<Fortune: Are You Ready for $262/bbl Oil?The Oil DrumSurface Mining of coal>

Sunday Acronym Open Thread...

Posted by Prof. Goose on January 29, 2006 - 1:56pm
Topic: Miscellaneous
Tags: acronyms [list all tags]

We're putting together a list of acronyms as a sidebar resource.  Start the list here in the comments (see the comments below in Stuart's post for a discussion of why, etc.) and then I will pull it together into a post.

75 comments on Sunday Acronym Open Thread...

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

Halfin on January 29, 2006 - 2:05pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
I can't think of that many acronyms used here...

B - barrels (of oil)
MB - millions of barrels
GB - gigabarrels, i.e. billions of barrels
TB - trillions of barrels
MBD - millions of barrels per day

These are obvious I think:

PO - peak oil
TOD - the oil drum!

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Bob G on January 29, 2006 - 2:06pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

ASPO - Association for the Study of Peak Oil www.peakoil.net, also www.aspo-usa.com
BG - Biomass gassification
BTL - Biomass-to-liquid
CAB -
CERA - Cambridge Energy Research Associates (Chairman Daniel Yergin) www.cera.com
CTL - Coal-to-liquid; see FT
DoE - US Department of Energy www.doe.gov
EIA - Energy Information Administration; division of US DoE www.eia.doe.gov
EROEI - Energy return on energy invested; aka energy profit ratio (EPR)
FIP - Fields in production
FT - Fischer-Tropsch process of converting methane or coal to liquid fuels
GOM or GOMEX - Gulf of Mexico
GTL - Gas-to-liquid; see FT
IEA - International Energy Agency www.iea.org
IHS - IHS Energy (consulting company, parent of CERA)
IOCs - International oil companies
JODI - Joint oil data initiative www.jodidata.org/
LNG - Liquified natural gas, refrigerated for shipping
LPG - Liquified petroleum gas (propane and butane)
LQHC - Low quality hydrocarbons, i.e.tar sands and oil shale
MENA - Middle East and North Africa--includes Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates
MER - Maximum effective rate (of production)
MMS - Minerals Management Service; division of US Dept. of the Interior
MRC - Maximum Reservoir Contact
MSM - Mainstream media
NG - Natural gas (mainly methane)
NGL - Natural gas liquids (ethane, propane, butane, isobutane and natural gasoline)
NOCs - National oil companies
OGJ - The Oil & Gas Journal
OOIP - Original oil in place
RUL - Regular unleaded gasoline
SA - Saudi Arabia
SPR - Strategic petroleum reserve
TOD - The Oil Drum www.theoildrum.com
ULSD - Ultra-low sulfur diesel
USGS - United States Geological Survey
URR  - Ultimately recoverable resources
VMT - Vehicle miles traveled
WTI - West Texas intermediate (crude)
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Dave Cohen on January 29, 2006 - 2:44pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Go for it, Bob G!
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
ptone on January 29, 2006 - 9:58pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Replying to the best on topic post, here are my two contribs that I haven't seen yet:

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)
Gas Oil Separation Plant (GOSP)

-Ptone

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
zach on January 29, 2006 - 2:13pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
OECD = Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development
OPEC = Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Non-OPEC = Info here: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/nonopec.html
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
LJR on January 29, 2006 - 2:18pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
P/Q - Pique to Qumulative
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Bob G on January 29, 2006 - 2:22pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
BTUs - British thermal units
FSU - Former Soviet Union
GHGs - Greenhouse gases (CO2, methane)
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
ericy on January 29, 2006 - 10:07pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Quad - Quadrillion BTU.  

Yes, I know - it is not really an acronym - more of an abbreviation, but it is still part of the "secret language".

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
The Interloafer on January 29, 2006 - 2:29pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
TSHTF - Usually preceded by "When."
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Dave Cohen on January 29, 2006 - 2:38pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Terms that everyone should understand (PG, I assume you're going to put the together the post w/definitions, right?)
  • EOR (enhanced oil recovery)
  • E&P (exploration and production)
  • URR (ultimately recoverable reserves)
  • OOIP (original oil in place)
  • LNG (liquified natural gas)
  • GTL (gas to liquids conversion)
  • CTL (coal to liquids conversion)
  • BOE (barrels of oil equivalent)
  • BBLs (barrels of usually oil)
  • MBPD (million barrels per day == MMb/d
  • GB (gigabarrels = billion barrels = Bbo
  • RP ratio (reserves/production = years)
  • Qt (the estimated URR from a Hubbert Lineariation)
  • TCF (trillion cubic feet -- dry natural gas)
  • MMx (million x)
  • IEA (International Energy Agency in Paris)
  • CERA (Cambridge Energy Research Associates (Daniel Yergin
  • EIA (Energy Information Admistration (DOE)
  • DOE (Department of Energy
  • NGLs (natural gas liquids eg. condensates)
  • USGS (US Geological Service)
  • IOC (international oil company eg. British Petroleum, ExxonMobil)
  • NOC (national oil company eg. Saudi Aramco)
  • OPEC (organization of petroleum exporting countries)
  • FSU (former Soviet Union)
Well, that should get us started... that's enough for now, already tired...

And a few others...

  • WTF (what the fuck)
  • SHTF (shit hits the fan
  • AFAIK (as far as I know)
  • EBAAN (esteemed and beloved Ali Al-Naimi)
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Stoneleigh on January 29, 2006 - 2:58pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I've seen people here use IIRC as an acronym. Can anyone tell me what that means please?
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
stalkylittleboy on January 29, 2006 - 3:16pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
If I recall correctly.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Madman on January 29, 2006 - 9:49pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Dave,

You forgot FUBAR and SNAFU.

Also, not an acronym but "klick" is military slang for kilometer, and also kilometer per hour.  I used this in my Geology class once and got a roomful of blank stares.

"How far is it to base?"
"10 klicks."
"How fast we going?"
"120 klicks." in Germany after all :) "Be there in five minutes"

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Engineer-Poet on January 30, 2006 - 12:00am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
As long as you're doing colloquial acronyms as well as topical ones, I suggest:
  • IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)
  • IM<HO (In My less than Humble Opinion)</li>
  • 2LoT (2nd Law of Thermodynamics)
  • TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch, h/t Robt. A. Heinlein)

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
BioDiesel on January 29, 2006 - 2:43pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Warning..... Meta post

I think that the oil drum is too big for the current setup.
It needs a new layout.

I also think there should be a way for regular posters to do diaries and graphs, and if they are good enough, they can be promoted by the other readers.
This IMHO would increase the number of topics discussed and increase readership and this would equal more advertising dollars for the site.  (More warnings....I know nothing about websites, marketing or layouts, so ignore me if you must)

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Prof. Goose on January 29, 2006 - 2:49pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I don't think you're wrong bd.  We've been talking about that kind of a move for a while...that's why we chose scoop, actually.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Glenn on January 29, 2006 - 11:46pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
One current way to do this is to start a local site as outlined on the rightside tab at the top. I feel there is much local work to be done.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Jack on January 30, 2006 - 1:25am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I would have serious reservations about a reader vote determining what others are able to publish. I don't think a popularity contest is the best way to determine content. Some of the best commentary - and that which creates the best discussion - is contrarian.

Fundamentally, I think the current system works. People who comment often and would like to create posts such as Dave and Bubba have become Contributors. Others guest post. I have wanted to but am too lazy and have been relegated to the comments section where I belong.

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Oil CEO on January 31, 2006 - 6:26pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I totally disagree. You couldn't be more wrong. You need your own section of this website. Preferrably at the top-right, with a gold-star border.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
zach on January 31, 2006 - 7:29pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
It's a shame that you and I got off on the wrong foot, Jack. We probably agree on a lot. Relax, grab a beer, and have a good laugh at my (our?) president tonight.

(Btw, I responded to your post, Oil CEO)

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
zach on January 31, 2006 - 7:30pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
oops wrong link, lol.

here it is

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Agric on January 31, 2006 - 9:54pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I agree with Jack, apologies OC. I abhor limitations on free speech (is that bloody funny in someone who disagrees with money and is more communist than most, or what?). We do have a VERY small minority of trollish posts here, could be some of mine could be interpreted that way but I would never write them with that intent. While that is so I would suggest that judicious post post moderation is the most appropriate means of control.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
bigfootvegan on January 29, 2006 - 2:45pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
NOAA  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

WAG  wild arse guess
SWAG  scientific wild arse guess

IMHO In My Honest Opinion  

IMO the honesty isnt stressed..

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
SqueakyRat on January 29, 2006 - 3:20pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I always thought IMHO was "In my humble opinion."
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
bugmenot on January 29, 2006 - 4:58pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Both meanings are widely used, and pretty interchangeable when you come down to it.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
odograph on January 29, 2006 - 8:13pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
IMNSHO comes off better with one meaning than the other ;-)

the "NS" meaning "Not So"

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
westexas on January 29, 2006 - 2:45pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
You need to stadardize the use of capital letters.  MBPD, or mbpd for example.  Given that MCF is the standard usage for 1,000 cubic feet of gas, I assume that MBD would most commonly be used for thousand barrels per day.  So, would the little "m" be used for million?
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
TJ on January 29, 2006 - 3:03pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
The industry usage is MMCFH for million.  You might want to go with MMBPD to avoid confusion, although usually it's obvious from context.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
wimbi on January 29, 2006 - 3:06pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
IKIHB-- ( I know it's hopeless, but)--- Sure would be nice if every body would use SI ( standard international units, or metric system) instead of this hodgepodge used now. ---IKIH.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
westexas on January 29, 2006 - 2:59pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
HL = Hubbert Linearization
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
TJ on January 29, 2006 - 3:22pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Not acronyms, but since this is an energy blog:

1 hp = .7457 kw = 2546.1 BTU/hr = 178.23 cal(gm)/sec

From Perry's Handbook of Chemical Engineering

Typical Heating Values

Fuel oil #1      137,400  BTU/gal
         #2      139,600
         #3      145,100
         #4      148,800
         #6      152,400

Propane          91,500   BTU/gal
Natural gas       1,035   BTU/SCF
Bituminous Coal  11,500-14,000  BTU/lb
Subbituminous     8,300-11,500
Lignite           6,300-8,300

Coke-oven gas      590    BTU/SCF
Producer gas       150
Water gas          308
Synthetic gas      290

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
TJ on January 29, 2006 - 3:28pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Whoops. Make that

Multiply hp by .7457 to get kw
  "      hp by 2546.1 to get BTU/hr
  "      hp by 178.23 to get cal/sec

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
wimbi on January 29, 2006 - 3:58pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Let's see, since a btu is about 1000joules, and a kg is about 2 pounds, then for people like me who think in SI units, a btu/lb is  somewhere around  2kilojoules/kg
 (or more nearly,1055*2.205=2.326kJ/kg)

I quit teaching engineering about 30 years ago, but I had thought then that students were switching to SI units. Is it true that  only the USA and what- Burma? are still not using SI?

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
IrishD on January 29, 2006 - 7:15pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I'm taking engineering classes now, and we still get the slug problem every so often ( 1 slug = English unit of mass = 14.59kg)
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
light299 on January 29, 2006 - 11:17pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
How About 1hp = 550 ft-lbs/sec or even 1hp = 1ft-lb @ 5252rpm
Even more important: 1/4 mile = 1320 ft
- Stop the Iran war -
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Cash on January 29, 2006 - 3:23pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
IIRC - if I recall correctly

IMHO - In my humble opinion

IMO -- no humility

ER - Energy Resources, a Yahoo discussion group devoted to Peak Oil issues

ROE2 - Running on Empty 2, another Yahoo Peak Oil board, this one more concerned with grassroots personal preps.

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Dave Cohen on January 29, 2006 - 3:37pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Two guides for the perplexed.

The The Oilfield Glossary: Where the Oil Field Meets the Dictionary from Schlumberger. No acromyms, but many, many terms defined.

A page of Oil Industry Conversions. How to convert between units.

As far as case goes (mbpd vs MBPD), shouldn't an acronym always be upper case? Also,

  • FUD (fields under development)
  • FOP (fuel oil price)
  • FUA (fields under appraisal)
  • YTF (yet to find -- a personal favorite, especially in Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter)
  • API (American Petroleum Institute)
  • API gravity (scale expressing the gravity or density of liquid petroleum products-- Crude oil is often described in terms of "lightness" or "heaviness" by an index called the API gravity. A high number denotes a "light" crude, and vice versa. Degrees API Gravity= (141.5/Specific Gravity at 60 Deg. F) - 131.5)
Also, a correction. I said for NGL's eg. condensates. But that's wrong. Look here for a correction. Bob G's definition was more correct. Here's a typical use for the Schlumberger glossary for condensate. Things do get complicated sometimes! For example, "all liquids" includes oil, NGLs and condensates in the usual usage. This will include further types of liquids including CTL and GTL as these go into wide-scale production.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Don Sailorman on January 29, 2006 - 3:46pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
As a former teacher of economics, I object to the use of acronyms. They are a form of "secret language" of the inner priesthood, much as Latin was during the Middle Ages. Furthermore, I have observed that the more acronyms that are used, the less deep thinking occurs. Could it be that a big reason the U.S. lost the war in Vietnam was acronyms? Could it be that failures in our space program (such as the failure to convert from an English to a metric system of measurement) were in part due to overuse of acronyms? Could it be that the fungus-like spread of acronyms account in large part for so many things being FUBAR?

I allowed my students to abbreviate the date on their essay tests--but nothing else.
Don

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Dave Cohen on January 29, 2006 - 7:31pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Re: FUBAR

Nice joke. For the general reader, shouldn't that read "Could it be that the fungus-like spread of acronyms account in large part for so many things being fucked up beyond all repair"? It's all a real SNAFU, isn't it?

But seriously, using the acronyms is only a kind of short-hand so we can be succinct about the points we're making. You should look at presentations from IHS Energy and the like. Without knowing what the acronyms mean, a person would be completely in the dark--and maybe they would be completely in the dark anyway . I've made it a practice to spell out acronyms used in my posts but not necessarily in my comments. TOD is a pretty technical site sometimes and if you don't know what an acronym means, Google is available. But I think a permanent acronym terms page listed on the TOD homepage is a very good idea.

best, Dave

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Don Sailorman on January 30, 2006 - 12:02am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
BOHICA: "FUBAR" translates as "Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition" as any good dictionary will show.

FYI BOHICA stands for "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again." That is good advice when things are FUBAR.

But in all seriousness, I do think that an overuse of acronyms frequently is an attempt to conceal lack of substance in thinking. Furthermore, excessive abbreviation (as is often found in the labelling of graphs) is a serious pedagogical error.

In addition to economics, I used to teach logic, in which clarity and precision are essential. I question deeply whether the prevalence of acronyms contributes to or detracts from clarity and precision of logic.

If acronyms must be used, then let them be defined the first time they are used.

One last set of queries: Did Newton use acronyms? Did Einstein? For that matter, did Hubbert? Did Malthus use acronyms?

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Dragonfly41 on January 29, 2006 - 8:25pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Acronyms without explanations are dangerous.  This thread is working to rectify the situation.  I agree for official or formal documentation, acronyms should be used sparingly, but it is fine write the full spelling out with the acronym in parentheses the first time and then the acronym by itself thereafter (IMHO).
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Engineer-Poet on January 30, 2006 - 12:16am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Another site I read on occasion likes to insert links to acronym expansions automagically.  Trouble is, acronyms are not unique and they often get the wrong expansion.
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
PhilRelig on January 29, 2006 - 4:20pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Added note (in keeping with the main theme of this thread):

CTL = "coal to liquid conversion"
GTL = "gas to liquid conversion"

0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
PhilRelig on January 29, 2006 - 4:22pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Whoops - I just saw that these had already been previously defined.  Sorry!
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Dave Cohen on January 29, 2006 - 3:44pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Oh my, how could I have forgot NIMBY -- Not In My Backyard
0
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Long Time Gone on January 29, 2006 - 3:46pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
This is a great idea. As a long time lurker I have started to frequent TOD more often but found the almost endless usage of acronyms frustrating. Being a mining major from CSM in the '70's I was somewhat familiar with the oil patch (at a very rudimentary level) from friends who majored in PE but quickly got lost in the more in depth articles that appear here.

Now the Longwall Mining article made perfect sense :)