GLG News in Energy & Industrials

Piracy in the Gulf of Aden is impacting the bottom line of shipowners. Owners may increase rates to offset added cost.

When you read the first three words above,  you would normally think a US carrier world you not? Apparently the airline service contagion has now reached Australia's shores. What a pity.

Of all the potential cellulosic and agricultural feedstocks, algae is one of the most promising for two reasons;     1. It has the highest oil content yield, more than corn, switchgrass and even palm oil and the oil is realively easy to extract.     2. Algae does not compete with food supply in any way. In fact the dried algae cake which results after oil extraction...

There is an interesting dichotomy in how most Americans, both the public and the leadership, address alternative energy.  We mouth the rhetoric of "there's no one answer" to replacing present energy conversion and then are as petulant as a child who got underwear instead of a bicycle for Christmas, when we don't get the one answer.  This goes for thin film solar photovoltaic technology. ...

Senior Economics Editor Marilyn Radler and Statistics Editor Laura Bell reported in the September 15 issue of the Oil & Gas Journal that the 147 companies that make up the OGJ 200 recorded a decline in earnings last year. Greater expenses caused net income to fall by 2.5% even as revenue increased by 7%. Inflation in labor, equipment ands supplies caused the profit shortfall. Total assets of the...

The Oil & Gas Journal reported in the September 15 issue that Chevron has begun natural gas production from its $7.3 billion project in Garfield County, Colorado. Gas is produced from the Williams formation of the Cretaceous. On August 25, the company began running 5 million cubic feet/day through a 30 inch pipeline. Eighty-two wells have been drilled with two rigs. Eventually from 2,000 to 3,000...

Jad Mouawad in New York reported in the September 23 issue of the International Herald Tribune that crude oil prices posted their largest one day gains on Monday. The price rose more than $25/bbl as investors rushed into commodities. The government mulled a bail out plan to save the financial system. The final hour of trading was wild with futures surging as high as $130/bbl. The dollar also weakened,...

Despite a horrendous housing market, solar powered installations on homes, especially new ones, are becoming a measurable market niche.  This trend is being noted in mainstream homebuilder publications like housingzone.com, which has until now treated solar as something way into the future.  It remains to be seen how many remaining builders will take advantage of a market that for new US...

In the Paul Newman movie "The Private War of Harry Frigg", an opening scene has a bunch of generals in a steam room arguing over a map where the enemy is.  After a few minutes, the enemy shows up at the door and takes the toweled lot away.  So is the argument over what's worse, climate change or energy security.  While we quibble, they threaten to merge and crash into our steam room....

Just when you think it's over, and the US solar and wind industries will have to scramble to finish 2008 installations and sweat out 2009 inactivity, Congress has passed fairly close versions of solar and wind power incentives that promise to be at least an adequate patch over to next year, and possibly the beginning of something of a strategic policy.  The offshore drilling issue, a major bone...