Contributing Member of the Energy & Industrials Councils

All News Analyses by this Author

Thorium Geological abundant

June 3, 2009

Analysis of:ANNOUNCEMENT——2009 International Workshop on Thorium Utilization for Sustainable Nuclear Energy (TU2009) | tu2009inbaotouchina.blogspot.com

The chart below demonstrates the worldwide abundance of minable thorium. The problem has been market. Thorium based reactor programs have been conducted by Germany,Japan,USA,Russia and India. The programs have been active for over 30 years . The thorium based reactors produce isotope byproducts which are not weapons grade. The nonproliferation of fissionable weapons grade material is a key driver for the program. Major identified monazite thorium deposits are available world wide and economic exploitation is determined by lack of demand not lack of resources. Estimated world thorium resources1   (Reasonably assured and inferred resources recoverable at up to US$80/kg Th) Country Tonnes % of total Australia 452,000 18 USA 400,000 16 Turkey 344,000 13 India 319,000 12 Venezuela 300,000 12 Brazil 302,000 12 Norway 132,000 5                          

E and P reality check ?

May 7, 2009

Analysis of:Colo. lawmakers approve landmark oil, gas rules | www.sfgate.com

The drilling activity in the Rockies has declined over 50% versus this time last year. The commodity price for Rockies gas is discounted from Henry Hub price (transportation and other issues). The unconventional resources coal bed methane, tight gas and infill drilling programs are marginal at present prices. Regulatory impediments to development only contribute to a poor economic situation. Colorado law makers will exasperate economic situation and State tax revenue will decline. Energy jobs will also fall and a return to the late 1980"s morbid energy employment slump will result. Major independent producers have announced the shut down of drilling in Wyoming and Colorado. The traditional boom and bust cycle is upon us and the lack of foresight by industry and regulators is appalling. The idea is to learn for your mistakes, in this instance we are repeating history. Major reductions of energy workers from producers and service industry will only prepare ground for next boom.

Nuclear waste issue + bad geology+ political correctness=poor federal decissions

April 22, 2009

Analysis of:It's time for the Administration to Reconsider Nuclear Power | www.pennwellblogs.com

The waste disposal issue has been a fiasco todate. Yucca Mountain disposal site is not ideal. The and majority of radioactive waste is stored on the surface at the reactor site. The situation is a poor compomise at best, a environmental timebomb at worst. The best solution may be "storing " the waste " material in bed evaporite deposits. The mined out sylvite(potassium Chloride) beded deposits New Mexico for example. Bedded evaportie deposits offer many geolgical advantages compared to Yucca Mountain 1) evaporites by geological definition prove no presence of water 2) evaporite deposits are "plastic " and are capable of self healing any potential breach 3) beded evaporite deposits are located in many geolgically stable areas(earthquakes/faulting 4) large areas of abandoned mining operations which are still water free post mining 5) potential sites are located in low population density areas 6) geographic area with sound geology is large7)Trona mined out  area Wyoming potential site

Poor Geological results or commodity price ?

January 21, 2009

Analysis of:Callon halts Entrada field development in GoM | www.offshore-mag.com

low commodity prices or "poor geology" ?

Uninformed Geolgy /geophysics again !

July 7, 2008

Analysis of:Companies begin quest for oil, gas off Fla. coast | hosted.ap.org

The Eastern GOM is a gas province. The producing fields providing gas for Independence hub are dry gas fields. The leases were taken under a compromise between the Bush administration and Florida,Mississippi and La. The result was known as  Federal sale 181. The original published resources from various sources suggested that resulting discoveries would be small and not economic. The facts reveal otherwise as creative techniques has resulted in major gas production from the area. The public needs to understand the differences between resource and economic recoverable reserves. The estimates are just estimates with the proven only known by drilling and analysis of all geologic data. Prudoe Bay has grown for early estimates of 6 Billion Barrels recoverable to approximately 14Billion recoverable barrels. The country needs a comprehensive Energy Policy not a Energy Bill. We must act in a scientific practical manner working all aspects of the problem. 

Uninformed Geolgy /geophysics again !

July 7, 2008

Analysis of:Companies begin quest for oil, gas off Fla. coast | hosted.ap.org

Energy Policy vs Energy Bill, geologic reality versus media hype:

Ditto on supply issue , geologic ,economic non-event

March 3, 2008

Analysis of:Cheniere Energy May Sell Massive LNG Terminal | www.forbes.com

The major players have been holding onto significant non- producing international gas fields for years. Location of these major resources is the key. New entrants may have been naive believing in the published world wide stranded gas reserve numbers. The bulk of those reserves are either spoken for or in locations which are inaccessible. A simple economic cutoff of 5TCF proven eliminates many of the so called standed gas fields from consideration as LNG candidates. The major player from historical prospective have contracts for the deposits most favorable for LNG projects. The notion that major dry gas fields are lying fallow awaiting USA LNG markets is probably overstated. LNG supply logistics is like housing " location, location , location".

Bio Hype , Mass Balance Equation

February 4, 2008

Analysis of:Turning fat into fuel - ConocoPhillips, Tyson Food team up to process tallow into diesel | www.amarillo.com

Bio fuels suffer from a simple law of nature, Total Energy out versus Energy -in. The synthetic fuels issue is a niche play as the magnitude of energy consumed is of such great magnitude that ethanol and other forms of synthetic fuels cannot supply a significant portion of the demand curve. The costs and lack of energy efficiency makes for a non- event . The conversion of energy from one form to another always causes a net loss of energy. The result is that unless supply from conventional sources are unavailable ( Germany World War Two ) for example synthetic fuels fill niches (political) . The cost in 1940 dollars for Germany approached one hundred dollars per barrel in 1940 dollars ! The allies were more like 2-3 dollars per barrel. Politics rather than science and economics is driving the present program.

Hydrates, Old idea revisited

December 27, 2007

Analysis of:Japan Mines `Flammable Ice,' Flirts With Environmental Disaster | www.bloomberg.com

The gas hydrate question has been investigate by the oil and gas industry for many years. Canada, USA and USSR conducted numerous pilot projects to recover gas hydrates at economic rates. The potential resource is large and the deposits can be located on modern seismic data via direct detection methods. The projects to date have all been economic failures and science projects. The critical issue is not geologic but engineering issues are complex. The burning issue is can these vast deposits located in many portions of the world be exploited at an economic rate. The production methods and hardware for potential production is in the infancy stage despite years of industry and government sponsored efforts.

Energy Policy or Energy Bill ?

June 19, 2007

Analysis of:Energy Bill Faces Battle | online.wsj.com

The problem is basic and not addressed by Energy Bill. The USA is the only Western Country without an energy policy. The USA is a Energy Bill generator that is piece meal and does not attack the core issues. The problem is simple , the solutions difficult. The proposed Bill as with all Energy Bills prior to much " pork" and non integrated approach to the basic problem ( supply demand imbalance ). The nation would be better served by a " full Monty" approach. The supply side, conservation , alternate energy, need to work in a coordinated effort to solve our domestic energy problems. The Manhattan project and the integration of science and American industry partnerships won World War Two. We need to establish a similar approach to solving American energy issues and stop the political, piecemeal, pork barrel policy deemed an " energy bill". The bills provide political gains and seldom solve anything of importance. The nation has done little to protect itself against energy disruptions .  

Page : 11 to 10 of 10