said Monday.Earlier, Chevron Nigeria Ltd., operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company/Chevron Joint Venture, confirmed a group of 20 armed youths invaded the station Sunday.
Iraqi union leader urges opposition to oil law
A proposed law regulating Iraq's oil industry would foster U.S. "hegemony" over the world's third largest oil reserves and Iraqi oil workers are determined to oppose it, an Iraqi union leader said on Monday.
Geopolitics, gold and the oil price
Instability in Nigeria is the present driving force behind oil prices, now back at a nine-month high, while gold seems to have turned a corner with the highly significant changes in the US bond market. But let us not forget that a real spike in both the oil and gold price is very likely to require a particular constellation of geopolitics.
Petrobras Workers Threaten 5-day Strike in July
Workers at state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PBR), or Petrobras, may go on a five-day strike beginning July 5, Brazil's main oil workers' union said in a release on its Web site.The council of the federation of Brazilian oil worker unions, or FUP, Sunday unanimously approved a strike that would affect Brazil's oil production, the release said. Petrobras produces more than 95% of Brazil's oil output of about 1.85 million barrels a day.
China welcome to explore Iraqi oil resources
China is welcome to explore oil resources in Iraq as a new law is set to open its oilfields to international companies, the Iraqi ambassador to China said yesterday."We encourage Chinese enterprises to join the multinational competition for exploration of Iraqi oilfields," said Mohammad Sabir Ismail.
Nigeria: Fuel, water scarcity cripple Abeokuta
ECONOMIC activities were practically grounded to a halt in Abeokuta the Ogun State capital yesterday as the fuel scarcity continued to bite harder while water and electricity supplies still remained unavailable.The acute water scarcity, which started in the state capital on Monday last week, worsened the plights of residents, who were also experiencing outage and fuel shortage leaving most people frustrated and stranded.
Mexico Tax Bill Should Include Pemex, Beltrones Says
Mexico's Senate leader, Manlio Fabio Beltrones, said President Felipe Calderon's plan to boost tax collection should also address how to increase resources for state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos by lessoning its tax burden.
Eastern Mediterranean Oil Politics
Oil drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean Sea has emerged as an issue over the past few months following an initiative enacted by the Cypriot government to hand out research and drilling rights for oil reservoirs that might be found deep under the sea, and worth some $500 billion.
Saving Holland: The Netherlands deals with climate change
With much of its land below sea level, the Netherlands is charting a course around ominous climate-change trends.Part II is here.
The Promise of the Blue Revolution
Aquaculture can maintain living standards while averting the ruin of the oceans.
Geological Society of America: The future of hydrocarbons: Hubbert's peak or a plateau?
Due to economics, science, technology, and the increased manufacturing of hydrocarbons from sources other than oil, the world's production of oil and gas in the twenty-first century will not peak sharply but will plateau or gradually decline. The scenario presented here places us among the optimists.
Power cuts spark riots in Pakistan's biggest city
Youths rampaged through Pakistan's biggest city overnight, torching a police booth and erecting blazing barricades to protest 10-hour power cuts - a fresh headache for the government of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.Electricity shortages have struck much of Pakistan just as temperatures top 40 degrees Celsius, forcing businesses to close or throw away perishable products and leaving residents stewing in their homes.
Resentment at the outages has begun boiling over into the streets of Karachi, the country's main port and business capital, where anger is focused on the privatized local power utility.
Pakistan: Sugar mills may be allowed to generate power
The government is expected to allow sugar mills to use furnace oil as co-fuel for power production to overcome the worst ever energy crisis in country’s history. The sugar industry can produce about 2000MW electricity in five years.An earlier initiative by the government to utilise sugar industry’s capacity for power generation about two years ago had failed to materialise because of gas shortages and the government did not consider furnace oil as an alternative fuel at that time. The electricity shortage has become acute now and the government is ready to purchase it at higher tariffs.
Philippines: Shell team to review options
Pilipinas Shell late last year concluded that the environment was far “too overheated to do an economic project, as the cost of raw materials and services increased substantially, resulting in abnormally escalated cost estimates.”...Actual cost of the expansion, according to officials, had gone up by 40 percent due to the huge demand in services and raw materials worldwide.
Petrochemical woes in the pipeline
The European petrochemicals industry is coming under increasing strain from two distinct quarters. First, rich oil-producing Middle East countries and China are investing heavily to capture a bigger share of the world market for these basic chemical products.Second, European regulations, however well-intentioned, are placing a further heavy burden on the continent's big petrochemicals groups. This is making it even harder for them to compete with the new capacity, which will soon be flowing out of the developing world.
Lithuanian parliament backs controversial law on nuclear plant
The Lithuanian parliament gave its backing on Tuesday to a controversial law concerning the construction of a new nuclear power plant, paving the way for final approval next week.The draft law has been written to give a legal framework to the most ambitious energy project the Baltic states have ever attempted: a nuclear power station jointly built by Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland.
Oil: Ghana could become 'an African tiger'
Ghana's President John Kufuor says the discovery of the country's first major oil deposit could turn the West African country into an "African tiger"."Even without oil, we are doing so well... With oil as a shot in the arm, we're going to fly," he told the BBC.
Ghana: Akuse High Tension Cable Thief Burnt to Death
THE VOLTA River Authority [VRA] and Electricity Company of Ghana [ECG] apart from struggling to find a lasting solution to the current energy crisis, are also suffering from intermittent cutting of high-tension cables by criminals.Suspects take advantage of the quiet atmosphere often enjoyed during the middle of the day at Akuse and illegally climb the pylons and cut the cables, that supply electricity to Tema and other parts of the country, for sale.
The Friends of the Earth-Ghana has appealed to government to recognise the links between the current energy crisis, the problems of desertification and climate change and the toll they take on national and local economies.
The Mainstreaming of Green Buildings (and Everything Else)
Few people realize that it's the building sector -- not industry or transportation -- responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that this vibrant market proves that we can dramatically cut emissions sharply and reap a broad swath of economic and other benefits at the same time. Part of the solution is right in front of us. We can do this.
Lobbies stymie action on energy
Three powerful lobbying forces — automakers, electric utilities and the coal industry — are confounding Democrats' efforts to forge a less-polluting energy policy.Disputes over automobile fuel economy, use of coal as a motor fuel, and requirements for utilities to use more wind or biomass to generate electricity have threatened to stall energy legislation in both the Senate and House.
‘Hot’ gas is hot topic in courts and Congress
As the temperature rises, liquid gasoline expands and the amount of energy in each gallon drops. Since gas is priced at a 60-degree standard and gas pumps don’t adjust for any temperature changes, motorists often get less bang for their buck in warmer weather.Consumer watchdog groups warn that the temperature hike could end up costing consumers between 3 and 9 cents a gallon at the pump.
Iran says won't rule out using oil as a weapon
"We will not start using this tool (of oil) but if others use their tools that they have not put aside to put pressure on negotiations, it is natural that the two sides would discuss all their tools," Kazempour Ardebili said.Asked what would be the impact if Iran stopped its oil exports, Kazempour Ardebili said: "Definitely the market will be faced with a new shock and oil prices will increase strongly."
He added that prices would climb above $100 a barrel.
Argentine industry with no energy for fourth day running
Argentina’s main natural gas and electricity distributors interrupted this Monday for the fourth day running their provision to industry and big consumers to ensure supply to homes following a consumption peak attributed to the polar weather spell covering most of central and south Argentina.
Chavez Announces New Stage of Energy Revolution in Venezuela
During the inauguration of a combined-cycle plant at the Termozulia electric plant in the western state of Zulia, the Venezuelan leader said that the main goal of this new stage is to substitute almost 27 million inefficient incandescent light bulbs by energy saving light bulbs in the official, industrial and commercial sectors.Chávez insisted on the need to modify the consumption patterns that often tend to the waste of electricity and fuel, and stressed that the efforts currently being made by the Venezuelan government aim at preserving the environment.
China Slows Coal-Liquids, Ethanol Push on Water Fear
Beijing is trying to slow the push on water-intensive alternative energy on mounting signs that China might face a serious water shortage in the future.This may stymie the second-largest energy consumer's plans to turn its huge coal reserves and agricultural land into transport fuel, and lead it to continue relying on greater imports to fuel its booming economy, a bullish factor for global oil markets.
Senator: Halt Expansion of Oil Reserves
A Senate Democrat is aiming to halt expansion of the country's oil reserves for one year, saying it makes no sense when oil prices are high.
Algeria Plans to Develop Solar Power for Export
Algeria plans to make use of its hot southern desert to develop solar power for export and domestic consumption, the OPEC member country said on Monday.
110 people killed in North Korean explosion
A South Korean aid group said Tuesday that about 110 people were killed in a gasoline pipeline blast 10 days ago in the northwest of North Korea....The disaster occurred when villagers gathered around a previously cracked pipeline to collect gasoline.
Transneft to develop existing oil terminal bypassing Belarus
The head of Russia's Transneft said Monday the pipeline monopoly would develop the existing terminal of an oil pipeline that helps Russian crude reach world markets without passing through transit countries.
The Earth today stands in imminent peril
...and nothing short of a planetary rescue will save it from the environmental cataclysm of dangerous climate change. Those are not the words of eco-warriors but the considered opinion of a group of eminent scientists writing in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Ten Ten Worst Used Cars and Trucks
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/06/10_used_cars.html
That is the main reason I did not buy a Prius. Well, that and it was more expensive. Doesn't matter how good the design or the car company is...there are going to be glitches in a new model. And the Prius is still relatively new.
I don't drive much, anyway. So I got a cheap, reliable Corolla.
That list is bogus. I sold my two year old Prius for more than I paid for it. How is that a bad used car. Got to drive it two years and then made $1,000.
They are talking about cars much older than that. You wouldn't expect to see too many problems with a 2-year-old car.
Me, I plan to be driving my Corolla twenty years from now...unless the gas stations go dry in the meantime. :-)
I have a 4 year old Prius with 80,000 miles on it and still runs great. I really don't see how the Prius made that list.
Four years old is still not very old. The article said the problem is with older vehicles (eight years old or 100,000 miles).
The Prius in the USA have not been out that long...so again...why is it on this list...makes no sense except to give it a bad name when it doesn't deserve it.
I have had the dealer offer to buy it off me twice now for an excellent price or trade in value, so I don't buy it being a bad used car at all.
That is kind of the point of the article. The Prius is only now reaching the age where problems are arising.
It is really hard to know what to make of this because there is no information on rates of problems, no numerical or statistical comparisons. The fact that a problem isn't covered by a warranty after 50,000 miles is not unusual, but they make a big deal of it. I also note that as IIRC Consumers Reports has found the Hummer to be horribly unreliable - possibly the worst of all, and yet no mention of Hummers on this list at all. I suspect Prius owners are more inclined to BLOG than Hummer owners?
If you Google for prius reliability and go through the sites, they are consistently found among the very most reliable (including used 2001 models). I agree we need to look at how they age, but this really doesn't give much to go on.
And the article does mention that, so it's not like it's a hit piece or anything.
I know, but it really is a very damning article if it is true that it is the fifth "worst car" in the entire universe of vehicles, which is what they are really implying.
I keep looking for the '73 Pinto to show up on these lists. It's never there.
With the Firestone 500 tires, of course.
That may be the first generation Prius, I'm not exactly sure. The Gen1 and 2 Prii though are quite complicated machines with lots of little sensors and computers just looking for a place to go wrong. Most normal cars begin experiencing problems after about 150,000 miles...thats why most car companies offer protection up to that amount. After that, time and wear start taking its toll...the more complicated the vehicle, the worse it usually fares. For the carefully timed orchestra known as the Prius, that could be more painful than most. High expectations may also play into it. If you expect your Prius to be a Wundermobile, and it turns out to be an automobile...you'll probably be a little more apt to complain about its shortcomings.
Corollas RULE! I have an '02. If I ever buy another car (if there's any gas available that I can put in it...) it'll be a Toyota, likely another Corolla.
I drive a Yaris and am extremely happy with it. It's fine for our family of five, and I've managed to get four people and a week's worth of groceries in it.
My grandmother drove hers for something like 25 years. She gave up driving before the car did. And she wasn't your typical little old lady driver. Her hobby is horticulture, so she often filled up the back with bags of mulch, potted plants, etc.
This is Consumer Affairs, not Consumer Reports. I have no idea how reliable the Prius or any car is, but neither do the writers of that article. I can can find plenty of anecdotes about how reliable the Prius is. I have yet to see data.
And one of the cars they indicate as problematic is the Corolla.
I believe that Consumer Affairs is a anecdote-driven site. They do not test vehicles.
In other words, how likely is it that someone perfectly happy with their car would seek out a consumer site and talk it up?
The truth is Toyotas are probably the best engineered automobiles on the planet. They are extremely reliable. I purchased a Toyota Camry with 350,000 miles on it for $1600. I put another 112,000 on it without ANY maintenance. No oil changes, nothing. I sold it for $1000. Does this mean that all Toyotas will run as well or as long? Of course not. The question is the number of problems per passenger mile. According to all scientifically managed studies, the Toyota performs far and away above the rest with the Honda coming in second. For me, the most telling aspect of the list is the number of American cars.
I owned a Ford Windstar after owning two flawlessly performing Toyota vans, both the Previa and the previous wonderfully rugged version, and I can tell you I would never buy another Ford. What a piece of crap. From day one. Problems problems problems. Of course, I had wanted to stay with the tried and true Toyota, but the wife wanted cheap and that is what she got.
Does that mean that ALL Windstars suck? No. But the list is packed with Fords and not Toyotas. While the list is by no means scientific, it begins (taken as a whole) to approximate the idea of problems per passenger mile.
I was just reading about how you can't trust the names of so-called public interest groups. Consumer Affairs was founded for a noble cause, but has long since sold out, lock, stock and barrel to corporate sponsors.
Correction: Actually it wasn't Consumer Affairs I read about, but the point is that the word 'Consumer' in the name guarantees very little.
http://www.alternet.org/story/54093/?page=2
As far as the Prius, CA makes it clear that their survey is not scientific. They don't make it clear whether they mean the first model of Prius or all Priuses.
Yep - just had the transmission on a F-150 go south on me at 97,000 miles.
Admittedly it was a work truck but isn't that what they're always showing in those testosterone laden commercials - how those trucks smash and slam around thru anything with nary a scratch...?
Ford stinks - what a piece of junk...
Also forgot to mention that if you look at car reviews from Consumer Reports annual guide (they review back about 8 years into a models history) I've always been amazed how lousy so called "luxury" brands rate in various different mechanical categories. Here's a list off the top of my head of brands that get horrible reliability ratings:
BMW
Mercedes
Jaguar
Volvo
Audi
VW
Land Rover
Porsche
Saab
Hummer
Also interesting that nearly any of the largest SUVs (think of those named after mountains, territories, or continents) also are rated (generally) as quite unreliable.
My theory is that the car manufacturers know that the buyers of these things love cars so much that they'll really appreciate any reason for a visit to the car dealer's, so they make sure that they get lots of reasons.
Looks like Ford pretty much owns the list. :-)
FORD: Found On Road Dead. Actually Chryslers are worse. I hate the day I stupidly decided to buy a Neon in October 1996. Worst car I ever owned, and it has cost me countless hours working on it to keep it running. Very poor design and workmanship. If I had some extra money I would park it on a vacont lot, put a sign on it - "free car" - with the keys and title on the front seat and then buy a used Toyota.
We used to say Fix Or Repair Daily.
Or when I lived in Vermont, Found On Rutland Dump.
It was "Fixed Or Repaired Daily" back when I was a kid.
Mose in Midland
I still remember a few of those:
FIAT - 'Fix It Alla Time'
BOAC - 'Better On A Camel'
Sabena - 'Such A Bad Experience - Never Again'
FIAT = Fix it again Tony.
PO content
Lucas electric, from the people that invented sudden darkness.
I had some joke matches I used to carry in my 68' Triumph Spitfire that had printed on them:
Lucas Electronics
Joseph Lucas "Prince of Darkness"
"If your lights don't work don't try these they don't work either"
When I visited the UK at first I wondered why they drank warm beer.
Then I saw they had Lucas refrigerators.
Whole Romeo, because it hasn't rusted yet.
sf
PONTIAC - ...
Uhm, nope. Some things just don't bear repeating.
PONTIAC....How about:
Peak Oil Nut Thinks It's A Cadillac!
CHEVROLET: Cheap heap, each valve rattles, oil leaks every time.
This guy at consumeraffairs.com comes out with anti-Prius articles on a regular basis.
Funny thing is that consumerreports.org in their annual survey just a few months ago found:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/reliability/would-you-buy-that-c...
More Confirmation that OPEC is maxed out
Iran sees 10% rise in crude oil price this year
(Apologies if this has been posted before as I have been on vacation.)
Ron Patterson
And that:
OPEC might not increase production in coming months
http://www.advfn.com/news_OPEC-might-not-increase-production-in-coming-m...
Ron,
Hope you had a great vacation your contributions have been missed!
Austin's Kill-A-Watt Challenge
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Kill-A-Watt/
A competition at several levels (renters, homeowners, businesses, neighborhoods) on who can reduce electrical consumption the most, and how they did it.
Hard to see any losers in this game :-)
Best Hopes for Competitive Instincts,
Alan
Perhaps link this to local community newspapers as a concept ?
Hi Alan,
Don't know if this was posted (I was away):
Planning pays off, pleased officials say (new GTA light rail)
And this today:
Green fund for green cars
Just a little hope :-P
Post-Peak Preparations in Toronto
Should have been my title. Instead it was Dream, Plan, Propose, Build.
I was VERY impressed with the list of 53 projects and posted the list :-)
Called a few transit friends to "break the news" to them :-)
Best Hopes for Toronto (and federal co-operation),
Alan
Too Much CAFE Makes Cars Smaller, More Expensive
I like this comment from the EV World article jump page:
I'll take a look at my fluid mechanics textbook, there was a really cool grapic about the average shape of cars and the drag coefficient over time.
There really is only one desigs which is best for keeping drag low. All the others are derivitives and suffer from higher drag coefficients.
how 'bout the box fish car ? that supposedly has a really low drag coefficient but alas " mercedes claims that it would not have a large enough market.
Holy Cow! There's something to send your Senators and Representatives as proof that the automakers are pushing poo-poo in regards to "small" cars. My 2000 Honda Civic HX (not a hybrid) can get 50mpg on the freeway, as it did last time I filled it up. There was actually a bit of city driving mixed in there as well. 2600lb car, good crash ratings, and it will GET UP AND GO if you want it too. :) I can easily keep up with a BMW 325i on 0-80.
Edited your post to cut it down to just an excerpt. The entire comment can be read at the link provided.
And I thought it was just suffering from "shrinkage" ;)
The rest of the post had an interesting array of vehicles (many of which I'd never heard of), their fuel economy, and performance numbers...which is why I left it that long. But that's fine.
Used to be I could tell the difference between a Pontiac and a toyota a mile away. Now I have to get close enough to read the nameplate or logo. It's all because of aerodynamics but I wonder how much aerodynamics matters when you are creeping along in a traffic jam most of the time.
>Add in a 300 pound weight reduction from taking out a lot of useless dead weight in a car's interior...
Gee, thats not a nice way to refer to lazy overweight drivers and passengers. Of course driving less and walking more would do more than improve gas mileage.
Nigeria unions seem to be rejecting govt. efforts to avert strike:
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL19790825.html
The Humvee H1 production line was closed in 2006.
The Humvee H2 (10 MPG) production line might close in 2007.
An increase in SUV sales was attributed to the cancelation of minivan models.
http://dethroner.com/2007/05/24/gm-likely-killing-hummer-h2-suv-sales-st...
If gasoline prices will climb, market forces will favor the subcompact at the expense of the gas guzzling behemoths.
Definition behemoth: giant, heavyweight, abnormally large or powerful.
Hello Rainsong,
I spotted an SUV that had a personalized license plate that spelled: THINKNOT
Sad, but true.
Bob Shaw in Phx,Az Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
‘Hot’ gas is hot topic in courts and Congress
So they are worried about a few % from thermal expansion but a 40% reduction switching from gasoline -> ethanol is just fine?
Jeesh.
| The problem will solve itself.
| But not in a nice way.
Not to mention the guy in the Ford Expedition.
"The impact isn’t lost upon Carl Rittenhouse, a carpet worker from the north Georgia town of Chatsworth.
“You can tell the difference between the time you fill up in the morning or night, or if you fill up in the middle of the day,” said Rittenhouse, who joined one of the lawsuits. “All you have to do is look at the fumes.”"
What gets me, is that all gasoline sold in the USA is stored in tanks that are about 10 feet underground where the temperature is constant. In Minnesota the temp runs about 56 degrees year around. Was around 60 or 65 in Arizona when I lived out there. That's why ground source heat pumps are so efficient!
The comment by the guy in the article that he could tell the difference between pumping gas in the morning, noon and evening is just hilarious.
The only time you might find a big difference in temp is right after a delivery of gasoline by tanker truck. My guess is that within a few hours after the gasoline has been in the underground tank it will have stabilized at the same temp as the ground.
"The debate is now reaching Washington.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., recently urged California lawmakers to take action. And Rep. Kucinich earlier this month called a hearing on the issue, calling it “Big Oil’s double standard.”
“People are paying for gasoline they’re not getting,” said Kucinich, who is running for president."
It never ceases to amaze me how the people we elect to Congress can be so dumb.
Anyone know offhand what the thermal expansion coefficient is for gasoline to calculate what the volume difference is for a 5 degree temp difference between 60 and 65 degrees to calculate the actual energy loss and actual cost. Also the average ground temp at 10 feet below the surface in different locations around the country.
When the media start throwing around numbers like "between 3 and 9 cents per gallon" without any calculations to back them up I tend to be a bit sceptical. Maybe I just don't trust the media anymore?
We've discussed this before. Hawaii has a law that declares the size of a gallon of gas is different from the one the rest of the nation uses, to make up for the higher temperature there.
To me, the most incriminating thing is that big oil supported temperature adjusted pumps in Canada, and helped push the law through there. But they're resisting it here. Gee, I wonder why? Could it be that they were losing money on the deal in the cold Great White North, but are making money on it here?
The Great White North is awfully hot today :-)
I recall the thermal expansion coefficient for naphtha to diesel fluid range is around 950 to 1000 parts per million per deg C.
So an 18 degree F increase in temperature is about 1 % or about 1.28 ounces per gallon. Or 3 cents per gallon for $3.00 gas, so for 9 cents per gallon it requires 54 deg F rise or $9 dollar gas and an 18 deg F rise. IMO 20 gallon tank may vary by 10 to 20 cents with today’s prices.
That article on the expansion of gasoline at higher temperatures wasn't very well thought out if you ask me. They kept on talking about the air temperature, but the air temperature isn't likely to be the same as the temperature of the gas from underground tanks.
Your basement is cooler than the outside temperature on a hot day, and the temperature of the gas from the underground tanks would be similarly cooler. In the winter, if it's 10 below zero, the gas coming from underground won't be that cold. Being underground moderates the temperature both ways.
My guess is, like your basement temperature, the actual temperature of the gasoline probably doesn't vary a whole heck of a lot seasonally for the reason. Maybe down to 45 degrees or so in winter, and up to 65 degrees of so in summer. If that is even remotely correct, than the average temperature of the gas you buy would be colder than the benchmark 60 degrees, so in fact on average you are benefiting by this policy, not getting ripped off.
Even putting the underground fact aside, the article said the average temperature in the U.S. last year was 55 degrees, so if the oil industry is basing their volumes on 60 degrees overall the consumer would be benefiting even if the gas was the air temperature. Of course, you might be benefiting more if you live in a cold place and be getting ripped off a little if you live in a warm place, but overall nationwide consumers would be benefiting.
gasoline is a volatile hydrocarbon. the calculation is not all that simple. it depends upon the specific composition and the pressure and temperature conditions at which it is dispensed. try this experiment: breath in the fumes coming from your tank as you fill it on a hot summer day - on second though you better not try that.
gas pumps are calibrated once per year (for most states) and the standard is 1 cubic inch plus an additional cubic inch for each gallon. the standard prover is 5 gal. so the standard works out to about 2% . all well and good, but what happens if the pumps are found to be out of calibration, as far as i can tell there is no penalty in some states. so the pump can be out of calibration 364 days of the year. i bring this up because i firmly believe that the gas mileage one calculates depends on where one fills up.
Bank exec forms electric-vehicle biz
Symphony Motors aims to sell battery-powered cars in ’08
A new Round-Up has been posted at TOD:Canada.
This weekend I went to Madison, WI. Flew into Chicago and rented a vehicle from Enterprise. They ended up giving us a Chrysler Aspen SUV insted of the Jeep Cherokee my sister had reserved in the typical hard-sell "upgrade".
It was a ridiculous vehicle-the monster truck of SUV's. Eight cylinder, four wheel drive, sucked gas quicker than my 18 year old son can suck down a soda pop. And, the damn thing had horrible blind spots-rear view mirrors that blocked much of the side view, big posts to the roof that were extra-wide, gas pedal too close to the brake so I had to take off my sandals in order not to hit them both at once.
The mileage was just awful-I bought two $60 tanks of gas just to drive to Madison and back-it was about 8 MPG.
So folks, fair warning. Don't use Enterprise as they force gas hogs on people. Never use an Aspen-they are a total obsenity. My best guess is that the car industry is giving rebates to the car rental companies so they purchase this trash.
The car rental companies have long been the outlet for the auto makers, to move what consumers are not buying but which for some reason has to role off the line. GM has for years been notorious for dumping certain models onto Alamo. Indeed, a close examination of some of the rental companies will find ties with various automakers.
WRT Enterprise, my experience over many years has been that they area very amenable to trading out a vehicle if you don't like the one you are given.
Why didn't you refuse the upgrade in the first place. I've run into the same thing with other rental agencies and I just insisted on the economy car.
My sister made the reservation, and I didn't feel comfortable raising too much cain. Also, i kind of like renting different types of vehicles so I can experience them without a multi-thousand dollar commitment. I just wanted to report my unpleasant experience with Enterprise, who won't get my business again and report on an unsafe gas hog, the Aspen so others won't make my stupid mistakes.
You should have taken it off-roading and brought it back caked in mud.
"What happened?"
"Eh, hit a puddle I guess.."
I'm getting my revenge by bad-mouthing Enterprise Rent-a-car and the Chrysler Aspen. With any luck a few people won't rent their crap, and their publicity/advertising departments will get all riled up. I doubt they will change their ways, but any small cut in business because I communicated my unhappiness is enough.
I rent cars fairly often because I travel out of town often to work. So does my sister. And so do many people who read this site. I hope they remember my story and use it to protect themselves.
I wanted to rent an Insight for a trip that I was going to take. Figured I could get a more reliable car and save some gas at the same time. Doesn't exist! Everything else they had was LESS fuel efficient than what I had.
"A Senate Democrat is aiming to halt expansion of the country's oil reserves for one year, saying it makes no sense when oil prices are high."
Does anyone here believe that crude prices will be lower next year? How about in 2009?
Perhaps Senator Dorgan has intelligence regarding an impending visit from The Fossil Fuel Fairy.
PLAN, PLANt, PLANet
Errol in Miami
Maybe few here believe that, but out in the rest of the world, everyone does believe that this is a temporary spike.
It's just like Deffeyes predicted. Volatility is disguising the steady upward climb, and preventing people from taking action.
The thing is, if the U.S./world economy hits the skids hard enough, it is quite conceivable to see crude priced lower than this year, or 5 years ago - mainly because fewer will be able to afford it.
This element of oil price has been lost at TOD over the last year or so. On the other hand, economic rules seem to be in abeyance - maybe this is a true blow out, one big enough to be able to ignore what is happening.
Though the price of crude continues to climb (and it is a fairly safe bet in my eyes that it will continue to do so), a sudden collapse in demand, and lower crude prices over a period of years is not easily ruled out.
I think everyone here understands that. Heck, we peak oilers even have our own name for it: "demand destruction."
But that's not what the rest of the world is thinking when they say the price will go down. The senator isn't thinking, "Gee, let's wait until the next Great Depression to fill the SPR." The schmucks buying new Hummers and Expeditions, or not trading in their SUVs for Priuses or Corollas, are not thinking, "Well, maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones who still has a job when the rest of these losers can't afford to buy gas any more."
But 'production destruction' has become a minor theme at best, except for the 'receding horizon' effect, often discussed in terms of alternatives.
If the price of crude falls to $20 a barrel in two years due to massive economic disruptions, the amount of production destruction may well outweigh the amount of 'demand' destroyed. This is one of the oil industry's true nightmares, since they have experienced this. Peak oil remains theoretical, in much the same sense that our own death remains 'theoretical' - that is, certain to happen one day, but never right now, and never when it would be inconvenient.
Most people I know agrees that gasoline prices will never go down again. (I don't live at the US, so they aren't affected by your virtual reality field.)
But none of them agree that oil supply is ending... Go figure.
Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful replies to my question. I guess I'm showing my bias: IMO the exportland situation will lead to tight supplies even with moderate demand destruction in the industrialized world.
PLAN, PLANt, PLANet
Errol in Miami
posted yesterday
wanted to put it up again
real article is behind a paywall.
http://groovygreen.com/groove/?p=1503
http://groovygreen.com/groove/?p=1503
http://groovygreen.com/groove/?p=1503
6 billion dollars Texas Windfarm courtesy of a one Mr. Boone Pickens wants to increase world wind capacity by 2 to 4 gigawatts.
Not bad considering the current state of world wind capacity (something like 80 GW as of today).
NOICE!
G out
/FYI wind has been increasing at ~2x% a year, doubling every 2-3 years.
I posted that article when it was first published last week. And it's not behind a paywall. You have to register, but registration is free.
The article was syndicated and published over the country. Try this link if you don't want to register.
whoops, i was just perusing through reddit and saw it. coolio and thx for the linky.
I was just impressed that for only 6 billion somone can boost world wind capacity by >3%.
6 billion puts the W cost at ~1.5$/Watt, not bad if you ask me.
If the average america uses 25 KW constantly, thats a one time investment of 40,000 dollars to keep current lifestyles going. (well if we get 25% capacity, then its 160,000 dollars and that will cause a contraction in the economy. and it would be 160,000 refreshed every 40 years or so. to make it 1/4 a million dollars in todays money to be provided with 25KW every day for the rest of your life.)
I would also like to point out that 25 KW is like having (elite cyclists typically train 6-8 hours a day putting out 500 watts continuously) This means 2 elite cyclists per 1 KW, and for it to be continuous 6 in a day and then times 25, so 150 cyclists!
The average american has the equivalent of 1/2 the field of the Tour de France working for him all the time to get things done!!!
Which says a lot about how much existing wind capacity there is...
"If the average american uses 25 KW constantly"
- is that number you actually found somewhere? Sounds way high to me. They usually assume about 1 KW per household, and even if you multiply that by several fold to account for industrial and commercial use it's far from 25KW - and that's per household not person.
This site:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_ele_gen_abi_percap-electric-genera...
does not show the US but lists Canada at about 3.4 KW per-capita generation capacity (not average usage!).
I actually pulled those numbers right out my ass.
It's probably much larger than 25KW
You are talking about electricity generation capacity, i am talking about total energy usage (which should be thought of in watts). Just to eat most americans consume 3000Cal and require between 8 and 10 times the food calories to get those calories to their plates, so 33000Cal, which is already more than 1KW. Now include driving, most americans use something like 25 barrels of oil per day.
simply going by total USA energy expenditure (FF, nuclear, solar, hydro for transportation and all industry)
we have from 1999
2200 M TonnesOilEquivalent used in the USA economy
42 GJ of energy in those Tonnes of oil equivalent
31556111 seconds in a year
2.93464E+12 Watts is the power requirement of the USA.
8384 Watts per capita overall (350,000,000 residences).
so 8.5 KW of power are needed. and of those 8.5, 1 goes to food and probably something like 2.5-4 go to transportation. and the rest go to taxes.
looks like i was wrong, my apologies.
Only an 8th or so of the field of the Tour De France is needed to keep 1 american alive at current standards of living.
Note that norway, (In your link) has very low oil consumption per capita, so the electriciy generated is likely to be close to the proper number.
You're a bit low.
Annual US energy consumption from all sources (raw inputs) is about 100 quadrillion BTU (it's just a bit more now; details). Call it 1020 joules/yr. Divide by 365 days/yr and 86400 sec/day, that's 3.17*1012 J/sec (watts). Divide by 3*108 population, and you get 10.6 kW.
Wind's great here in Texas! Since the turbines pay about $4,000 per year in royalty per turbine, and add high paying rural jobs, and ad valorem tax value for local governments, everybody loves them. We've already got the nations highest wind electricity capacity and have room for many thousands more turbines.
Thank you Boone Pickens! I'm really looking forward to hearing you at the ASPO conference in October in Houston!
Hopefully Mr Pickens will use whatever revenue after costs to continue expanding the wind turbines. A couple million a year in profits would expand the turbines fairly rapidly one would think.
Even better would be if he addressed the patent issue with overseas corp (cannot remember the name) preventing them from selling technologically superior turbines to the US.
When one thinks oil, one thinks Boone Pickens. Man, if this doesn't send a powerful message, I don't know what will.
RE: GSA Journal article above