OIL-GAS

Seismic Energy Dissipation Devices

2011-05-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

Rising Radioactivity of Fukushima Seawater

2011-03-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

According to

Japan

's nuclear safety agency, test performed earlier on water in one section near the Fukushima Daiichi plant's reactor 1 indicated the iodine level at 1,850 times the legal limit which is now found at 3,355 times the legal limit.

However, an official said the iodine would have deteriorated considerably by the time it reached people. Radioactive materials are measured by scientists in half-lives, or the time it takes to halve the radiation through natural decay.

"Iodine 131 has a half-life of eight days, and even considering its concentration in marine life, it will have deteriorated considerably by the time it reaches people," Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy director-general of Japan's nuclear safety agency told a news conference.

Half-lives range from fractions of a second to billions of years.

Iodine 131 was blamed for the high incidence of thyroid cancer among children exposed to fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

Alongside uranium, other elements of greater concern are those with much longer half-lives. These include caesium, which is easily taken up by plants and animals and can be inhaled through dust, ruthenium, strontium and plutonium.

Workers at Japan's quake-hit nuclear plant are trying to prevent radioactive water from seeping into the sea.

Highly radioactive liquid has been found inside and outside several reactor buildings.

Small amounts of plutonium have also been detected in soil at the plant - the latest indication that one of the reactors suffered a partial meltdown.

Plant operator Tepco and the safety agency say the exact source of the radioactive leak is unknown. But, like the discovery of plutonium, the high levels of radiation found inside and outside reactor buildings are likely to have come from melted fuel rods.

Theories for the leak centre on two possibilities: steam is flowing from the core into the reactor housing and escaping through cracks, or the contaminated material is leaking from the damaged walls of the water-filled pressure control pool beneath the No 2 reactor.

The plutonium - used in the fuel mix in the No 3 reactor - is not at levels that threaten human health, officials said.

Engineers are battling to restore power and restart the cooling systems at the stricken nuclear plant.

Obama has Given Ultimatum to Gaddafi

2011-03-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

US President Barack Obama said the terms of a UN Security Council resolution backing action to defend civilians were "not negotiable".

He has said Libyan government forces must end their offensive against rebel-held towns and pull back - or face military action.

Col Muammar Gaddafi's government has declared a unilateral ceasefire, as attack plans are drawn up against him under the UN resolution.

There are reports government offensives are continuing despite the ceasefire.

Libyan officials have dismissed these as untrue and say international observers are being invited to Libya to verify the situation.

In the rebel-held western city of Misrata, which is surrounded by government forces, residents there told Reuters news agency that there was no sign of a ceasefire and that the city continued to be pounded by bombs and artillery.

And Arabic TV station al-Jazeera reported that pro-Gaddafi forces were advancing quickly towards the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi on Friday evening. Its correspondent reported that loyalist forces were clashing with rebels in the towns of al-Magroun and Slouq, about 50km (30 miles) from the city.

The city of Zawiya has already fallen to pro-Gaddafi forces, while there has been fierce fighting in and around Ajdabiya in recent days.

Mr Obama said: "All attacks against civilians must stop. Gaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on Benghazi, pull them back from Ajdabiya, Misrata and Zawiya, and establish water, electricity and gas supplies to all areas.

"Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach the people of Libya.

"Let me be clear, these terms are not negotiable. If Gaddafi does not comply, the international community will impose consequences, and the resolution will be enforced through military action.

"Our goal is focused, our cause is just and our coalition is strong."

The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, told CNN that Col Gaddafi was in violation of the UN Security Council resolution, adopted on Thursday, which called for an immediate ceasefire and banned all flights over Libya.

But Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister, Khaled Kaim, said on Friday evening that Libyan government forces had conducted no military operations since announcing the ceasefire earlier.

"We have had no bombardment of any kind since the ceasefire was declared," he told reporters when asked about reports of continued government operations in Misrata and other parts of the country.
'Actions not words'

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is travelling to Paris on Saturday to join allies in discussing the next steps in Libya.

The British and French, along with some Arab allies, are expected to play a leading role in any initial air strikes.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said everything was ready to launch military strikes in Libya.

The French ambassador to the UN, Gerard Araud, told the BBC he expected military intervention in Libya within hours of the Paris summit.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Col Gaddafi would be judged by "actions, not his words", and that British Tornado and Typhoon aircraft were being moved to bases in the region.

The commander in charge of planning for the no-fly zone will be US Adm Samuel Locklear, the BBC's Mark Urban has learned.

The US Navy is deploying additional warships to the Mediterranean to support possible military action.

Other countries that could take part in any military action include Denmark, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Norway and Qatar. Italy has offered the use of air bases.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council voted to impose a no-fly zone, expand existing sanctions and endorse the use of force - short of an occupation of the country - to protect civilians.

The 15-member council approved the resolution on Libya late on Thursday with 10 votes in favour, none against and five abstentions.

Russia and China - which often oppose the use of force against a sovereign country as they believe it sets a dangerous precedent - abstained rather than using their power of veto as permanent members.

Col Gaddafi has ruled Libya for more than 40 years. An uprising against him began last month after long-time leaders of neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt were toppled.

Fukushima Wants Burying Like Chernobyl

2011-03-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

The last week's huge quake and tsunami driven a nuclear crisis, which has left at least 17,000 people dead or missing. Though France's Nuclear Safety Authority, has rates the Fukushima crisis at six on the scale.(AFP) this crisis was previously rated as local problem by Japanese authority. Now Japan has raised the alert level at its quake-damaged nuclear plant (Fukushima Daiichi) from four to five on a seven-point international scale of atomic incidents.

The UN says the battle to stabilise the plant is a race against time.

Japanese nuclear officials said core damage to reactors 2 and 3 had prompted the raising of the severity grade, reports BBC.

The 1979 incident at Three Mile Island in the US was also rated at five on the scale, whereas the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was rated at seven.

Gift of Chernobyl

But they still hoped to solve the crisis by fixing a power cable to two reactors by today to restart water pumps needed to cool overheating nuclear fuel rods. Workers also sprayed water on the reactor 3, the most critical of the plant's six.

It was the first time the facility operator had acknowledged burying the sprawling 40-year-old complex was possible, a sign that piecemeal actions such as dumping water from military helicopters or scrambling to restart cooling pumps may not work, Reuters reports.

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant reactor meltdown(reactor no. 4)

"It is not impossible to encase the reactors in concrete. But our priority right now is to try and cool them down first," an official from the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co, told a news conference.

That is little solace for about 300 nuclear plant workers toiling in the radioactive wreckage, wearing masks, goggles and protective suits with seams sealed off by duct tape to keep out radioactive particles. "My eyes well with tears at the thought of the work they are doing," Kazuya Aoki, a safety official at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, told Reuters.

Even if engineers restore power at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the pumps may be too damaged from the earthquake, tsunami or subsequent explosions to work.

The first step is to restore power to pumps for reactors 1 and 2, and possibly 4, by today, said Hidehiko Nishiyama, Japan's nuclear safety agency spokesman.

By tomorrow, the government expects to connect electricity to pumps for its badly damaged reactor 3 -- a focal point in the crisis because of its use of mixed oxides, or mox, containing both uranium and highly toxic plutonium.

Asked about burying the reactors in sand and concrete, Nishiyama said: "That solution is in the back of our minds, but we are focused on cooling the reactors down."

Burying the reactors would leave part of Japan off-limits for decades. "It's just not that easy," Murray Jennex, a San Diego State University in California professor said when asked about the so-called Chernobyl option to bury the reactors.

Cleaning operation of contaminant in Chernobyl

"They are kind of like a coffee maker. If you leave it on the heat, they boil dry and then they crack," he said. "Putting concrete on that wouldn't help keep your coffee maker safe. But eventually, yes, you could build a concrete shield and be done with it."

Enigma of Nuclear radiation of the Fukushima Daiichi plant reactors in Japan

2011-03-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

The reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant are boiling water reactors. The reactor which saw the explosion is Fukushima Daiichi 1. It was connected to the grid in November 1970, making it about 40 years old. There are six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi site, of which unit 1 is the oldest, according to the World Nuclear Association.

How does a nuclear reactor of this kind work?

Uranium 235 -- the fuel inside a nuclear reactor -- undergoes nuclear fission. This process emits a lot of heat energy which produces steam, and that steam turns a turbine, generating electricity.

What happened to the nuclear reactors during the quake?

Three of the six reactors at the site were in operation when the earthquake hit. The reactors are designed to shut down automatically when a quake strikes, and emergency diesel generators began the task of pumping water around the reactors to cool them down. However, these stopped about an hour later. The failure of the back-up generators has been blamed on tsunami flooding by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA.)

Sea water injection was started on Saturday, but then paused after a tsunami warning, according to the plant owners Tokyo Electric Power Company.

What could have caused the explosion at the plant?

* Nuclear Energy

The blast was not caused by damage to the nuclear reactor but by a pumping system that failed as crews tried to bring the reactor's temperature down, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Saturday. He said the plant operator confirmed there was no damage to the steel container housing the reactor.

Malcolm Grimston, Associate Fellow for Energy, Environment and Development at London's Chatham House, said he believed the explosion had been caused by a build-up of pressure inside the inner containment of the reactor.

"Because they lost power to the water cooling system, they needed to vent the pressure that building up inside.

"My suspicion is that as the temperature inside the reactor was rising, some of the metal cans that surround the fuel may have burst and at high temperature, that fuel cladding can react with water to produce zirconium oxide and hydrogen.

"That hydrogen then will be part of the gases that need to be vented. That hydrogen then mixes with the surrounding air. Hydrogen and oxygen can then recombine explosively.

"So it seems while the explosion wasn't directly connected with the nuclear processes, it was indirectly connected, because the hydrogen was only present because of what was going on in the reactor core."

What is a meltdown, and can it be avoided here?

Japan's nuclear agency said there was a strong possibility that radioactive cesium detected at the plant after the blast was from the melting of a fuel rod.

Robert Alvarez, Senior Scholar at the U.S. Institute for Policy Studies, explained that a meltdown could happen when the water surrounding the core of the reactor boiled or leaked away, leaving the fuel rods exposed, allowing temperatures to rise to up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

"The radiation is so intense it's impossible to deal with it. The control room would be uninhabitable," he said. "Without cooling, cladding surrounding the fuel can ignite, and the fuel itself start to melt.

"Then you have a huge amount of radioactive gases and particles, and if the primary and secondary containment fails, you have a large amount of radioactive gases escaping into the environment."

Whether a meltdown happens in this case depends on whether the pumping and cooling system can be restored in time, and whether if a meltdown starts, the secondary containment is strong enough to stay intact, according to Alvarez.

"If the pumping system is down there won't be enough pressure or water inside to cool the fuel rods down," he said. (ArticlesBase SC #4396654)

The Taliban,Pakistan and USA

2011-03-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

A recent incident which took place in Swat, Pakistan where a girl was flogged just for going some where with her Father in law ohh! what a pity!,what is happening in our dear home land the people responsible for this are world famous terrorists “The Taliban” but do we really know who are they ? does any anybody ever tried to figure out whose responsible for their birth?they are the ones who claimed responsibility of recent street firing in New york which clamied the lives of 13 people and 26 people got hurt . I know we have a habit Of forgetting the past very easily we only know what ever is happening in the present.

So let me take you a few decades back in the year of 1979 in the era when Russia was a very strong country decided to invade Afghanistan and so they did, USA which was another strong country become very worried that Afghanistan will soon be captured by USSR a land which is the key to enter a rich world of oils and different resources .

USA thought and made a strategy to use Pakistan to stop the USSR, and so Pakistan was aroused by the USA through supply of weapons, aids and all sorts of helps, in the mean while USA in Pakistan gave birth to Talibans,the Russia invasion in Afghanistan was dramatized as a holy war and Talibans being students of religious studies were aroused to go to the troubled land for the war,USA helped the Taliban grow strong by providing them strength by all means and interesting part is that Osama Bin Laden was the part of that movement and so the war began and ended in the way the USA wanted it Aghanistan was safe but not for good.

Why did USA stopped the Russains ?obviously not for the reason that the they are very peace loving country helping the poor, in this mean world who gives or helps others without any reason in my knowledge a very few and iam convinced that atleast USA is not amongst the few angles Iam talking about now I will give you few clues try to solve the puzzle and make a clear understanding of people responsible for bringing these recent tragedies in the world since 9/11/2001.

*After the war of 1979 in Afghanistan where did the baby of USA “Taliban” go?
* Pakistan becomes nuclear power first Muslim country to hold such power.
* Pakistan alleged for nuclear proliferation which is helping other countries to develop WMD.
* USA was not happy penalized Pakistan by laying sanctions on it.
* Incident of 9/11/2001 where “Al-qaeda” was responsible, and to mention the most Osama Bin Laden is the one which Heads Al-qaeda
* Stories claming that Al-qaeda does not works alone but with Taliban
* Where are Taliban? In Pakistan
* Where are the hideouts of Al Qaeda and Taliban In Pakistan
* Stories related to Taliban are growing strong in Pakistan
* USA worried
* USA Attacks Afghanistan to kill the responsible i.e. Al-Qaeda and Taliban
* USA with Help of Pakistan captures Afghanistan
* In the mean time USA captures Iraq(which has many oil fields)
* Pakistan starts becoming target of Sucide attacks since USA captured Afghanistan
* America says that Pakistan is breeding terrorists
* USA after 7 years of capturing whole Afghanistan still unable to find “Osama Bin Ladin” and spear Head of Taliban “Bait Ullah Masuud”,according to my knowledge USA claims that they have satellites which could easily locate these people.
* Whenever any incident happens in any part of the world these mentioned two men claims responsibility where ever it is.
* India for every incident ready to blame Pakistan though their own men are always found guilty by trying to give Pakistan a bad name
* Pakistan is doing every effort to get rid of the militants by sending their troops to the disturbed Northern portion
* USA still unsatisfied
*USA starts drones attack on Pakistan the reason is that they are targeting hideouts of militants in reality they are killing innocent people which includes women and children.
* USA expands drone attacks in one more province of Pakistan saying that Talibans are growing strong in Baluchistan.
*USA now eager to send troops to Pakistan to control the situation.

It is always been the strategy of the USA to use the people when they need them then dispose them off when they dont.

I think now one could easily make out why did USA never wanted Russia to capture Afghanistan.

Now after few observations and gathering fruitful information from daily papers and talk shows , the actual Scenario in Pakistan regarding the suicide attacks, bombings and killings is not known to the common men, India is very much involved in Afghanistan they(Afghanistan) have turned against Pakistan, secretly Afghan forces are entering Pakistan along with the RAW (Indian Intelligence) and are responsible for all the situation of massacres,India has always been against Pakistan sine partition and now they have the support of USA ,why is that? So that Pakistan would ask help of USA to send their troops in Pakistan or USA would by itself invade Pakistan for further invasion to Iran and so on.

How is that Pakistan is doing nothing when they know everything? Its because USA controls Pakistan in every aspect governments are made by the decision of Washington, governments are just the puppets of USA helping them to enter Pakistan.

This brief information in the article may help people understand the real scenario of Pakistan and its future.

Conclusion:
The reason for sketching the Afghan war was to show that why USA invaded Afghistan and what are their targets and how they achieve them ,currently Pakistan is the target. The above information may not be comprehensive but Iam sure it may open many secret windows .(ArticlesBase SC #852777)

Gaddafi on the defensive

2011-03-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Libya is still in flames. A Gaddafi on the defensive tries his maximum to salvage his position. The more the protesters go on the offensive, the more he fights with his back on the wall. But going by the trends, the dictator is poised to taste defeat if not now, within one or two weeks. East Libya already under the occupation of protesters, Benqazi, next important city after Tripoli also under their occupation, their confidence too strong and are determined to fight to the hilt to force the dictator to flee the ‘throne', otherwise to kick him out. The man who well entrenched since 41 years in his saddle with nobody even to question or challenge his authority was drunk with power till recently. Because of that reason itself the first sign of resistance that too massive resistance has shaken him violently, it was something unexpected as far as he was concerned.

But his stubborn attitude of ‘not to say die' approach, his powerful militia and armory have so far helped him to launch a massive suppression - free killing almost 1000 citizens so far. Still he finds the resistance irresistible than he had expected and the thought of giving into the pressure of citizens he finds untenable. A man with king-size ego cannot even imagine in his dreams the thought of even inviting the protesters for a negotiation as he considers himself the Almighty of Libya whom nobody could even touch. It is really a dark wonder that the people of Libya were tolerating such a man, even afraid of this man who could force them dance to his tunes like puppets. But as anywhere a dictator, however powerful and iron-fisted he is will have to do a climb down in the face of massive resistance by citizens who can't any more resist the brutal ways of their ruler. Gradually step by step they group under one umbrella shedding their fears and apprehensions, go on the offensive, sometimes they might taste defeat, still not being taken aback they will group together to fight against the dictatorial menace.

We could read about several such dictatorships crumbling down under the might of collective resistance of citizens power we could witness many dictators fleeing away with their tails tucked in between their legs some even getting salvation even by angry mobs, pointing out each a difficult task as the list is endless, similarly is the fate of Muammar-al-Gaddafi like that of Tunisian dictator Zine-El-Abidine-Ben Ali, Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharaf, Nepal Monarch King Gyanendra etc etc.

With international pressure mounting on Gaddafi, his confidents are defecting one by one, army personnel too joining the protesters thus weakening Gaddafi's strangle-hold on Libya with the passing of each day. There are talks of forming a parallel administration by the defected leaders like Interior Minister and once a close confident of Gaddafi. Arab League has asked Gaddafi to stop the genocide and International Criminal Court is closely watching the situation. One day, if matters are going on like these we could very well see this man booked as a culprit by ICC. Security Council has passed a resolution asking Gaddafi to stop the brutal suppression herewith, US, Britain and France are busy mulling financial and weapons sanctions as also Germany. US President Barack Obama has asked Gaddafi several times to withdraw from the scene or to stop forthwith the killing spree of citizens. International pressure is mounting upon him and the man finds himself in a vicious circle. The thought of vacating the saddle is like conceding defeat for him and that is unimaginable with Libya in the grip of massive rebellion. International crude oil prices have jumped up reaching US $120 per barrel each day which threatens each nation. The price is likely to go up in the event of the conflict turning more bitter and violent.

Non-resident Indians as well as people from other countries in large numbers are stranded there, without finding any way out some even fleeing to other nations.

The matters are in such a fluid situation and nobody is in a position to predict how long this conundrum would last, how long this dictator would stick to his position. Before a determined resistance don't think Gaddafi can hold on to power indefinitely.

Amal Oil Field (Redevelopment), Libya, Commercial Asset Valuation and Forecast to 2017 now available at ReportsandReports

2011-03-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Amal Field - Block NC12 (area 90/91) is located in the eastern part of the Sirte basin and is around 50km north of the Augila oasis in Libya. The latitude and the longitude of the field are 29° 25' 0 N and 21° 10' 0 E. Amal is an onshore field that extends to more than 100,000 acres. The field includes eight different reservoirs and is at a depth ranging from 2,300 to 12,000 feet below the surface. PetroCanada (now Suncor Energy, August 2009) is the operator of the field. The field produces around one-third of Libya's total oil production.

The field is owned by Harouge Oil Operations (previously Veba Oil Operations) that is a joint venture between National Oil Corporation (NOC), Libya and Petro-Canada. Both the partners have an equal stake of 50% in the venture. Petro-Canada entered into agreement in 2007 with NOC for the redevelopment of the field that included pipeline and facility upgrades, development drilling and other expansion.

The oil produced at the field has an API ranging between 36° to 38°and has a high wax content. The sulfur content in the oil is estimated to be around 0.45%.

The field had estimated recoverable reserves of approximately 4.2 billion barrels when it was discovered in 1959. The estimated remaining reserves of the field in 2010 are estimated to be around 57.44 million barrels. The current production of oil from the field is around 9.36 million barrels. The oil production from the field is likely to decline at a natural rate of 7-8% annually.

The life of the field after redevelopment (2007) is expected to be around 10-11 years with complete abandonment by 2017. During its remaining life the field is expected to generate revenues of $4.62 billion (undiscounted, starting January 2010).

Scope

The report provides detailed information on oil and gas production, infrastructure, reserves, geology, operator and equity partners and the latest fiscal terms applicable to the asset and provides its fair value (Remaining Net Present Value) based on remaining reserves, forecast production, capital and operational costs, fiscal regime and commodity prices.
The report also provides additional valuation parameters like Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Profitability Index (PI), Pay Back (discounted and undiscounted), Entitlement Production (EP) and Working Interest (WI) to enhance your decision making process.
This report provides detailed sensitivity analysis of the remaining NPV with changes in the commodity prices, discount rate, production and key fiscal terms.
Detailed cash flows over the life of the asset are included in the report. These cash flows cover a wide range of calculations related to various payments to the government/licensing authority.
Interactive Excel models can be used to derive custom valuations, sensitivities and cash flows based on the specific inputs by the user in the model. These custom inputs vary from production data, cost information, price information and fiscal terms information.

Reasons to buy

Make well informed investment decisions based on detailed operational analysis and cash flow forecasts
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Source: http://www.reportsandreports.com/ , Blog: http://reportsnreports.wordpress.com/ , Retrieved from "http://www .articlesbase. com/small- business- articles/ amal-oil-field- redevelopment-libya-commercial-asset-valuation-and-forecast-to-2017-now-available-at-reportsandreports-3214126.html" (ArticlesBase SC #3214126)

Geothermal Energy Facts: Geothermal Energy Pros and Cons

2011-03-09T00:20:00.000-08:00

There is much talk about climate change, and the search for viable renewable energy sources. Everyone knows about the likes of solar, wind and wave power. But fewer have heard of geothermal, or know how does geothermal energy work. So here are some geothermal energy facts, which may help you understand the benefits and restrictions of geothermal energy.

How Does Geothermal Energy Work

The principle of this form of energy is quite simple. The ground beneath our feet gets heated by the sun on a daily basis. However, it is also a great insulator, and so retains a vast amount of this heat as stored energy. The idea is that pipes are run through a fairly large area of ground several feet down, where the temperature is more constant. Then, water is passed through the pipes, heating it.

The primary use for this type of energy is heating, as a regulated temperature can be achieved constantly with little variation dependent on time of year. It can also be used over larger areas to provide hot water, but this needs more time in the ground so more pipework and a greater area.

Geothermal Energy Pros and Cons

The advantages of geothermal energy are that once the initial investment is paid for, and energy is relatively free. And it's clean. There is little or no reliance on power from gas or electricity to provide heat, which is one of the main uses of energy in the home. The main need for electricity to run this system is for pumps to pump the water through the system. The advantages of geothermal energy are that it is cheap, once the ground works are done, and incredibly green energy. There are no emissions from the provision of heat for the home and water.

The disadvantages of geothermal energy are the initial expense and the amount of land required. It can cost thousands to dig out the land and lay the pipes. This is one of the geothermal energy problems and why it is not widely used. Another of the disadvantages about geothermal energy is that it requires a fair sized piece of land to implement. People with a fair-sized garden will be ok, but it is not possible to install in the yard of a Victorian terrace.

One possibility that some people use is a new system where pilings are drilled into the ground, with the pipe work in the foundations. Because pilings go much deeper into the ground, they gain the distance that is required underground to heat the water. This is great for new build homes, but obviously cannot be achieved in older homes.

How Many People Use Geothermal Energy

Because of the initial costs and need for space, geothermal energy is not widely used. It is becoming more popular in single builds however, and could provide an efficient method for providing heat for buildings such as apartments and new build housing estates through district heating systems or individual heating through pipes in the pilings. Because it is so expensive, it is unlikely that house building companies will install the systems in homes in the near future. But hopefully it could become the way we provide all our heat energy needs in the future. (ArticlesBase SC #397739)

Oil Shock Is Coming 42011

2011-03-07T04:06:00.000-08:00

So-you're paying 20 cents a gallon more for gas today than you were a week ago. And $1.70 per gallon more than you were just 26 months ago. Ouch.

Better get used to it.

Of the 89.1 million barrels of oil the world uses every day, about 35 percent come from-uh oh-North Africa and the Middle East. And as you've probably noticed, that isn't the most stable place these days. With popular revolutions suddenly threatening and toppling governments all over that region, it's an awkward time to be a filthy rich autocrat.

It's also an awkward time for the world to be so crushingly dependent on oil.

That instability has put the uninterrupted production, refinement and shipment of our most vital commodity in serious jeopardy. As a result, the first two months of this year saw the price of oil leap about $20 a barrel. That translates into 50 cents more per gallon. That increase, if it lasted all year, would cost the world over $650 billion-more than 1 percent of global gross domestic product.

Just that 20-cent jump since last week has Americans paying over $75 million more per day to fill up than seven days ago. Anxiety over energy costs sent stocks tumbling yesterday; the Dow Jones lost a migraine-inducing 168 points in a single day.

The thing is, the tumult so far-affecting mostly Tunisia, Egypt and Libya-hasn't yet deeply hurt oil supplies. Production has been cut in half within Libya, which supplies only 2 percent of the world's oil; this past weekend, Iraq's largest oil refinery was bombed. But most of the cost increase has been because of jitteriness over what might come.

The contagion of instability in the region threatens to affect more and bigger oil exporters. Oil importers are nervously watching Algeria, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and most of all, Saudi Arabia. Even the danger of trouble in these countries threatening supplies spikes prices. An actual disruption would wreak havoc. The impact on oil prices-and the shock to the global system-is hard to overestimate.

Today's oil markets are intricately tied together worldwide. "[B]ecause oil is traded globally, the spot price of the next barrel sold is based on minute-by-minute market prices," explains msnbc's John Schoen. "As supplies tighten, a barrel of oil is worth what the latest bidder is willing to pay for it. So no matter where the oil comes from, supply shocks ripple immediately though the global market."

Given North Africa and Mideast volatility, analysts say $120-a-barrel oil for at least a few months is sickeningly plausible. Greater disruptions, and the price could shoot to $150 or more. And right now, there's no light on the horizon. "From the straight point of view of oil price stability, things will never be as good again as they have been [before Middle Eastern and North African] governments started to wobble," Carl Weinberg, an economist at High Frequency Economics in Valhalla, N.Y., told the Globe and Mail (emphasis mine).

It is estimated that a $1-per-barrel bump in oil prices adds almost 2½ cents to the cost of a gallon of gas. When fuel costs rise, everything rises: manufacturing for petroleum-based products, transportation, shipping, construction. And every extra dollar people and businesses have to spend on oil, they don't spend on other things, which stifles growth. Estimates are that a $10 oil increase, in addition to adding 25 cents per gallon, chokes global economic growth by nearly half a percentage point.

Of course, with the world's economic condition already pretty wobbly, the effects of surging oil costs are heightened. "When oil prices spiked three years ago, the economy was coming off a long period of prosperity and consumers felt relatively strong. This rise comes after three of the most challenging years in decades for the global economy," wrote the Wall Street Journal-and that was last week, way back when gas was only $3.19.

Food prices are high and rising. Unemployment is soaring. Individual and government debt are at emergency levels; inflation and rising interest rates will only compound the problem. The U.S., Europe and Japan are all particularly at risk financially.

The unrest in North Africa and the Mideast invites us to look honestly at the startling vulnerabilities inherent in our modern energy-dependent world.

Demand continues to surge for a crucial commodity in finite supply.

The world's most powerful countries are inescapably reliant on an unchanging status quo enduring within some of the world's most unpredictable regimes.

Even modest disruptions in our fuel supplies would be devastating-and yet, frankly, they are inevitable.

The gyrations in the markets, the anxiety seizing nations all over the Earth because of the potential for oil shock, are early signs of an ugly emerging reality. Mushrooming global demand is about to collide spectacularly with volatile and inadequate supply.

The nations that need to import their energy will fall into one of two categories. On one side will be those that sputter and fail because of the energy crunch. On the other will be those that prosper because they aggressively move to secure their energy with whatever means necessary.

Looking at the impending oil crisis through the lens of biblical prophecy makes this unfolding scenario far more meaningful. Scripture speaks of an all-out world war seizing the globe in this end time, savage like nothing in history.

And it explicitly describes conditions-soon to become actuality-that without question spring from a violent, desperate war over the planet's most precious resources, including energy wealth!

The average observer of this wave of revolution sweeping the oil-producing nations of North Africa and the Middle East cannot predict where or when it will stop, or what the landscape will look like when it is over. But scriptural prophecy supplies us with extraordinary insights, revealed in advance by the Creator God, who remains actively involved in shaping events to unfold according to His design just prior to the Second Coming!

Looking at the melee of that oil-rich region today, you can actually know which of these nations will turn radical, and who will align with whom. You can know which nations will languish and which will flourish amid the coming energy crunch. You can see in advance the battle lines of the coming resource war-which powers will be involved, who will fall and who will triumph! www.thetrumpet.com (ArticlesBase SC #4350831)

The Impossible Democracy In Libya

2011-03-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

In those last days, some people started to repeat that a democratic reformation is coming to Libya, and there serious steps will be taking about it; we could hear that there are supervisors coming from EU to supervise the democratic electoral boxes in Libya too.

After the independence for more than half a century*; the Libyan state had started and couldn’t be a democratic one, and when we review the Libyan political history till now, we find that there is one defect still stand to reach the point that even someone with crazy mind could say, “It’s a democratic state.”

We all know there are several kinds of democracy; kingdom and republic, those can be different in their application to the democratic rule in many ways according to their distinguish conditions, but they share one consideration which is that all the members of community are the same before the law.

Libya has fallen into ideological dilemma which made its citizen does not know until this day, what democracy really is?

The ideological dilemma is that old Libyan thinking, which made the king ( Idris al-Sanousi ) and his family’s members and all those who pleased them, are not ordinary people like the rest members of the Libyan community, and so during the short life of Libyan kingdom, democratic ideology could not grow in Libya.

Then came ( Alfateh ) revolution and Libya became republic which later becomes ( Jamahiriya ), and authority, army and wealth as they claim now in people’s hand; so the Libyans become very glad that its leadership is from common people not from that holly Libyan families.

However, what really happen after the revolution and bringing down the holly royal system, itself becomes holly-revolutionary system, so colonel ( Gaddafi ), and members of his family and all the members of his tribe are holly ones not ordinary people like the others in Libyan community.

The Libyan becomes able to criticize Allah, but not able even to dream that he wants simply to criticize ( Gaddafi ), or a member of his family or his tribe.

So how my friends we could be able to dream that in the coming period there is a slight possibility of democratic regime in Libya, unless all the Libyan community’s members are equal before the law, and we all know, that it is impossible for ( Gaddafi) , and his family to become an ordinary people again not as now holly ones.

Therefore, please believe that there is no democratic system in Libya and will not be any, until the disappearance of those holly Libyan characters who make the Libyan similar to idol worshiper, although he knows it does neither harm nor use.

Abdulrazig Almansori

Tobruk – Libya

November 9 , 2004

* 1- The Libyan kingdom from December 24 , 1951 to August 31 , 1969 .

2- The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from September 1 , until now .

Note : April 14, 2008 : This article first published in Arabic at ( akhbar-libya.com ) website , and this is the first translation to English by Miss ( Zahra Ali ) .

Libyan Revolution Feb 22nd Libya Revolution News Libyan Revolution

2011-03-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

libia wikipedia In Tripoli, the capital, residents reported seeing heavily and fighter jets and helicopter gunships rained ammunition from the skies. viale libia roma Senior Libyan officials and diplomats resigned in outrage over the attacks against civilians, maria libia bandera libia viale libia Two Libyan fighter jets landed in Malta on Monday. The pilots reported that they had been ordered to bomb Libya's second-largest city, Benghazi, the cradle of the six-day-old uprising. But the pilots chose to defect instead.

capital de libia libano capital libia argelia la libia
rts that Gaddafi had fled his country grew to the point that he made a bizarre appearance on state television in the early hours of Tuesday. As rain fell in Tripoli, he appeared getting out of a car, gripping an umbrella. "I am in Tripoli, and not in Venezuela," he said during the brief appearance.

Earlier, there were street celebrations in Benghazi, where anti-government demonstrators had reportedly taken control of the city from the Libyan security forces. Even there, buildings smoldered, plumes of black smoke rising to the sky. Sirens from ambulances melded with the sound of gun battles throughout the day.

It was impossible to verify the scope or precise details of the events unfolding in Libya, an oil-rich North African nation. Foreign journalists have been denied visas, and Internet access, phone service and other forms of communications have been largely cut. But in interviews with Libyan residents, exiles, diplomats, as well as in videos posted online, a picture emerged of a nation in the throes of the bloodiest revolution to so far emerge from the populist upheavals sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa. (ArticlesBase SC #4286986)

A Brief History Of The Drill

2011-03-04T05:18:00.000-08:00

Drills with a percussive action (such as hammer drills, jackhammers or pneumatic drills) are usually used in hard materials such as masonry or rock. The drill bit is gripped by a chuck at one end of the drill, and is pressed against the target material and rotated. The earliest drills were probably bow drills. The hammer drill is similar to a standard electric drill, with the exception that it is provided with a hammer action for drilling masonry.

Types of Drill

A drill press (also known as pedestal drill, pillar drill, or bench drill) is a fixed style of drill that may be mounted on a stand or bolted to the floor or workbench. A radial arm drill is a geared head drill that can be moved away from its column along an arm that radiates from the column. The other end of the drill bit, the shank, is described in the drill bit shank article I wrote last week. Low spiral drills are used in cutting applications where high cutting speeds are traditionally used, and where the material has a tendency to gall on the drill or otherwise clog the hole, such as aluminum or copper. The drills have an extremely fast cutting tool geometry: no point angle and a large (considering the flat cutting edge) lip angle causes the edges to take a very aggressive cut with relatively little point pressure. The flutes of the drill bit body carry away the dust.

Drilling

Slower speeds are also necessary for things such as polishing, finishing, and soft tissue drilling,so dental drills are typically equipped with secondary motors. Today's giant drilling trucks use steel cable, longsteel bits weighing up to several thousand pounds, and have rugged diesel engines which raise and lower the tools quickly andeasily--so that two men can drill hundreds of feet by themselves in a matter of days.

Tool Bits

Introduced by Unibit Corporation in the 1980s (formerly a subsidiary of Petersen Manufacturing Company and now part of Irwin Industrial Tools), step bits have been copied by other manufacturers since the patent expired. This is ideal for a bit for a hand tool. You never lose them, either - that DeWalt yellow shouts at you from across the room, across the lot or from under a pile of tools and offcuts.

Cordless Drills

For projects around my house it has plenty of power although, like every other cordless tool I have used, it needs a little more time drilling/driving through hard wood. The modern day CableTool drill uses the same technique as the percussion drill, but in much larger sizes. But the hand powered percussion drill, which was used to make the first wells in Asia, Europe, and the United States, is a time-tested tool that is easy to build and inexpensive to maintain.

Dewalt

You can see from this what DeWalt 18V drill-drivers have done and can do, and still I have not had the slightest problem, though they look pretty beat up now. The Dewalt DC925KB is a powerful 18 Volt combination power tool for heavy duty hammerdrilling and screwdriving applications. This review will help you decide which DeWalt 18volt tools to use for every situation. We deal with high-quality, popular brand names, which you've come to trust like DeWalt, Bosch, Ingersoll-Rand, and Chicago Pneumatic. The DeWalt cordless hammer drill comes in a half-inch size, offering plenty of power, an affordable price, and features worth the purchase. Well, trials showed that the DeWalt drill worked faster than Milwaukee's drills, and the battery lasted longer than other brand models. The DeWalt cordless hammer drill comes with two 36-volt batteries, a one-hour charger and a heavy-duty kit box. Now I have a whole lot of DeWalt HD 18V tools, because these two drill-drivers performed so well I was not afraid to buy into a lot of tools in the same line. (ArticlesBase SC #221172)

What Does Oil Drilling Entail?

2011-02-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

Oil drilling can be a risky venture, but not if it is tackled the right way. It is also an expensive endeavor. The costs associated with oil and gas drilling can begin at a minimum of $400,000. Most oil wells also produce some amount of gas. The first ever oil wells are believed to have been sunk in China. Oil and gas drilling usually is completed in stages, such as planning the process, drilling the well, completing the well, producing crude oil, and, eventually, abandonment of the well after it has served its purpose. Energy Exploration, Inc. is trying to bring about innovation in the field of energy investments and is on the lookout for serious investors. Investing in energy exploration can prove to be a very lucrative venture in the long term.

Besides making a profit from the discovery of natural gas or oil, there are many tax advantages available to people who are involved in oil investments or gas investments. This is because the government recognizes the potential benefits associated with discovering new forms of energy. These include Congressional incentives, intangible drilling costs tax deductions, and alternative minimum taxes. The intangible drilling costs deduction can even mean that a substantial portion of the investment may be 100 percent deductible. The tax benefits differ for each individual, and consulting with your tax advisor will help you calculate the exemptions you can benefit from by investing. For example, a person in the tax bracket of 35 percent may claim up to an 80 percent deduction on an initial investment of $100,000. Energy Exploration, Inc. is focusing on drilling re-entry wells with proven resources to up the benefits to its investors. They are working toward establishing long-term investment relationships with prospective investors.

Choosing to rejuvenate old oil wells by using new means of technologies is catching on amongst oil exploring companies. These wells, which are known as re-entry wells, first have to be identified by experts from among different wells that are declining in terms of production. The re-entry process in itself is not a new one. In fact, it has been used by oil companies since the 1950s for various reasons.

Re-entry drilling systems can be of two types-conventional drilling or coiled tube drilling (CTD). The method used will depend on various factors, including the location of the well and the possible resources that it has left. Sidetracks are the chosen method for re-entering a well. This involves using conventional drilling fluids. Oil base mud systems and air drilling systems are the different types of options available for the purpose. If all factors involved are not considered fully, the chances of a successful operation are further weakened. Oklahoma and Arizona are believed to have a number of wells that are suitable for re-entry purposes. The staff at Energy Exploration, Inc. are qualified to help you understand what investing in Energy Exploration, Inc means to you and for the company. Their goal is to pursue projects that have at least a 90 percent success rate. (ArticlesBase SC #3824785)

All About Diamond Drilling Equipments

2011-02-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

Diamond is the hardest naturally formed mineral found on earth. It is used not only for making expensive and beautiful jewelry but also for making drilling equipments. Since diamonds are very hard, they are ideal for making cutting and grinding equipments. Diamonds can be used to cut, drill, grind and polish. Thus it is greatly used in various industrial applications. Some of the common equipments used are the diamond tipped drill bit and the saw blades. Diamond powder is used as an abrasive in industries. The diamonds used for these purposes are of lesser quality and are called ‘bort’. Thus, there are two grades of diamonds - the gem grade diamond and the industrial grade diamond. The industrial grade diamonds should be hard and have heat conductivity.

The demand for diamonds is greater than the supply, so the diamond drill is very expensive. Although, there are a number of types of drills, the diamond drill is a very essential piece of equipment in an industry that needs to do a lot of drilling. The diamond drill is actually a drill with the diamond drill bit attached to the end of hollow drill rods. The diamonds used are fine to micro fine diamonds. To keep the sharpness and hardness of the diamond drill, it is necessary to give it sufficient lubrication and cooling. The holes made are very clean and giving the best results. The drilling has to be done slowly so that the life of the drill bits can be extended for a longer period of time. Drilling is a laborious process. It is also a tiring and demanding task and uses up a lot of physical energy. But, it needs to be done.

The diamonds drills can make holes in any type of substance, right from a soft one to a hard one. It includes bricks, metals, concrete and any other material without giving out much noise. The holes can be made quickly without any vibrations and much effort, since the drill is made of hard diamond. The diamond drilling equipments are long lasting and penetrate fast to drill a hole.

The diamond drilling equipments are used in all kinds of industrial applications. We are generally not aware of it many uses. They are used by the construction industry for making holes in bricks, concrete and iron. It is used in the mining industry to drill holes at places where there are mines. Wherever holes have to be made for placing cables, where anchoring bolts have to be placed and also where load carrying machines have to be installed, the diamond drilling equipments are used.

There are two types of drilling techniques. The dry drilling technique is used when concrete, hard surfaces, pavements, bricks or any hard surface has to be drilled. The wet drilling technique is used when the place that has to be drilled is fully under water.

The diamond drilling equipments are of different types. Synthetic diamonds are used in the impregnated bit’s matrix series. The matrix layer has the diamonds in a powdered metal bond. They have a long life and also penetrate fast. They are used in many forms of drilling. Surface set diamond bits have a single natural diamond layer. They have a hard matrix compound on the face of the bit. They are used while drilling soft to medium hard surfaces.

Diamond reaming shell has natural or synthetic diamonds. It is used to attach the drill bit to the core barrel. The main work of the reaming shell to make a hole that is exact in diameter for the core barrel to go through, having enough space for a new drill bit, when the old one has to be changed. Long diamond reaming shells are also available for drilling purposes.

Diamond core bits are thing walled core bits that are used in a large number of applications. They are used to drill holes in are concrete, glass, ceramics and also in all kinds of pipes used in electricity, drainage etc. Wet cut drill core bits and dry cut drill core bits are available for various purposes.

Synthetic diamond polycrystalline is also used in making drilling equipments. They are used in making drill bits, reaming shells, saw blades etc. Polycrystalline diamond pads or cutters (PDC) are placed in rows of polycrystalline diamonds kept on tungsten carbide substrate on the bit face, to drill holes in areas that are too sticky or soft. You have PDC core bits and PDC drill bits which are cost effective and very useful in drilling and cutting activities.

The diamond drilling equipments are no doubt expensive, but they are very effective in making clean holes that are necessary for all construction, mining and power, drainage, gas lines purposes. We should check out the various companies that manufacture these equipments, obtain details about the equipments and the price and then order the equipment that we need. The internet would be the best place to gather all the information.(ArticlesBase SC #852022)

Hammer Drills and Impact Drills and Their Differences

2011-02-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

There are many differences in a lot of different power tools. Two tools that everybody loves are Hammer Drills and Impact Drills. These drills are used for different reasons. Both have there pros and cons in there usages. Hammer drills have more power to it as an impact drill will provide you with more torque. People use these drills for all different reasons. Depending on the manufacture that your drill is from you are able to get a drill in all different sizes and speeds and torque. A lot of drills are no capable to be battery powered as opposed to plugging them into the outlets. There are a few different voltages. They range from 12 volt up to 120 volts. There are many brand names that you can choose form. The list starts with DeWalt, Hilti, Hitachi, Milwaukee, and Makiti. They all have there differences between each manufacture and the differences between hammer drills and impact drills are not so common to always see.

When using a Hammer Drill it is important that you use the one that will get your job done correctly. There are so many different reasons to use a hammer drill. Whether you are just drilling in to the wall or if you are drilling into the ground there is always a hammer drill that will fit your needs. Its important that when looking for a drill you take a look at your job requirements and see what type of job it will be. A lot of drills are capable to provide you to use any size drill bits that will get you hole to the adequate size. There are safety precautions that you will need to know before you manually use these power tools. Authorized personal only.

Now as far as Impact Drills are concerned they have a lot of different qualities that will help you attack any type of job you are looking to pursue. From small to large you are able to use a variety of different brand name impact drills and drivers. People now use impact drills as there new screw driver. It's more convenient to use an impact drill/driver as opposed the the old school hand screw driver. The reasoning there is that you are not straining your hand or wrist when tightening a screw. The impact drill provides an easier way for you to do what you need to do whether the job is on a construction job site or just simply tightening the loose screw to your toilet paper rack. It is very easy to use and that is why people are turning to power tools now a days because they are more equipped for the ordinary user and installer. Impact drills also are able to insert different drill bits and spade bits so that you can attack any drilling need that you need to have done. makita 7104l (ArticlesBase SC #3613640)

Oil Well Drilling Tools, Completion Tools

2011-02-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

The advancements in oil and gas industry have fuelled the rapid growth of Indian economy. With the rise in consumption and sale of the oil products the efforts for oil drilling and oil extraction are increasing day by day. With a skilled team of trained application & completion engineers and two decades of manufacturing experience in oil industry, Sparta Oil Tools is a well recognized oil well drilling and completion solutions provider who can support reservoir recovery operations any where in the world.

Oil well drilling solutions

Drilling, completion and production are important phases in oil extraction process. These complex processes require employing advanced well drilling machinery, well completion machinery and production machinery for effective, quicker and easier extraction of oil from the wells. Sparta Oil Tools provides innovative technology developments in the form of flow control systems which are oil field flow control products to accelerate and control the flow of fluids during oil production processes. We excel in providing well designed external casing inflatable packers for oil drilling that are ideal for applications in HPHT, H2S and CO2 environments. These are manufactured with high strength casing steel materials and are best suitable for preventing gas migration and cement loss from thief zones. Our multiple set inflatable packers are field proven, reliable and flexible packers for open-hole applications which are designed to be inflated, deflated and re-inflated multiple times per run. Being well known manufactures of effective cementation for petroleum E & P companies we can provide latest welded and non-welded types of spring centralizers, turbolizers, hinged stop collars and stab-in float equipment for remedial cementing processes, squeeze cementing operations and other cementing and cement moving operations. Various kinds of liner hangers are often employed during oil drilling and production processes for hanging the liners in the existing casings. Sparta Tool's range of liner hangers offers well designed rotating and non-rotating types of mechanical set liner hangers and hydraulic set liner hangers which help to simplify your liner applications by offering well design options for hanging exceptionally heavy liners. Our exclusive line pipe accessories range includes swivel flanges, adapter flanges, weld neck flanges and steel hose assemblies designed to meet various piping needs of the customers.

Oil well completion solutions

Once the drilling and casing operations are finished, completion process is employed for enabling the well to produce oil and gas. Sparta provides advanced well completion tools for E & P companies that have the ability to offer best services for onshore and offshore hole completions. Our mechanical set production packers and compression set production packers are the ideal packers for production, stimulation and injection purposes that can withstand the pressure ratings up to 6000 psi. We also offer high quality rotation set production packers which are best sources for zonal isolation applications. Our wireline set retrievable bridge plugs provide safe and economical methods for zone isolation, formation fracturing, acidizing, and surface equipment repair. The cast iron bridge plugs and composite bridge plugs are ideal varieties of high pressure bridge plugs made of drillable cast-iron available for different tubing purposes.

So whatever may be the requirement for oil drilling and completion equipments whether it is exotic alloy steel, specialized elastomer, premium thread connections or special coatings, Sparta Oil Tools leverages its best expertise to provide ESP 'Y' tools and accessories, NACE, API & ISO oil tools to satisfy customer's needs for high quality and cost effective oil tools. (ArticlesBase SC #3482365)

Comparison of CO2 Emissions for Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel

2011-02-21T04:59:00.000-08:00

Table 1and Figure 1summarize CO2 flows from the total life cycles of biodiesel and petroleum diesel and the total CO2 released at the tailpipe for each fuel. The dominant source of CO2 for both the petroleum diesel and the biodiesel life cycles is the combustion of fuel in the bus. For petroleum diesel, CO2 emitted from the tailpipe represents 86.54% of the total CO2 emitted across the entire life cycle of the fuel. Most remaining CO2 comes from emissions at the oil refinery, which contribute 9.6% of the total CO2 emissions. For biodiesel, 84.43% of the CO2 emissions occur at the tailpipe. The remaining CO2 comes almost equally from soybean agriculture, soybean crushing, and soy oil conversion to biodiesel. Figure 2 shows the effect of biodiesel blend levels on CO2 emissions.

Figure 1: Comparison of Net CO2 Life Cycle Emissions for Petroleum Diesel and Biodiesel Blends*

*Net CO2 calculated by setting biomass CO2 emissions from the tailpipe to zero.

Table 1: Tailpipe Contribution to Total Life Cycle CO2 form Petroleum Diesel and Bio diesel (g CO2/ bhp- h)

Figure 2: Effect of Biodiesel Blend Level on CO2 Emissions

At the tailpipe, biodiesel (most of which is renewable) emits 4.7% more CO2 than petroleum diesel. The nonrenewable portion comes from the methanol. Biodiesel generates 573.96 g/bhp-h compared to 548.02 g/bhp-h for petroleum diesel. The higher CO2 levels result from more complete combustion and the concomitant reductions in other carbon-containing tailpipe emissions. As Figure 1 shows, the overall life cycle emissions of CO2 from B100 are 78.45% lower than those of petroleum diesel. The reduction is a direct result o carbon recycling in soybean plants. B20 reduces net CO2 emissions by 15.66%.

Oil Sorbents - Step by Step Easy to Follow Directions For Using Them

2011-02-19T03:14:00.000-08:00

Cleaning up oil spills is a responsibility that all users whether in land or in water need to take seriously. The harmful effects of oil spills on the environment stretches not only to the marine life but to the fishing industry and to the resorts and recreation areas. Even our drinking water supply could be affected by oil spills. Luckily, cleaning up these spills are now easier with various efficient implements now available. Sorbents or absorbent sponges made from substances much like those used in diapers. There are those oil sorbents though that are made of natural materials such as straw, grasses, coconut husks, or wood chips. In most spill cleanup materials, the most common oil sorbents used is polypropylene.

When you buy oil sorbents, they usually come with easy step-by-step directions for use. Depending on what and where the oil spill is as well as the size of the spill, there are oil sorbents that can perform the clean up task effectively. Oil sorbents are among the widest product lines in the spill cleanup implements industry. There are booms to contain spills from boats in open waters, and mats and pads to wipe up small machinery oil spills. Here is a rundown of some of the most popular oil sorbents:

1. Universal Absorbent Pads - these pads are multi-purpose spill pads. These can either be used for water-based or oil-based spills. Its dimpled pattern makes the pad more efficient in soaking up liquids while at the same time keeping its shape and integrity. These pads can be used in regular everyday oil spillages in small machine shops.

2. Economy Oil Pads - these pads are oil-only pads capable of absorbing hydrocarbons and oil-based fluids. Made of one layer of hydrophobic oil-only polypropylene, these pads are water repellent and floats on water. They come in white colored pads that are considered to be cost-effective and economical.

3. Anti-Static Absorbent Pads - are especially useful in cleaning up flammable substances in low humidity areas where sparking can occur at any time. These pads absorb all hydrocarbons and repels water.

4. Oil Absorbent-Oil Containment Boom - these sausage-shaped poly sock skin is filled with highly absorbent polypropylene and covered with a mesh outer sleeve. These booms are best used in oil spills in open waters. They float on the water's surface along with the oil and keeps the oil within its perimeter preventing its spread.

5. Oil Absorbent Sweep - this is used to skim off whatever oil film is left behind after a cleanup. Sweeps are made of multilaminates that are durable and sturdy to withstand the rigors of cleanup. These sweeps float on water and will not sweep even when saturated with oil.

Even with the variety of oil sorbents, these sorbents are generally used in the same way. There are those that are used for containment, those that are used for wiping off, those that are used for soaking, and those that are used for prevention. Knowing the right oil sorbent to use for particular spills is something that the spill response team should be trained on. When spills happen, the spill response team should follow the following easy steps:

1. Contain the spill.
2. Soak up and mop up the spill.
3. Dispose of the collected spill material properly.
4. Recommend and install preventive measures for future spills. (ArticlesBase SC #1310289)

Buy and Sell Crude Oil - Most Profitable Way to Do It

2011-02-19T02:40:00.000-08:00

There is a profitable way to buy and sell petroleum. There are four major things you will need in order to succeed from this business. They are namely:

1. Funds: you will need funds to buy petroleum. You will need a minimum of $100,000,000 US. The amount of money can get you up to 2 million barrels of petroleum. You will also need about 5 to 10 million USD for expenses.

2. Petroleum seller: you will need a crude oil seller or supplier where you can purchase the petroleum from. This one is not a major problem as long as you have the funds.

3. Tanker: you will need a tank where you will be able to store the crude oil. If you want to build a petroleum storage tank, then you may as well rent one. This one is going to be costly, so it is better for you to build your own tank and save cost.

4. Petroleum buyer: this one is also not a major problem. The reason is because they are many buyers of crude oil aggressively searching for available crude oil to buy mainly in USA and Europe. As long as cars and factories are concerned, crude oil will always be in high demand.

The idea to make lots of money from buying and selling crude oil is to buy crude when it is very cheap and sell it when it is expensive. That is you will buy it when the price is low and sell it when the price is high. You will need to buy a piece of land and build the crude oil storage tank that can be able to store as much crude oil as you want. The crude oil storage tank could be an underground tank or surface tank.

Once you have finished building a storage tank, the next step is to buy petroleum. If you have funds at hand building storage tanks that can store up to 2 million barrels of petroleum or as much as you want will not take more than 2 months. The next step is to find petroleum available for sale. This will be an easy process if you know where to look. You can start to source for crude oil available for purchase at oil producing countries. You will be able to buy them through this means for cheap rather than when you do so through resellers.

There are two ways to get petroleum from Nigeria. One is through getting oil allocation from NNPC. NNPC fully means Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation. It is a government agency responsible for selling and buying of crude oil. You will need:

1. Proof of up to $100,000,000

2. Performance bond of up to $1,000,000

3. You will be required to own a local oil refinery, international refinery and a major oil trader.

If you are not ready for these conditions, then you can buy from persons who have already gotten oil allocation. People who have got oil allocation from NNPC must always end up selling the petroleum they have purchased. You can buy from this set of people. Example of this type of oil trader to buy your crude oil from is Yamal Gas Progress etc.

Once you have found a seller, the next step is to negotiate and close a deal. There are four ways used for selling petroleum. They are namely FOB, TTT, TTO, and CIF. CIF means cost, insurance and freight. It is a method of selling petroleum where the seller does everything from loading and sending the crude oil to the place the buyer wants. This kind of method is usually hard to fit and most sellers do not like dealing this way. FOB fully means freight on board.

The most widely method used method for selling oil is TTO and TTT. TTO simply means tanker take over. In this method, the buyer takes over the vessel to his destination, offloads the crude oil and brings it back.

TTT simply means tanker to tanker. It requires the buyer to come with a tank while the oil is transshipped and everything is settled.

Payment for the product is usually through swift or wire transfer. This can either be done through bank to bank by means of MT799. Irrevocable of letter of credit may also be used for payment etc.

Once you have bought the product, transfer the crude to your storage tank and relax. Continue to monitor the price of oil to see when it will increase. Conflicts between Iran and USA, and USA and Iran, and the one between South Korea and North Korea, and North Korea and the rest of other countries can cause the price of petroleum to increase. Conflicts in Niger Delta of Nigeria and Middle East as a whole can also cause the price of crude to skyrocket. Disasters like Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding cities in USA along the gulf may also increase the price of oil.

Once the price of crude increases, it is time to sell it off. If the price of a barrel of crude was at $78 and it increased to $100 or more, I believe you know how much you would have gained. Let say all the expenses you made and the price of a barrel of petroleum stands at $70 per barrel, then crude oil increases to $100 and you sell it off. The amount you will gain becomes $30 times 2,000,000 which will give you $60,000,000. This is cool bucks to make in a day. The way to find buyers for your petroleum is to write a letter with your company letterhead and POP (proof of product) to oil refineries. State the price you want to sell per barrel and anything to convince the oil refineries to buy your petroleum. This is tested and proven to deliver profitable type of oil trading.

Now Pay Close Attention --

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Mud Density and Its Importances for The Drilling Operation

2011-02-18T06:38:00.000-08:00

Mud weight or mud density is one of the important drilling fluid properties because it balances and controls formation pressure. Moreover, it also helps wellbore stability. Weight of drilling mud is measured and reported in pounds per gallon (PPG), pound per cubic feet (lb/cu.ft), or grams per milliliter (b/ml).

Mud density is normally measured by a conventional mud balance; however, if you have some air inside a fluid phase, reading from the conventional mud balance will give you an inaccurate number. Therefore, the most accurate method to measure the mud weight is with a pressurized mud balance.

The pressurized mud balance looks like the convention one, but it has a pressurized sample cup. When you press mud sample in the cup, any gas in fluid phase is compressed to very small volume so the mud weight measurement is more accurate.

What will be happened if there is insufficient drilling fluid density?
1. Well control - The well will be in an under balance condition so any formation fluids - gas, oil, and water- will enter into the wellbore.

2. Wellbore collapse (wellbore instability) - the wellbore will possibly become unstable, if the hydrostatic pressure provided by a mud column is below formation pressure.

What will be happened if the mud weight is too high?
1. Lost circulation - If the hydrostatic pressure from mud column exceeds formation strength, it will cause formation to break. Once the formation is broken, the drilling fluids will lose into the induced formation fractures.

2. Decrease in rate of penetration - The more density you have while drilling, the less ROP will be. Practically, while drilling, low mud weight is used at the beginning and weight will be increased as the well is drilled deeper in order to optimize ROP.

3. Stuck pipe - Since there are differences between the formation pressure and the hydrostatic pressure, there will be a lot of chances that a drill string will get differentially stuck across permeable rocks.

4. Formation damage - The more mud weight is in the well, the more mud filtration invades into porous formations. The invaded mud will cause damage to formation rocks. (ArticlesBase SC #3808190)

What are Oil Seeps?

2011-02-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

Put simply, oil seeps are naturally occurring oil and natural gas “springs” which rise from oil reservoirs within the earth and emerge at the surface. Seeps usually contain some mixture of natural gas, crude oil, water and asphaltum, which is a thick substance commonly known as tar. Similar to the manner in which freshwater springs on the earth’s surface originate from collected water underground, oil seeps originate from underground collections of oil that have accumulated within porous rock and have been contained by impermeable rock.

Oil seeps occur both on shore and under water, and provide valuable insight about the location of oil reservoirs deep within the earth. Since we have yet to develop a one hundred percent accurate way of determining the location of underground oil reservoirs, the presence of oil seeps provides valuable clues that can reduce the risk of wasted capital for oil drilling endeavors by companies such as Western Pipeline Corporation. The first project believed to have been dedicated to drilling for oil, led by Edwin Drake, took place in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in an area that was chosen in part because of the known oil seeps.

Oil seeps provide a natural resource which has been used by humans for various purposes throughout history, long before the advent of commercial drilling as we know it today. Native Americans are believed to have used resources collected from oil seeps for such purposes as lantern fuel, lubricant for wagon wheels and adhesive for weapons and canoes centuries ago. Asphaltum from seeps is also believed to have been used by such civilizations as face paint and for decorative additions to bowls and jewelry.

Oil seeps on land, though they may only release small amounts of oil and be difficult to see, provide scientists with important clues about the underground environment and the potential of an oil reservoir being located beneath. Likewise, oil seeps in the ocean are evidence of possible oil reservoirs below the sea floor, which modern oil drilling technology is now capable of extracting. Oil and natural gas released through vents in the ocean floor float and collect on the surface of the water, often forming oil covered natural gas bubbles and eventually a film of oil on the surface, making them easy to locate. Over time, large amounts of oil collect on the surface that eventually become visible from satellite images. Combined with information from other technologies, satellite analysis of oil seeps can provide scientists important data about the type of oil that is present as well as the potential for successful excavation.

The presence of oil seeps leading to further exploration has resulted in the discoveries of numerous productive oil reservoirs in the past. Without the natural clues about subsurface activity provided by oil seeps, we may have never discovered oil and its many commercial uses that are so common today. (ArticlesBase SC #173478)

The Risks of Fuelling up

2011-02-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

A great number of industrialists want to purchase gasoline station establishments for business opportunities because the industry has always managed to carry on whether if the economy is strong or unstable. Similar to a grocery outlet or energy and water provider, a gasoline station provides a commodity that almost everyone needs. Having a second business in addition to the station will return more profit especially if it goes together with the main service such as a car wash or convenience store. To run such business, no special college degree or study is required as it only needs the most basic knowledge of buying and selling to run it competently.

This kind of enterprise, however, is not for everyone. When planning an undertaking on the gasoline station business, an approaching franchise buyer must understand that there are many risks involved and if possible, he must learn the ways on how to avoid them as so the entrepreneur can enjoy the success of having an established investment. Getting the grounds contaminated is the most frequent problem among petroleum merchants who have not upgraded to the latest leak-proof bunds and storage tanks. Many residential areas near the station have imposed safety and environmental rules and regulations and any leakage found within the area is subject to having the gas station closed and the contaminated area cleaned. The more advanced petroleum operators have resorted out into using the newest in waterproofing and sealing technology system which is the Polyprufe Bund Lining from MacLennan LSE. In this process, the bund tanking is coated with Polyurea bund coating which makes the storage structure of the bund resistant to corrosion, rust and other factors that might cause liquids to combine accidentally.

Having a gasoline station is a sure ball business. Everyone needs it and no matter how expensive it becomes, people will always find a way to acquire some. Keeping the facilities and area clean and well maintained by having bund waterproofing is a contributing factor in keeping your business thriving for many years to come.

(ArticlesBase SC #3395439)

Commercial fuel Pipelines.

2011-02-15T04:44:00.000-08:00

Commercial pipelines deliver fuel to the base fuel storage tanks. These pipelines are usually underground except at tie-in connections to the base pipelines. These pipelines are constructed on government property by issuing real estate easements. Typically, crosscountry pipelines are owned, operated, and maintained by civilian agencies. When a pipeline system is under contract to a civilian agency, civilian responsibility for maintaining the pipeline usually terminates at some point near where the pipeline enters the base. From this point to the bulk fuel storage area, the responsibility for maintenance is assigned to the BCE. The BCE is authorized to perform emergency maintenance on on-base commercial pipelines, if necessary, to protect against environmental damage to public property or meet emergency wartime mission requirements. The real estate easement agreement with the pipeline owner takes note of this and provides for suitable contractor reimbursement to the government. Government-owned or -leased cross-country pipeline systems and marine facilities are in common use in oversea areas. In some areas Air Force personnel maintain these systems.

High Oil Prices Mean Invest in Coal-to-liquid Technology (ctl)

2011-02-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

Who in their right mind would consider a Coal-To-Liquid Technology(CTL) investment when we have plenty of oil supplies? You should. Because we dont.

Yes, oil prices are high. But crude production has peaked. Output in all major fields is fixed, or is declining. New oil fields are smaller and harder to get at, and extraction techniques are getting more difficult and expensive. Energy demand around the world is rocketting. Oil prices are rising steeply. Increasing political unrest means uncertain supplies, and the markets hate uncertainty.

That suggests oil substitute fuels like liquid coal will be needed soon. The obvious oil substitutes-liquid natural gas, oil sands, biofuels, fuel cells, renewable sources and nuclear power can't meeting total demand at a reasonable cost for the next decade at least.

What is likely to be the solution? Large supplies of coal. Combined with a long-used proven technology which can convert coal into a clean pumpable liquid with low burnoff emissions- CTL. Both are now readily available at competitive costs.

There are vast available coal deposits in the USA, China, India ,Canada, and Australia, allowing enough liquid coal for scores, maybe hundreds of years, even if demand accelerates.

Note that the Middle East has declining oil and virtually no coal.

Once oil prices rise above $35 a barrel, coal-to-liquid technology providing liquid coal at $20-$30/barrel begins looking very attractive as an oil alternative. Presently oil prices remain above $60, show no sign of descending and could peak at $100-$150 a barrel - IF available from anywhere. This would potentially lead to gasoline at $8/gallon at US pumps and widespread recession.

Other technologies such as coal gasification and gas-to-liquids (GTL) are currently cheaper than coal liquefaction and so some companies afraid of a downturn in oil prices and seeking the best current investment returns may be tempted by those instead.

However China and the US-now the two major powerhouses of world industry-are likely to opt for liquid coal on the basis of huge cheap domestic supplies and the incentive of non reliance of volatile outside markets.

China is an fast awaking industrial giant. They need vast amounts of energy badly for electricity for factories homes and schools, have little oil but lots of coal. Trouble is, the coal is in the north, and industrial developments in the south, China is huge and the roads and railways are presently poor.

It's hard to transport solid coal then burn it and create lots of pollution, but much easier and ultimately cheaper to pump clean liquid coal by pipeline.

The government there doesn’t argue or debate issues with the public-with collaboration with Royal Dutch Shell, they have already started to build a liquid coal plant in the Ningxia region, with three more on the way.

Also, consider the car. Demand is growing worldwide. But so are demands for cleaner more efficient vehicles. Liquid coal can be used to make both gasoline or diesel fuel. But the most ecofriendly efficient car of the near future probably WON'T be a electric-gasoline hybrid but an electric-diesel hybrid. This will have similar refinement and performance but far better overall miles per gallon, lower emissions.

Also note that China and India plan to break into the car production market and will be in a powerful position to provide cheap clean fuel-efficient cars to their own vast markets and overseas.

Extra pressure on car manufacturers (dependent on crude oil and suffering from high production costs) and already hovering on the brink of bankruptcy in the US? Or to switch production heavily towards hybrids?

Liquid coal - way to go!

Present coal plants can't and wont use oil for a fuel- burn profile is wrong and way too expensive. However any existing coal plant that presently burns coal will be able to burn liquid coal too. Efficient, kinder to the environment, no sulfur, mercury or ash AND less smells dust and fumes.

Expect politicians to push CTL and give it an easy tax ride for the same reasons they are presently favoring biofuels like ethanol:

(1) there’s the lure of a vote winning rural job-creation side from an industry otherwise viewed as declining.

(2) Many Western voters and investors are getting worried about the security implications of depending on their energy supplies from increasingly unfriendly or unstable nations.

(3) Many environmentalists, given the right conditions (e.g. high carbon capture at CTL plants, alternatives like nuclear energy), are likely to warm to CTL because of its overall cleaner profile.

Many firms are already investing in CTL. Forget oil and other oil substitutes for the moment. Look into it now if you are interested, and look for CTL specialists like Headwaters, Syntroleum Corp, and Rentech, and particuliarly, the highly experienced South African company, Sasol. (ArticlesBase SC #114657)