<API Energy IQ SurveyThe Oil DrumCrisis, what energy crisis?>
<DrumBeat: July 2, 2007DrumBeatDrumBeat: July 4, 2007>

190 comments on DrumBeat: July 3, 2007

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

Darwinian on July 3, 2007 - 10:51am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Manifa was scheduled to come on line in 2011 with 900,000 barrels per day. Its oil is heavy with vanadium and hydrogen sulphide, making it virtually unusable. Saudi is building two new refineries. No doubt one of them will be equipped to handle this heavy oil contiminated with vanadium and hydrogen sulphide.

So it would be my guess that there has been some delay in the refinery schedule and Saudi will not be able to handle the oil from Manifa by 2011.

But that is just a guess of course. I am sure there will be more news on this coming down the pike very soon giving us more details. Then again, perhaps they will keep the lid on this, knowing Saudis predilection for secrecy.

Ron Patterson

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
westexas on July 3, 2007 - 11:01am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Ron,

I guess you saw the article about the Saudis looking into importing coal to meet domestic energy consumption. I think that they had to import fuel oil last August, in order to meed peak demand for electrical generation.

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
jokuhl on July 3, 2007 - 2:54pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Is that going to Newcastle, S.A. ?

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Heading Out on July 3, 2007 - 12:51pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The first two stages are for dredging and then building a causeway out for the drilling platforms, so this is likely more related to those issues than dealing with the oil.

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
pondlife on July 3, 2007 - 2:20pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The vanadium could be very useful if extracted for vanadium redox batteries

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Sparaxis on July 3, 2007 - 7:03pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

You may well be right. I had dinner with the head of Saudi refining projects last week, and in a chat about China's refinery expansion plans, he blurted out that China's plans were highly improbable, "since we can't even get 400,000 b/d up and running in less than 4-5 years anymore". He wouldn't elaborate, but they have been impacted by the same escalation of costs, shortages, and other problems that are plaguing the industry around the world.

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
NZSanctuary on July 3, 2007 - 9:17pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Comments from the horse's mouth, so to speak, are always interesting. Thanks.

"You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created."
Albert Einstein

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.