Non-Green Energy: Oil and Gas

[sunday]

32 minutes ago, rmgill said:

And spare transformers. . 

Transformers have a really, really long life. No moving parts that could wear in the core system, for starters.

[rmgill]

19 minutes ago, sunday said:

Transformers have a really, really long life. No moving parts that could wear in the core system, for starters.

Have you seen the line of thinking wrt CME’s and the nuclear fuel storage issue? 

[sunday]

1 hour ago, rmgill said:

Have you seen the line of thinking wrt CME’s and the nuclear fuel storage issue? 

From reading the executive summary of this paper, it looks like the risk is not so large.

Quote

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was commissioned to study the potential impact of a severe
GIC event on the western U.S.-Canada power grid (referred to as the Western Interconnection). The
study identified long transmission lines (length exceeding 150 miles) that did not include series
capacitors. The basic assumption for the study is that a GIC is more likely to couple to long transmission
lines, and that series capacitors would block the flow of the induced DC GIC. Power system simulations
were conducted to evaluate impacts to the bulk power system if transformers on either end of these lines
failed. The study results indicated that the Western Interconnection was not substantially at risk to GIC
because of the relatively small number of transmission lines that met this criterion.

This report also provides a summary of the Hydro-Québec blackout on March 13, 1989, which was
caused by a GIC. This case study delves into the failure mechanisms of that event, lessons learned, and
preventive measures that have been implemented to minimize the likelihood of its reoccurrence.

Finally, the report recommends that the electric power industry consider the adoption of new
protective relaying approaches that will prevent severe GIC events from catastrophically damaging
transformers. The resulting changes may increase the likelihood of smaller disruptions but should prevent
an unlikely yet catastrophic national-level event. 

 

[JWB]

If this chart is true Venezuela looks more like a burden than a blessing:

 

 

[urbanoid]

It is, the Orange Man's motivations are mostly geopolitical here, but he's selling it using the oil - 'all those Bushes and Obamas with their forever wars which cost us UNTOLD TRILLIONS, while with me you'll be making money!'

'Bolivarians' are obviously economic illiterates that strangled the very industry that used to sustain the country, by taking too much out and not leaving enough in to make sure it remains viable. 

Oh, well, guess I couldn't help myself again:

Folks, those Bushes and Obamas got us stuck in those endless, stupid wars in the Middle East—TRILLIONS of dollars down the drain, lives wasted, total disaster! But with me back in charge, we're talking BIG LEAGUE wins: Venezuelan oil flowing like never before, deals everywhere, everyone getting RICH! America First, baby—making money, not losing it! #MAGA

[Ivanhoe]

The US neither needs nor wants Venezuelan oil. Strange how people can't grasp that. 

We are exporting crude oil, and we barely have enough refining capacity* for our own oil. And it would cost a fortune, these days, to refine Venezuela's heavy sour enough to meet US regulations. 

 

* And its gonna get worse, as California eventually bankrupts the refiners operating there. 

[Tim Sielbeck]

2 hours ago, Ivanhoe said:

* And its gonna get worse, as California eventually bankrupts the refiners operating there. 

A couple of them are shutting their facilities down and leaving already.

[urbanoid]

Can't stop taking Ls

https://x.com/Tendar/status/2009311820356428047

 

[urbanoid]

Good news, although why Chynah doesn't really, really push for the expansion of pipeline network from Russia is somewhat of a mystery to me. Maybe they want to squeeze the Russians even more, but from strategic point of view it seems... not very smart.

https://x.com/KShevchenkoReal/status/2010079950611648694

 

[JWB]

Will Venezuela become Trumps Folly?:

 

[Detonable]

On 1/7/2026 at 2:38 PM, Ivanhoe said:

The US neither needs nor wants Venezuelan oil. Strange how people can't grasp that. 

We are exporting crude oil, and we barely have enough refining capacity* for our own oil. And it would cost a fortune, these days, to refine Venezuela's heavy sour enough to meet US regulations. 

 

* And its gonna get worse, as California eventually bankrupts the refiners operating there. 

  Weren't we refining it before?

[Ivanhoe]

We have refineries that used to, but when domestic oil production ramped up (Permian Basin et al), no financial argument to refine heavy sour. 

 

[urbanoid]

And apparently there's the 'weird Iranian oil' too and an absolute shitload of it is floating offshore.

https://x.com/morgan_downey/status/2010703587853094950

 

[rmgill]

There is more to Venezuela than the oil. 

There's the fact that it's a pawn in the Russia China alliance. Taking them off the table is important. 

[urbanoid]

And IF that happens there's a chance to turn Cuba too. 

Still, all this fantastic money isn't rolling in anytime soon, if ever. Oil execs seem thoroughly unimpressed and they know their business.