ANWR - Alaska Pipeline Leak

[Karlin]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/080706M.shtml

A major spill, caused by a leak due to severe corrosion in a Prudhoe Bay oil transit line, is threatening the USA oil supply. Gasoline prices will rise, maybe they allready did?

But gas prices are not the biggest issue - the pollution, and the future pipleline constuction to handle more oil development in and around ANWR [Alaska National Wildlife Refuge] are what is important.

I think the effect on the gasoline supply are being overblown, there isn't that much oil coming from Alaska. This is a distraction from the real issues - specifically NOT MENTIONED on mass media - of pollution, environmental damage, and future exploration.

-------Over view -
It is high time we started switching to alternative energy, at least that which ios easy and economically viable. For eg. there is electric cars that worked so well that FORD crushed them all, despite the people who were driving them [as a test-drive] PLEADING to let them keep them, because they worked so well.

The new hybrids, severely restriced in number of sales in USA and Canada, can actually be PLUGGED IN to charge overnight, and this could be done with roof-top home solar panels, costing less than $1000 to set up and saving money on gasoline, plus the smog and deadly cancer causing pollution.

Yes, it is that simple, but we are not being encouraged to make this change, and we are not being given the whole story on the Bush family connections to Saudi royalty oil, from which comes the reason why OIL remains king of energy even at this late date and the advent of global warming. We could avoid spilling oil in the ANWAR paradise.

Boy I have a lot to say . Sorry about the number of words it takes me to say it.

Karlin

 

[Karlin]

Re: Oilfield running dry?

Ok, so I will reply!!
lol

The amount of alaskan oil to the USA supply was bigger than I thought, I admit I was wrong, it is substantial amount of oil - about 8% of the USA total needs.

The new thing about the leak is that it may mean that the Alaska oilfields are running out, going dry.

Here is a link and quote, several articles in the story -

http://cryptogon.com/2006_08_06_blogarchive.html
-scroll down about 1/4 of the page to the third headline -
Is the BP Prudhoe Bay Shutdown More Serious Than It Appears?

in a research note, AG Edwards analyst, Bruce Lanni, is telling investors to expect up to 10% less output when the pipeline is brought back online:

"We estimate it could take between 2-3 months to get it back on line," Bruce Lanni, an industry analyst with A.G. Edwards, wrote in a research note. "However, there are no assurances that it will return to current capacity, given the complexities and age of the reservoirs. Thus, we would not be surprised to see volume losses in the area of 5 percent to 10 percent."

Hmm. Fix Replace pipeline, get 10% less oil? That makes no sense

Karlin

 

[Gonzo]

I remember that they wanted to pipe alaska oil through Canada. Has construction of that begun?

 

[Toro]

This is a big deal.

Much of the crude that comes to PADD V does so from Alaska. Crude from Alaska is heavy and sour, meaning its more dense and has a higher sulfur content than other grades of crude that are refined in the other PADDs. Thus the refineries are more complex in PADD V since its more difficult to refine crude from Alaska than it is to refine light, sweet crude from elsewhere. Also, the transportation infrastructure into PADD V is low, meaning California is somewhat of an island compared to the other regions of the country since there are bottlenecks due to relatively low pipeline capacity from the other PADDs. Prudhoe Bay may account for 8% of US capacity, but it accounts for something like 30-40% (or somewhere around there) of input into PADD V. Like the article in the link said, there is a relatively high amount in inventory currently, but if the outage continues for several months, gas prices could soar in California.

 

[Jo Canadian]

 

[Karlin]

Leak Is Latest of Alaska's Pipeline Woes
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/080906EA.shtml

In recent years, about 500 oil spills have occurred in the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and along the 800-mile pipeline each year, according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Building new pipelines across Canada, including the Mackenzie Valley area, will have negative envoro9nmental impacts. This is being disputed by the builders and owners of pipelines of course, but their motive is profits , not protecting nature.

The events this week in Alaska prove that there is risk that canot be mitigated. We should not go ahead with more oil projects in the far north, and instead encourage investors and governments to put their money into renewable energy. For our grandkids sake eh?

k