Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
The Koch brothers, the much-maligned fossil fuel titans, were in the news last week after their legislative stalking horse, the innocuously named American Legislative Exchange Council, was discovered pushing legislation in the states that would establish new fees on solar energy.
Despite all the hype about our supposed 100-year reserve of natural gas our natural gas industry has not been doing very well of late.
If the U.S. government fails to approve the Keystone XL pipeline soon or rejects it outright, the Canadians may challenge the delay or rejection under the provisions of NAFTA. This move opens up a politically attractive option not previously available to the Obama administration.
The weekly stocks report showed US crude inventories rising yet again, this time by 1.7 million barrels.
Haven’t we been hearing from the oil industry and from government and international agencies that worldwide oil production has been increasing in the last several years? The answer, of course, is yes. But, the deeper question is whether this assertion is actually correct.
•Why US fracking companies are licking their lips over Ukraine •Putin tells Europe Ukraine gas debt ‘critical’, transit threatened •Cheniere cheif plays down US gas claims •The Absurdity of US Natural Gas Exports •Everyone’s getting excited about US oil independence. Not so fast. •Russia’s South Stream pipeline in deep freeze as EU tightens sanctions noose
Two weeks ago we discussed the impact that the polar vortex was having on our natural gas supplies and noted that our stocks of natural gas were already 500 billion cubic feet below where they should be for this time of year.
Net pay is what you have to pay your bills today. And, net energy is what society has in order to conduct its business (and its fun) on any given day. Is net energy still increasing?
There is no U.S. oil and gas export "weapon" to aim at Russia to counter its moves in the Ukraine. The U.S. isn’t even supplying its own needs. But you wouldn’t know that from media reports and editorials in the last week.
•Wells That Fizzle Are a ‘Potential Show Stopper’ for the Shale Boom •The View from Europe: America’s Shale Boom Looks More Like a Blip •BP carves off US shale gas operations into separate unit •Shale, the Last Oil and Gas Train: Interview with Arthur Berman •Court Upholds Imposing Fracking Ban in Colorado City •Los Angeles Moves Towards Ratifying Fracking Ban, but Is Federal Regulation Possible? •Brakes put on UK shale gas revolution •Fracking health risks must be established now, before the industry grows
Resource scarcity, competition to dominate Eurasian energy corridors, are behind Russian militarism and US interference.
This week’s trading has been dominated by the Ukrainian situation which sent Brent crude surging by $3 a barrel on Monday before falling to close at $107.76 — nearly $1.50 below where it started on Monday.
