Has there ever been an oil spill in Yellowstone National Park? If so, how many?
Showing posts with label oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oil. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Oil & Gas Spills in North America Since 2010
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Mysteries of Methane Leak in Florida and Not-So-Clean Fossil Fuels
There’s a BIG NatGas leak (Methane) in Florida. The source of
which is not being owned up to. There’s no oil/gas drilling in the area.
And, until about a year ago, most such leaks might go totally unnoticed. Read
the Bloomberg article No
One is Owning Up to Releasing Cloud of Methane in Florida.
 |
| Oil Flaring at Night in North America (Bakken) |
First Methane. The largest component of natural gas (NatGas) is methane (EIA).
Various oil formations of fossil fuels are oil, mostly gas, or a combination.
Even in coal formations there is methane, which has made coal mining especially
dangerous for explosions and fires.
When you see the flame stacks burning above oil wells and
refineries, this is natural gas being flared off. Flaring is far preferred then
just releasing it, venting, because methane is a wicked greenhouse gas (GHG) at
82 times the global warming capacity as CO2 in the first 20 years (about 30
times as potent over 100 years).
Monday, June 1, 2020
Video on Oil: Supply, Demand, Contango, Sustainability, Future
Elmer Hall produced a video June 1 2020 related to the Oil Contago in April of 2020: Conundrum Of Oil Contango: Supply n Demand, Sustainability and the Future.
Much like a race with a distinct start and finish, you can look at oil and the future the same way. Although it might take a little longer than 20+ minutes, and not have a definitive finish-line, the oil play has a future that can not be good for the oil producers. By definition, things that are non-sustainable must end -- sooner or later. Gracefully or ungracefully. Elmer Hall does a video about oil. The tragic shutdown of economies has also produced a magical moment for people to observe what the air (and water) might look like if we stopped burning coal and oil. Clean air for cities across the world; for some people, the first time in their life when the air was safely breathable.
So what did the shutdown do for oil demand, and consequently for the oil supply and demand? Oil, at 100M Barrels per day represents about 4.4% (or $4.5T) of the worlds 2019 GDP. With the collapse of demand and price, that represents only about $1T.
But the true cost of oil and coal is massively higher than we pay at the meter or the pump. This video discusses the likelihood that things will be different post-COVID. The genie is out of the bottle related to telework; workers who can work remotely will not want to go back to grid traffic commutes. People who have breathed clean air will not want to go back to smog and air quality warnings.
The Oil contango in the 3rd week of April was a once-in-a-lifetime event where owners of the futures contract (in May) would have to take possession of the oil at the close of the contract that week. But, with the world swimming in oil, there was no place to put the oil. So owners who had to get out of the contract -- and no place to store it if they kept the contract -- were willing to PAY buyers to take the oil. At the worst point they were willing to pay almost $40 per barrel for anyone who would take the oil off of their hands. The price went from about $60pb in 2019 to a low of -$37 in April 2020.
Much like a race with a distinct start and finish, you can look at oil and the future the same way. Although it might take a little longer than 20+ minutes, and not have a definitive finish-line, the oil play has a future that can not be good for the oil producers. By definition, things that are non-sustainable must end -- sooner or later. Gracefully or ungracefully. Elmer Hall does a video about oil. The tragic shutdown of economies has also produced a magical moment for people to observe what the air (and water) might look like if we stopped burning coal and oil. Clean air for cities across the world; for some people, the first time in their life when the air was safely breathable.
So what did the shutdown do for oil demand, and consequently for the oil supply and demand? Oil, at 100M Barrels per day represents about 4.4% (or $4.5T) of the worlds 2019 GDP. With the collapse of demand and price, that represents only about $1T.
But the true cost of oil and coal is massively higher than we pay at the meter or the pump. This video discusses the likelihood that things will be different post-COVID. The genie is out of the bottle related to telework; workers who can work remotely will not want to go back to grid traffic commutes. People who have breathed clean air will not want to go back to smog and air quality warnings.
The Oil contango in the 3rd week of April was a once-in-a-lifetime event where owners of the futures contract (in May) would have to take possession of the oil at the close of the contract that week. But, with the world swimming in oil, there was no place to put the oil. So owners who had to get out of the contract -- and no place to store it if they kept the contract -- were willing to PAY buyers to take the oil. At the worst point they were willing to pay almost $40 per barrel for anyone who would take the oil off of their hands. The price went from about $60pb in 2019 to a low of -$37 in April 2020.
Monday, October 24, 2016
Oh Frack... Ain't no such thang clean oil n gas!
You've heard that there ain't no such thing as "Clean" Coal. Maybe scrubbing some of the sulpher and removing some of the heavly metals. But certainly not clean. And then there's the dirty little secret of Coal Ash!.
But this article sums up the current research related to fracking. Ouch. Evidense keeps mounting about the down-side of oil fracking. This article really sums it up.
Link to the Ecologist article on Fracking.
Of course, our argument here at SustainZine, is focused around the sustainability nature of fossil fuels in general. It's okay, kinda, to use fossil fuels, but only do so when you have a long term plan that is sustainable, and this is the bridge to the future.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Power Struggle: How the Energy Market Could Shift in 2016 - Bloomberg Business
Power Struggle: How the Energy Market Could Shift in 2016 - Bloomberg Business:
Wow. Absolutely perfect assessment of the energy world, past and future.
With pretty graphics to go along with the trends in energy.
So what will be the energy source(s) of the future.
The one thing for sure, is that it won't be coal. As the rest of the world gets out of coal, so will the 2.3B people in China and India. They simply can't afford the pollution and health costs that come free with cheap coal.
The assessment seems puts energy into perspective, and indicates how a clear transition from one form to another (wood to coal, and coal to oil) might not be what we can expect to look forward to in the future.
Don't want to ruin the ending, you will have to watch all 3 minutes of the video to find out what to expect in the energy world.
'via Blog this'
Wow. Absolutely perfect assessment of the energy world, past and future.
With pretty graphics to go along with the trends in energy.
So what will be the energy source(s) of the future.
The one thing for sure, is that it won't be coal. As the rest of the world gets out of coal, so will the 2.3B people in China and India. They simply can't afford the pollution and health costs that come free with cheap coal.
The assessment seems puts energy into perspective, and indicates how a clear transition from one form to another (wood to coal, and coal to oil) might not be what we can expect to look forward to in the future.
Don't want to ruin the ending, you will have to watch all 3 minutes of the video to find out what to expect in the energy world.
'via Blog this'
Thursday, July 2, 2015
BIG BP payout settlement of $18.7
BP to Pay $18.7 Billion to Settle Deepwater Horizon Spill Claims http://www.wsj.com/articles/bp-agrees-to-pay-18-7-billion-to-settle-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-claims-1435842739
Put a huge amount of the BP litigation behind it.
This would be the same as all the profits that the company has made since 2012. However the payment schedule is 1.1 million dollars per year.
Yes, BP was pretty irresponsible back then. But it still makes one wonder what if it were not such a big company that can afford to make all of the payments and restitution? If this has been done by a small company, or a non-multinational company, then the whole cost of the oil spill would have gone to governments and individuals.
So, feel free to hate BP, but it could have been a lot worse on the pain and recovery side.
Monday, February 9, 2015
New Look at Oil Reserves, Renewables and Climate Change
New Look at Oil Reserves, Renewables and Climate Change
There is a long term energy competition battle ahead between renewables and fossil fuels. Just as the prices for renewable energy sources, mainly solar and wind, have fallen markedly, our irrepressable technolgy advances have enabled us to find vast new oil reserves under our feet. Check this out to see what we have in billions of barrels: http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2014/12/04/us-oil-reserves-hit-38-year-high
So, this likely means the prices of gasoline and home heating oil will stay low for some time and it is also likely that Congress will get around to lifting the ban on exporting oil. Good for the consumer? Yes and very much 'no.' From an out-of-pocket perspective, lower costs, more disposable income. From the standpoint of the environment, more oil means more carbon emissions for a longer period of time even considering the ongoing sustainability efforts of large companies and many cities around the world.
It seems we have our feet planted firmly in mid-air on the dilemma of climate change, human activity causation and the profit motive.
There is a long term energy competition battle ahead between renewables and fossil fuels. Just as the prices for renewable energy sources, mainly solar and wind, have fallen markedly, our irrepressable technolgy advances have enabled us to find vast new oil reserves under our feet. Check this out to see what we have in billions of barrels: http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2014/12/04/us-oil-reserves-hit-38-year-high
So, this likely means the prices of gasoline and home heating oil will stay low for some time and it is also likely that Congress will get around to lifting the ban on exporting oil. Good for the consumer? Yes and very much 'no.' From an out-of-pocket perspective, lower costs, more disposable income. From the standpoint of the environment, more oil means more carbon emissions for a longer period of time even considering the ongoing sustainability efforts of large companies and many cities around the world.
It seems we have our feet planted firmly in mid-air on the dilemma of climate change, human activity causation and the profit motive.
Friday, January 24, 2014
The Energy Roadmap - The Edison of our Age: Stan Ovshinsky and the Future of Energy [Video Interview Part 1]
The Energy Roadmap - The Edison of our Age: Stan Ovshinsky and the Future of Energy [Video Interview Part 1]:
Ovshinsky is compared to Edison as a prolific inventor... He hold patents on NiMH batteries. His solar cells power the MIR space station.
Good question on Cobasys and the restrictions on next-gen batteries by the patents held within the company.!:-) The batteries that have become so critical in the next generation of batteries, electric cars, etc. are subject to patents by Ovshinsky (and the Cobasys company).
Cobasys is a 50/50 joint venture with Chevron/Texico and Ovonics. Ovonics has the Stan Ovshinsky inventions and GM now has a big ownership stake in that company.
So let's see, a BIG oil and a BIG auto have a BIG stake in the very batteries that make an electric car viable.
Look at "Patent encumbrances" at Wikipedia. The discussion on "Who Killed the Electric Car?" seem far truer than I ever imagined. This whole topic requires a lot more reading. But before picking up the thread again, I want to watch the movie.
Anybody out there have big ideas (substantiated by facts, I hope) on the issue.
Keywords: electric car, EV, oil, auto, battery, patent, patent encumbrances, inventor,
'via Blog this'
Ovshinsky is compared to Edison as a prolific inventor... He hold patents on NiMH batteries. His solar cells power the MIR space station.
Good question on Cobasys and the restrictions on next-gen batteries by the patents held within the company.!:-) The batteries that have become so critical in the next generation of batteries, electric cars, etc. are subject to patents by Ovshinsky (and the Cobasys company).
Cobasys is a 50/50 joint venture with Chevron/Texico and Ovonics. Ovonics has the Stan Ovshinsky inventions and GM now has a big ownership stake in that company.
So let's see, a BIG oil and a BIG auto have a BIG stake in the very batteries that make an electric car viable.
Look at "Patent encumbrances" at Wikipedia. The discussion on "Who Killed the Electric Car?" seem far truer than I ever imagined. This whole topic requires a lot more reading. But before picking up the thread again, I want to watch the movie.
Anybody out there have big ideas (substantiated by facts, I hope) on the issue.
Keywords: electric car, EV, oil, auto, battery, patent, patent encumbrances, inventor,
'via Blog this'
Friday, January 10, 2014
Reduce Oil Dependence Costs
Reduce Oil Dependence Costs: "Nearly 40% of the oil we use is imported, costing us roughly $300 billion annually. Increased domestic oil production from shale formations and improved fuel economy standards have decreased oil imports over the past few years, but the U.S. Department of Energy projects that we will continue to rely on imports for 35% to 40% of our petroleum needs in the future."
This is interesting. The rate of oil imports is dropping like lead. We are down dramatically form 13m Barrels per day in August 2006 before the Great Recession to only about 6m in 2013. See stats here: http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MTTNTUS2&f=M
Several oil Execs have commented that we should be North-America energy independent about the end of this decade. US independence should probably happen within 10 years, (Assuming that the US gov let's us start exporting.)
How did the Department of Energy get this so very wrong?
'via Blog this'
This is interesting. The rate of oil imports is dropping like lead. We are down dramatically form 13m Barrels per day in August 2006 before the Great Recession to only about 6m in 2013. See stats here: http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MTTNTUS2&f=M
Several oil Execs have commented that we should be North-America energy independent about the end of this decade. US independence should probably happen within 10 years, (Assuming that the US gov let's us start exporting.)
How did the Department of Energy get this so very wrong?
'via Blog this'
The Energy Quiz | ExxonMobil
The Energy Quiz | ExxonMobil:
Try the energy Quiz from ExxonMobil: exxonmobil.com/quiz
It has 4 categories related to energy: people, sources, uses and savings. There are 5 questions in each section.
Interesting that the actual quiz lives here: http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/company/advertising-campaigns/energy-lives-here/quiz
Under the advertising campaign.
I didn't do well on the quiz. And you probably won't either. I do take issue with at least one of the 5 questions in each category. I don't like how they state projections as fact. (Make sure not to over think it.)
BUT this is a very cool quiz and provides very nice information for people to think about.
'via Blog this'
Try the energy Quiz from ExxonMobil: exxonmobil.com/quiz
It has 4 categories related to energy: people, sources, uses and savings. There are 5 questions in each section.
Interesting that the actual quiz lives here: http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/company/advertising-campaigns/energy-lives-here/quiz
Under the advertising campaign.
I didn't do well on the quiz. And you probably won't either. I do take issue with at least one of the 5 questions in each category. I don't like how they state projections as fact. (Make sure not to over think it.)
BUT this is a very cool quiz and provides very nice information for people to think about.
'via Blog this'
Monday, August 26, 2013
Ceres Monthly Newsletter - Flaring of Gas/NatGas
Ceres Monthly Newsletter:
Ceres Monthly Newsletter - Flaring of Gas/NatGas
This report starts to document the amount of gas (nat gas) that is flared in the production of oil/gas.
In the US we can't get the nat gas to market, so it is imply flared in many cases. The oil (wet particulates) are much more valuable so that is shipped by pipe if possible, but by truck or train if not.
One statement from a CEO in the oil patch has commented that half of the nat gas produces in the US is being flared. Safety, of course is critical. But this is a humongous waste of energy and environmental waste as well.
Check out the article and then look at the report here: http://www.ceres.org/resources/reports/flaring-up-north-dakota-natural-gas-flaring-more-than-doubles-in-two-years/view
Basic economics is one approach to this issue. If NatGas were more valuable, then there would be very little flaring. Right now it is about $3.50 (per ... unit) in the USA. So Nat gas is a byproduct of the production of oil unless it can be readily distributed to market (pipeline). But for the world markets, NatGas is very valuable, let's say $10. If we can bridge the gap from domestic only to world, then the price would jump and the flaring would, well, burn out. :-)
The key is liquefied natural gas (LNG). Not coincidentally, LNG is the trading symbol of Chaniere Energy, one the the leading players in infrastructure for exporting LNG.
'via Blog this'
Ceres Monthly Newsletter - Flaring of Gas/NatGas
This report starts to document the amount of gas (nat gas) that is flared in the production of oil/gas.
In the US we can't get the nat gas to market, so it is imply flared in many cases. The oil (wet particulates) are much more valuable so that is shipped by pipe if possible, but by truck or train if not.
One statement from a CEO in the oil patch has commented that half of the nat gas produces in the US is being flared. Safety, of course is critical. But this is a humongous waste of energy and environmental waste as well.
Check out the article and then look at the report here: http://www.ceres.org/resources/reports/flaring-up-north-dakota-natural-gas-flaring-more-than-doubles-in-two-years/view
Basic economics is one approach to this issue. If NatGas were more valuable, then there would be very little flaring. Right now it is about $3.50 (per ... unit) in the USA. So Nat gas is a byproduct of the production of oil unless it can be readily distributed to market (pipeline). But for the world markets, NatGas is very valuable, let's say $10. If we can bridge the gap from domestic only to world, then the price would jump and the flaring would, well, burn out. :-)
The key is liquefied natural gas (LNG). Not coincidentally, LNG is the trading symbol of Chaniere Energy, one the the leading players in infrastructure for exporting LNG.
'via Blog this'
Monday, December 3, 2012
Fracking is unearthing surprise bacteria | Health, Medical, and Science Updates
Fracking is unearthing surprise bacteria | Health, Medical, and Science Updates:
Hmmm....
I'm not sure that many of us have been thinking about this? What is living in the oil and gas before we extract it from the wells?
This study starts to bring that to the (fore)ground. It is interesting that some of these guys do better, much better, related to the fracking process and/or being brought to the surface.
Hmmm... And I always thought the the main risks from fracking were: water contamination and possibly the increased chance for earthquakes.?
'via Blog this'
Hmmm....
I'm not sure that many of us have been thinking about this? What is living in the oil and gas before we extract it from the wells?
This study starts to bring that to the (fore)ground. It is interesting that some of these guys do better, much better, related to the fracking process and/or being brought to the surface.
Hmmm... And I always thought the the main risks from fracking were: water contamination and possibly the increased chance for earthquakes.?
'via Blog this'
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