Monday, December 31, 2012
USA LiquidNaturalGas production to boom
| USA's liquid natural gas production is expected to increase more than 40% over the next five years, as per a joint market study from BENTEK Energy and Turner, Mason & Company (TM&C). The increase will total approximately 950,000 b/d, with volumes reaching at least 3.1 MMb/d by 2016. At the same time, crude production from the U.S. and Canada will grow by more than 2.8 MMb/d, further impacting NGL supplies as crude quality changes and new refinery upgrading capacity comes online. Current levels of NGL infrastructure are inadequate to handle the surge in NGL production and significant new investment is needed to relieve bottlenecks. The study finds that as a result of excess NGL supply, transportation constraints and demand limitations, the North American NGL and crude oil markets will experience wide and volatile regional price differentials during the next few years. “The shale revolution is having a dramatic effect on the NGL market in North America, and that in turn is driving changes in all aspects of the market, ranging from production, processing, fractionation and transportation to the petrochemical industry,” noted BENTEK Vice President E. Russell (Rusty) Braziel. “At the same time NGL production from gas processing is surging, the U.S. refining industry is in the middle of a significant capital program to accommodate a changing crude slate, which will present still more challenges and opportunities to the NGL market,” added TM&C Senior Vice President John Auers. “Traditional supply/demand relationships for each NGL product are being transformed by these developments.” The rise in NGL supply has the potential to wreak havoc on the NGL market, the study reports. Surplus ethane volumes from the anticipated increases will outpace demand from the U.S. petrochemical industry until new ethylene units are completed. Propane supply is increasing while demand in the home heating sector is down, putting a premium on marine dock space for shipment of incremental supply to offshore markets. Butanes will see wider summer-winter swings in supply, demand and prices. Additionally, natural gasoline will increasingly flow into the diluent market for Canadian heavy crude and could experience a dramatic decline in motor gasoline blending if certain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) vapor pressure and octane regulations are implemented. |
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
USA'sNaturalgas production prospects
Trends in U.S. energy production that could lead to an energy independent United States. He shared one chart showing U.S. energy production`s projected growth to be higher than all other nations in just eight years. This growth is due mostly to the development of natural gas production, through hydrofracking, in Texas over the last decade an a half. It is clear from Faber`s talk that legalizing hydrofracking in other states, like New York, could boost American energy production to the point where American produce as much energy as they consume.
This adds to the list of positive results of hydracking. Producing natural gas could lead not only to more jobs nationwide, but American energy independence that would have a huge impact on the economy all the way foreign policy. Of course, environmental safety and potential water contamination remains a large concern and is the central point of argument against hydrofracking legislation. Currently, the issue is still under debate in New York State.
Additional hydrofracking updates in NYS and countrywide.
Hydrofracking continues to a hot top across the nation. Various rallies have been held over past months including a celebrity rally that just took place in Denver, Colorado. In New York State, a massive event, Songs Against Drilling, took place fighting against the legalization of hydrofracking in the state.
Additionally, there is a proposal to build a pipeline to carry natural gas from New York State to Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, hydrofracking is currently legal. However, there too the issue is being debated with 14 environmental groups recently asking the state
Monday, October 22, 2012
Directory for Business:Energy/Utilities/Gas/Electricity
- Energy: Electricity: Cooperatives (383)
- Business: Energy: Utilities: Gas and Electricity (193)
- Business: Energy: Renewable: Solar: Electric (170)
- Business: Energy: Oil and Gas: Tools and Equipment (146)
Open Directory Sites (1-20 of 18747)
- Zonne-energie Installateurs - Website om zonne-energie installateurs te vergelijken.-- http://www.zonne-energie-installateurs.be World: Nederlands: Zakelijk: Energie: Duurzame Energie: Zonne-energie ()
- Energy Blog - Discusses topics relating to The Energy Revolution.-- http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/energy_conservation/ Science: Technology: Energy: Conservation (94)
- U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) - U.S. Department of Energy web site for information on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.-- http://www.eere.energy.gov/ Science: Technology: Energy: Renewable (77)
- California Energy Commission Homepage - Data on energy production, consumption, conservation and use in California, as well as information on energy deregulation, renewable energy and energy research. Kids' pages with educational material.-- http://www.energy.ca.gov/ Science: Technology: Energy: Organizations ()
- Boeren Energie - Informatie over bio-energie, met name mestvergisting.-- http://www.boerenenergie.nl World: Nederlands: Zakelijk: Energie: Duurzame Energie: Bio-energie ()
- Helios energie zonneboilers - Geeft diepgaande informatie aangaande zonneboilers.-- http://helios-energie.nl World: Nederlands: Zakelijk: Energie: Duurzame Energie: Zonne-energie ()
- Groene en Hernieuwbare energie - Groene energie site boordevol nuttige informatie over groene en alternatieve energie-- http://www.groene-energie-info.nl World: Nederlands: Zakelijk: Energie: Duurzame Energie: Advies ()
- Sieben Energy Consultants - Energy consulting firm specializing in the efficient use and acquisition of energy resources.-- http://www.siebenenergy.com Business: Energy: Consulting (414)
- Energy Environmental Consultants - Energy conservation and environment consulting firm providing energy reduction services.-- http://www.eecinc.biz/ Business: Energy: Consulting (414)
- Energy Management Solutions, Ltd. - Energy management consultant providing conservation energy surveys in the UK.-- http://www.ems.org.uk Business: Energy: Consulting (414)
- Peak Energy. LTD - UK Energy management consultancy. Profile, services and tariff.-- http://www.peak-energy.co.uk Business: Energy: Consulting (414)
- IHS Energy Group - Collecting, standardizing, managing and delivering information to meet the needs of the energy industry - worldwide.-- http://energy.ihs.com/ Business: Energy: Consulting (414)
- United Energy - Technical advisory service for the energy industry.-- http://www.united-energy.com/ Business: Energy: Consulting (414)
- Seven Utility Management Consultants Ltd - Energy consultant and energy broker specializing in energy procurement.-- http://www.sevenutility.com Business: Energy: Utilities: Consulting (97)
- Sela Energy - Renewable energy provider, installer and consultant with focus on solar energy.-- http://www.selaenergy.com/ Business: Energy: Renewable: Solar (124)
- Energy Careers - Employment opportunities within the energy sector. Offers matching of skills to posted energy opportunities.-- http://www.energycareers.com/ Business: Energy: Employment ()
- The Energy Blog - Reports on news and developments in the field of energy technology.-- http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/ Science: Technology: Energy: Weblogs ()
- The Timeline of Energy - This blog provides information on energy resources, alternative sources of energy and conservation.-- http://energywriters.blogspot.com/ Science: Technology: Energy: Conservation (94)
- Renewable Energy Focus - The international renewable energy magazine of the International Solar Energy Society.-- http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/ Science: Technology: Energy: Renewable (77)
- Green Energy Resources - Provides information on the different sources of renewable energy and how they work.-- http://GreenEnergyResources.net Science: Technology: Energy: Renewable (77)
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Energy independence doesnt mean lower gasoline prices
Just about every president since Richard Nixon has set energy independence as a goal, and both major candidates have brought it up the current campaign.
As it turns out, there is a place, not so far from here, that has achieved energy independence: Canada.
Canada produces far more oil than it consumes. They're not dependent on the Middle East! They've got all the oil they need!
I called Stephen Gordon, a professor of economics at Université Laval in Quebec City, to ask him about what energy independence means for his nation.
"It's not really that big a deal," he told me.
Really? I asked him what gas station he used to fill up his car.
Ultramar. Corner of St. Olivie and St. Jean Baptiste. I called the station and (with the help of a colleague who speaks French) learned that they Charge $1.37 per liter, in Canadian dollars.
Do all the conversions, adjust for taxes, and you get something around $4 per gallon — about the same price as we pay in the U.S. right now.
Energy independence does not mean cheaper gasoline. It doesn't even mean that prices are more stable. Gas prices in Canada went up this summer just like they did in the United States. Prices in Canada are sensitive to conflict in the Middle East, or increased demand from China.
There is a global market for oil. That means there is basically one price, whether you are a net exporter (Canada) or the world's biggest importer (the U.S.).
It is good for Canada's economy to export oil to the rest of the world. Oil is money sitting there in the ground. But it doesn't make gas any cheaper at the pump.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
USA raising fuel economy standards
Government to raise fuel economy standards to 54.5 mpg by 2025
Jul 29, 2011 12:00 PM
Top executives from major automakers joined President Obama this morning in Washington, D.C., for a ceremony to officially announce higher fuel-efficiency standards for car and light trucks.
The plan will raise the average gas mileage for passenger vehicles sold in the United States to 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025.
The proposal is not quite as high as the 56.2-mpg standardthat the White House was reportedly considering, but it is significantly higher than the 27.3-mpg standard that exists today.
Under the new standards, fuel economy for cars would have to increase by 5 percent a year from 2017-2025, while SUVs and pickups would be allowed to increase by a less-stringent 3.5 percent a year through 2021, before rising more sharply to 5 percent a year fro 2021 to 2025.
"This agreement on fuel economy we're announcing today represents the most important step we've ever taken to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," President Obama said.
"For decades, we've left our economy vulnerable to the price of oil. And with demand increasing in China and India, the demand for oil is inexorably rising. And that means the price of oil will keep going up unless we do something about our own dependence on oil."
He estimated that the new standards will save American families $8,000 in fuel bills over the life of the cars produced, and will reduce U.S. oil consumption by 2.2 billion barrels per day, reduce oil imports by a third, and save the country upwards of $2 trillion between now and 2025.
Estimates for the cost of adding new fuel-efficient technologies to cars have ranged from the government's $2,100, to more than $7,000 from some automaker lobbying groups.
To earn automakers' endorsement, the Obama administration also had to win over regulators in California, which has the right under the Clean Air Act to set its own emissions rules. The California Air Resources Board reportedly also endorsed the deal this morning.
In a statement, Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, applauded the plan, saying it would help consumers save money, cut pollution, and reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
Ellen Bloom, CU’s director of federal policy, said “The new standards will lead to cars that consume less fuel at an affordable price. These fuel economy targets mean consumers will be able to save money on gas over the life of their vehicles, while we reduce national oil consumption.”
Automakers are expected to sign memorandums of understanding on the proposal today. A formal proposal will be issued by the federal government this fall, and a final rule is expected by July 2012.
Bloom noted, “The goals set out in this plan are sound and reasonable, but there are still details that have to be ironed out in this process. We’re going to keep working to make sure the standards stay strong, because you don’t want any loopholes that a gas-guzzling truck could drive through.”
In a recent Consumer Reports poll of car owners, 62 percent said when they buy their next car, they expect to choose a model with better gas mileage than their current vehicle. Eighty-seven percent said the number-one reason for choosing a more fuel-efficient car was lower fuel costs. Seventy-three percent of those planning to buy a vehicle said they were considering an alternative power train, such as hybrid, electric, or flex fuel.
Mark Cooper, the research director for Consumer Federation of America, said, “Hard, good faith bargaining has produced a program that is very good for consumers and the auto industry. We believe the economics of fuel economy will get better and better over time, as costs come down and gasoline prices rise, so that by the time the program reaches the ‘mid-course’ review in 10 years, the case for accelerating improvement will be compelling,” Cooper said
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USAwill become top energy supplier
LONDON (Reuters) - The United States will overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world's top oil producer by 2017, it was said on Monday, predicting Washington will come very close to achieving a previously unthinkable energy self-sufficiency.
The forecasts by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises large industrialized nations on energy policy, were in sharp contrast to previous IEA reports, which saw Saudi Arabia remaining the top producer until 2035.
"Energy developments in the United States are profound and their effect will be felt well beyond North America - and the energy sector," the IEA said in its annual long-term report, giving one of the most optimistic forecasts for U.S. energy production growth to date.
"The recent rebound in U.S. oil and gas production, driven by upstream technologies that are unlocking light tight oil and shale gas resources, is spurring economic activity - with less expensive gas and electricity prices giving industry a competitive edge," it added.
The IEA said it saw a continued fall in U.S. oil imports with North America becoming a net oil exporter by around 2030 and the United States becoming almost self-sufficient in energy by 2035.
"The United States, which currently imports around 20 percent of its total energy needs, becomes all but self-sufficient in net terms - a dramatic reversal of the trend seen in most other energy importing countries," it said.
IEA Chief Economist Fatih Birol told a news conference in London he believed the United States would overtake Russia as the biggest gas producer by a significant margin by 2015. By 2017, it would become the world's largest oil producer, he said.
The United States will rely more on natural gas than either oil or coal by 2035 as cheap domestic supply boosts demand among industry and power generators
LIMITED KNOWLEDGE
BThe IEA forecasts were given that the shale oil boom was a relatively new phenomenon.
"Light, tight oil resources are poorly known ... If no new resources are discovered (after 2020) and plus, if the prices are not as high as today, then we may see Saudi Arabia coming back and being the first producer again," he said.
The IEA said it saw U.S. oil production rising to 10 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2015 and 11.1 million bpd in 2020 before slipping to 9.2 million bpd by 2035.
Saudi Arabian oil output would be 10.9 million bpd by 2015, the IEA said, 10.6 million bpd in 2020 but would rise to 12.3 million bpd by 2035.
That would see the world relying increasingly on OPEC after 2020 as, in addition to increases from Saudi Arabia, Iraq will account for 45 percent of the growth in global oil production to 2035 and become the second-largest exporter, overtaking Russia.
OPEC's share of world oil production will rise to 48 percent from 42 percent now.
Russian oil output, which over the past decade has been steadily above Saudi Arabia, is predicted to stay flat at over 10 million bpd until 2020, when it will start to decline to reach just above 9 million bpd by 2035.
"Russia, which remains the largest individual energy exporter throughout the period, sees its revenues from oil, natural gas and coal exports rise from $380 billion in 2011 to $410 billion in 2035," the IEA said.
The U.S. oil boom would accelerate a switch in the direction of international oil trade, the IEA said, predicting that by 2035 almost 90 percent of oil from the Middle East would be drawn to Asia.
ENERGY DEMAND GROWS BY THIRD
The report assumes a huge expansion in the Chinese economy, which it saw overtaking the United States in purchasing power parity soon after 2015 and by 2020 using market exchange rates. Chinese real gross domestic product is expected to increase by 5.7 percent annually between 2011 and 2035.
A rise of 1.8 billion in the world's population to 8.6 billion would lead to a spike in global oil demand by more than a 10th to over 99 million bpd by 2035, keeping pressure on oil prices, the IEA said.
The agency's central "New Policies" scenario, which assumes a range of measures are taken to curb oil consumption in Europe, the United States, China and elsewhere, sees the average import cost of oil rise to just over $215 per barrel by 2035 in nominal terms, or $125 in 2011 terms.
If fewer steps are taken to promote renewable energy and curb carbon dioxide emissions, oil was likely to exceed $250 per barrel in nominal terms by 2035 and reach $145 in real terms -- almost level with the record highs seen four years ago.
The share of coal in primary energy demand will fall only slightly by 2035.
Fossil fuels in general will remain dominant in the global energy mix, supported by subsidies that, in 2011, jumped by almost 30 percent to $523 billion, due mainly to increases in the Middle East and North Africa.
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