Category Archives: Technology

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Iraq increases oil production, North Dakota #3 oil producer, latest increase in oil prices blamed on Iran & Greece

The Iraqi government owned South Oil Company said they are about to increase oil flow from a new floating oil platform in the Persian Gulf.

The new platform is one of four to be built by an Australian company.  Each platform can flow 22,000 barrels per day.  Recently the Iraqi government said their oil production hit three million barrels per day.  This backs up the CEO of Exxon Mobil who said there is plenty of oil in the supply system.

Another proof of plenty of oil in the system; North Dakota has passed up California, as the number three oil producing state in the U.S.

Most of the oil in North Dakota comes from the controversial fracking of shale oil.  In January 2012 North Dakota’s oil production hit 546,500 barrels per day. That’s a 59% increase from January 2011!  By the way, crony capitalist Mitt Romney has hired a CEO, of one of the companies working the oil fields in North Dakota, to be his energy adviser.

Western media blaming recent increase in oil prices on Greek bailout news.  They say prices went up because (once again) a new deal has been reached, on the old deal.  It’s strange ’cause the media sometimes blames an oil price increase on the Greek deals being held up or falling through.

By the way, the Western media hasn’t really explained why the so called Greek debt problem is affecting oil prices.  Greece is not a oil producing country, and they don’t use that much petroleum compared to bigger European countries. In fact, Greece gets a lot of oil from Iran.  Maybe that’s it, they don’t want to play the sanctions game, along with my speculation about their non-compliance with Leviathan.

Western media also blaming reduction of Iranian oil bound for Europe on the price increase.  One Western source even said it was proof the oil sanctions against Iran are working.  One problem with that; Iran says they’ve made up for their cuts (note: “their” cuts, not the sanctions imposed by U.S./Europe) to Europe by increasing sales to other countries.  So who’s really getting hurt by those sanctions?

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Exxon Mobil will cut oil production, blames high fuel prices on speculators, blames Republican controlled Congress for too much regulation

Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest corporate producer of oil and natural gas, announced they will cut oil/gas production for 2012 by at least 3%.

This comes as companies like Exxon have said that they have to increase spending of their record setting profits on developing access to new sources of petroleum.

Exxon has already spent tens of billions in the past year, and they’re planning nine projects for 2013, and 12 projects for 2014.

However, it could be that the real reason Exxon Mobil is reducing production is that Iraq is challenging their contracts with the Kurdistan Regional Government.  Iraqi officials say Exxon’s contracts with Iraqi Kurdistan are illegal.  Iraq is taking legal action to kick Exxon out of the huge oil fields in northern Iraq!

Even so, Exxon Mobil’s CEO, Rex Tillerson, said fuel prices are not up because of lack of supply: “On pure supply-demand fundamentals, the markets are well supplied.”

So why are prices going up? Tillerson says “Gasoline prices are up because crude oil is up.”  Really? Duh! But wait, there’s more.  Tillerson also indicated oil prices will continue to go up because of supply issues: “People who are trying to secure those supplies are going to pay what it takes…today with the view that they might not be able to get them later.”

Basically he’s saying that despite plenty of oil already in the supply system, the speculators are driving up prices because they are afraid the oil supply will suddenly stop.

Tillerson explained that it’s not just wars that could stop the oil/gas supply, but over regulation by the Republican controlled U.S. Congress: “Our regulatory process has become so complicated by so many duplicative agencies, by so many mandates from Congress, that now it has become a way to stop things from happening. There are a thousand ways you can be told ‘no’ in this country.”

Oh, and by the way, all those billions of dollars that Exxon Mobil is going to be spending ($185 billion estimated) on those dozen or more projects in the next few years, is expected to increase their production by only 4% to 8% by 2016!!!

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Proof the Main Stream Media doesn’t have a clue

The following are headlines from the past 17 hours:

“OIL FUTURES: Crude Near Flat Ahead of Weekly Oil Data”-Fox Business

“Oil Fluctuates Before Report Projected to Show Crude Inventory Increase”-Bloomberg

“Oil Rises above $105 in Europe amid optimism US economy, demand will improve.”-Washington Post

“Oil Falls on Iran talks, economy worries”-Reuters

“Oil Slides to $106 on Global Growth Concerns”-NPR

 

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Mega Rich Oil industry creates piddly amount of new jobs in the United States!

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Oil Industry created few new U.S. jobs in 2011.  Of course that’s not how the main stream media is reporting it.

In 2011 the cash obese oil industry created only 9% of new jobs in the United States! In actual numbers that’s 37,000 jobs.  The WEF claims that those 37,000 oil industry jobs resulted in another 111,000 “indirect” jobs being created.  That’s a drop in the bucket compared to the millions still looking for work!

Now realize that the U.S. oil industry is considered to be “…in the midst of its biggest boom in a generation…”  Wow, and they created only 148,000 direct and indirect jobs in 2011?

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Government Evil: New evidence suggests Libya not involved with Pan Am Lockerbie bombing! Gaddafi was innocent?

“It is now absolutely clear this fragment was not from a timer we delivered to Libya. We told the police in 1999 this was the case but they would not believe us. We lost our company and had to pay a big damages claim.”-Edwin Bollier, former boss of Swiss company Mebo

In 1988, Pan American flight 103 went down over Lockerbie, Scotland, after an explosion.  Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was blamed for ordering the bombing.

The blame was based on ‘evidence’ from a timer used on the bomb.  Now the Scottish media reporting that new evidence says otherwise!

During the Lockerbie trials, prosecutors claimed the flight 103 bomb used a MST-13 timer, made by a Swiss company called Mebo.  The prosecutors produced documents that showed that Libya bought 20 of the timers.  The Swiss company Mebo went bust as a result of the trial.

Now, almost 24 years later, the former owner of Mebo, Edwin Bollier, says that since at least 1999 there’s been evidence that the timer used in the flight 103 bombing was not one of Mebo’s.

Not only does the evidence open the doors for Bollier to sue the British government, but it casts doubt on the prosecution’s claim that Libya was behind the bombing.

In fact the author, John Ashton, who wrote the biography on the Libyan who was convicted of the bombing (Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi), said the timer could not have been made by Mebo, because of the way it was constructed.

Regarding Megrahi; he never took the witness stand during the trial, and the British government allowed him to come to the U.K. without a passport or other documents.  John Ashton based his book on the never been published 800 page Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission report.  Ashton got the report after years of legal wrangling.

It looks like another case of the U.S. and U.K. setting events up to justify international murder (war)!

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Government Incompetence: Japan officials knew Tsunami Shelters were insufficent after 2004, yet said nothing until now!

After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Japanese government concluded that their tsunami shelter guidelines were insufficient.  Only now are they issuing the new guidelines!

The government study of tsunami shelter construction in Japan, revealed that such shelters would not hold up to a tsunami similar to the one that occurred in the Indian Ocean.  On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit with such a tsunami.

The new guidelines (developed before the 2011 tsunami) recommend the use of stronger building foundations, among other things.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: EIA says oil supply to drop, Jordan cancels contract with Egypt, North Sea Oil near record high price, Canadian oil prices crashing blame North Dakota

March 6, 2012, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said oil supply will drop.  This is due to disruptions affecting non-OPEC countries.

This is probably the cause of increased fuel prices, but wait, there’s more!  The EIA also says U.S. demand for petroleum is also going down.  In fact, demand in the United States is at a 15 year low!

That decrease in U.S. demand is being offset by increased demand around the World. Also, the EIA says oil transportation problems in the U.S. Midwest will keep oil prices above $103 per barrel, into 2013!

Speaking of oil disruptions, Jordan announced that because of continued attacks on the natural gas line coming from Egypt, they will be forced to look elsewhere for natural gas: “It would be great if Egypt can prove they can secure the pipeline, but it is clear that Jordan can no longer rely on Egyptian gas.”-Qutaiba Abu Qoura, Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources

For oil coming out of the ocean east of United Kingdom, North Sea oil prices spiked on March 6.  The reason is production delays for Asian customers.  It’s called Forties Crude, and hit $1.80 per barrel over the price of Brent Crude (which is about $20.00 per barrel over the price of U.S. Crude).

In September 2011, Forties Crude hit a record $2.05 over the price of Brent Crude.

Reuters estimates that Forties Crude pumping has dropped about 10,000 barrels per day since February 2012.  Reuters analysts think this is due to production problems.  In any case it only helps their price go up!

Canadian oil is dropping in price. According to reports out of Canada, their oil is losing value because there is now too much Canadian oil being pumped into the United States!  In other words too much supply.  So why are fuel prices in the United States going up?

Pipelines coming from Canada are rapidly filling up, and will soon be backed up with too much oil. Another factor in Canadian oil losing value; North Dakota!

Analysts with Cenovus Energy say North Dakota is now pumping out 400,000 extra barrels of oil everyday!

Again why are fuel prices going up then?  The U.S. EIA says all that oil from Canada is getting “bottlenecked” in the U.S. Midwest, because of oil transportation problems.  This is why the Canadians wanted the Keystone XL pipeline.  But, U.S. oil man Barack Obama is blocking the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Canadians are hoping that getting their oil to more refineries would help bring up revenues: “…clearly not going to be a good quarter. Between blowouts in heavy pricing, blowouts in synthetic oil pricing, weak natural prices, it’s across the board. The only thing that’s working, really, is downstream.”-Andrew Potter, CIBC World Markets

So how much is Canadian oil? Western Canadian Select Crude is currently about $34 less per barrel than U.S. Crude (aka West Texas Intermediate).  Canadians expect their oil prices to continue downward until mid 2013.

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Chevron Gas rig burns for 46 days, Oil war brewing between Sudan & South Sudan, Libyan rebels declare independence in Oil Rich Eastern Libya

March 6, 2012, after 46 days a natural gas rig fire has finally been put out. The rig is operated by Chevron, it is located in Nigeria.

The off shore gas rig blew up on January 16, killing two people. It eventually collapsed into the sea: “We cannot predict how long it will take to complete the relief well, but will do so as quickly as possible while maintaining safe operations.”– Russell Johnson, Chevron

Nigeria is the top oil/gas producer in Africa.  The catastrophe is now killing the fish in the ocean:“The gas is inside the fish. After eating the fish you feel like somebody who drunk diesel, you feel dizzy.”-Bravely Salvage, local fisherman

Locals say fish and dolphins have been washing up on the beach.  Chevron officials say the explosion and resulting 46 day fire should not have impacted the fish!!!  Can you say lawsuit?  Nigerian rebels are using the explosion as further justification in their war against the oil industry: “Nothing has changed in the Niger Delta. This is a fools’ peace!”-Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta

South Sudan has lodged a complaint against Sudan, with the United Nations, for the bombing of an oil well.  Sudan said they didn’t do it.

South Sudan is trying to get around the high transport fees Sudan charges for shipping their oil to the Red Sea.  They are building an oil pipeline to Kenya.

South Sudan officials claim the increased violence in their country, which just happen to be destroying their oil production, is being instigated by Sudan: “Khartoum is sending a signal saying ‘if you divert the oil and we do not benefit from anything then we can destroy that oil and create instability so that you don’t enjoy the benefits of that oil’.”-Samson Wassara, Juba University

In Libya, proof the U.S./European supported Libyan government is a joke; rebels have declared oil rich eastern Libya independent!

Eastern Libya is where the “rebellion” began, when Chinese oil workers were attacked.  The Chinese government had to evacuate 30,000 Chinese oil workers, something the Western Media failed to report.

Now, in a obvious case of hypocrisy, Libya’s pro-U.S. government leaders are making the same statements that Gaddafi made: “Some Arab nations, unfortunately, have supported and encouraged this to happen. These nations are funding this kind of unacceptable strife. What happened today is the beginning of a conspiracy against Libya and Libyans.”-Mustafa Abdul-Jalil

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho’s Hoku Materials loses $28 million, blames Idaho Power. Takes on 19 new loans to continue operation, beggars China for more money!

On March 5, 2012, Hoku International released its Quarterly 10-Q Report, ending December 2011.

Specifically their Pocatello, Idaho, Hoku Materials polysilicon operations (which has yet to actually begin operations) lost $28.4 million in the nine months ending on December 31, 2011.

Their 10-Q report blames part of the loss on Idaho Power’s electricity bills.  Idaho Power has reported that Hoku has consistently failed to pay their electric bill on time (actually in advance, under Idaho Power’s rules for large businesses)!

Hoku’s March 5, 2012, 10-Q report also revealed that they’ve had to “…obtained an aggregate of $315.5 million of debt financing through 19 bank credit agreements to support our operations.”  

That was as of December 31, 2011.  Hoku has also revealed that they’ve had to beg China for more money: “In January 2012, we entered into a credit agreement with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Limited, New York Branch to provide for one or more term loans in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $10.0 million. And in February 2012, we entered into a credit agreement with China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd., New York Branch to provide for a loan in an aggregate principal amount of $10 million.”

AS I WARNED: IDAHO HOKU SILICON FACTORY GOING UNDER, ANNOUNCING LAYOFFS, VIOLATED STOCK MARKET TRADING RULES

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? As I warned; Idaho Hoku silicon factory going under, announcing layoffs, violated stock market trading rules

March 6, 2012, Hoku International announced they will layoff about 20 employees at their Pocatello, polysilicon plant.

This comes after many delays in finishing the factory, and threats by Idaho Power to cut off electricity because Hoku hasn’t been paying its utility bill.  Also, Hoku lost big money in 2011.

Officials with Hoku said the layoffs are necessary to keep the company going.

On February 23, 2012, Hoku International was notified that trading of its stocks were suspended, for violating NASDAQ’s Listing Rule 5250(c)(1).  On March 5 (the day before the layoff announcement) Hoku claimed they were now in compliance with NASDAQ’s rules.

CORPORATE INCOMPETENCE: HOKU MATERIALS BEGS FOR MONEY TO PAY ITS OVERDUE IDAHO POWER BILL