Thread: Our Energy Problems

New oil refineries throughout the world are being built in response to the increased demand for oil.

Iran Builds 7 Refineries To Boost Capacity - Oil and Gas * Energy * News * Story - MSNBC.com

Iran is constructing seven refineries in an effort to boost its crude and gas refining capacity by more than 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), a senior oil official was quoted as saying on Saturday.

12b yuan boost for Xinjiang refinery

the CNPC has also constructed big projects in the northeast, northwest and southern regions to increase its refining capacity. Its first large refining project in Guangxi in the south is 90 percent complete. CNPC expects to raise its crude production by 1 million tons and natural gas output by 11.5 billion cubic meters in 2008.

Iraq’s Kurdistan region signs an unknown number of new oil deals… at Iraq Oil Report

Saudi Arabia plans royal treatment for heavy crude - MarketWatch

"Indeed we are building more refineries that will refine Saudi crude; much of this will be heavy sour crude," said a Public Relationship specialist at Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil producer. "We can say that we will continue to satisfy both domestic and world demand."

Europe is also developing more coal plants.


Europe, and especially Germany, are banking on coal - Los Angeles Times

Plans are on the books to build 40 major coal-fired power stations across Europe in the next five years. Germany, which, like Spain, Italy and others, is swearing off nuclear power, plans to build 27 coal-fired stations by 2020. Many of them will be fueled by lignite, the soft "brown" coal that can emit a ton of carbon dioxide for every ton of fuel burned.

And then there is nuclear power


British government approves new nuclear power plants - International Herald Tribune

The British government on Thursday approved the construction of new nuclear power stations, signaling a new enthusiasm for atomic energy after years in which the industry stagnated in much of Europe

RPT-FACTBOX-New nuclear power plants | Reuters

To date, 439 nuclear power plants are in operation and 34 are under construction, according to figures from the International Atomic Energy Agency

So why is it, that it is acceptable for oil refineries, coal and nuclear plants to be built everywhere else, but not in the U.S.? Whether you believe in GW hysteria or not, it is hard to deny the energy problems we are facing. Gas is continually going up, and people are feeling the effects. While I agree that we should be researching and and developing new energy sources, shouldn't we deal with the problems we are facing now?

Originally Posted by mjdsr

New oil refineries throughout the world are being built in response to the increased demand for oil.

Iran Builds 7 Refineries To Boost Capacity - Oil and Gas * Energy * News * Story - MSNBC.com


12b yuan boost for Xinjiang refinery


Iraq’s Kurdistan region signs an unknown number of new oil deals… at Iraq Oil Report

Saudi Arabia plans royal treatment for heavy crude - MarketWatch




Europe is also developing more coal plants.


Europe, and especially Germany, are banking on coal - Los Angeles Times



And then there is nuclear power


British government approves new nuclear power plants - International Herald Tribune


RPT-FACTBOX-New nuclear power plants | Reuters


So why is it, that it is acceptable for oil refineries, coal and nuclear plants to be built everywhere else, but not in the U.S.? Whether you believe in GW hysteria or not, it is hard to deny the energy problems we are facing. Gas is continually going up, and people are feeling the effects. While I agree that we should be researching and and developing new energy sources, shouldn't we deal with the problems we are facing now?

Between 1945 and 2000, we had an unlimited cheap supply of oil. Now the Saudiis know they only 50 years worth of oil to sell left. So as oil becomes less of something that's lying around and you throw it in a barrell, reality has come up and bitten us in the ass, and it's not letting go. So we are paying for the lack of vision amongst the oil companies who have been shelving green advances, such as electric cars, several high mileage engines and so forth because they never thought we'd need them.

And there are too many humans, that will cause us to adapt quicker, or become extinct

Originally Posted by Goldwater

Between 1945 and 2000, we had an unlimited cheap supply of oil. Now the Saudiis know they only 50 years worth of oil to sell left. So as oil becomes less of something that's lying around and you throw it in a barrell, reality has come up and bitten us in the ass, and it's not letting go. So we are paying for the lack of vision amongst the oil companies who have been shelving green advances, such as electric cars, several high mileage engines and so forth because they never thought we'd need them.

And there are too many humans, that will cause us to adapt quicker, or become extinct

I agree that we need to find new technologies, and we need to ultimately get off of oil. But what are we supposed to do in the mean time? If oil, coal, and nuclear are really that bad, why all the new refineries?

Originally Posted by mjdsr

New oil refineries throughout the world are being built in response to the increased demand for oil.

Iran Builds 7 Refineries To Boost Capacity - Oil and Gas * Energy * News * Story - MSNBC.com


12b yuan boost for Xinjiang refinery


Iraq’s Kurdistan region signs an unknown number of new oil deals… at Iraq Oil Report

Saudi Arabia plans royal treatment for heavy crude - MarketWatch




Europe is also developing more coal plants.


Europe, and especially Germany, are banking on coal - Los Angeles Times



And then there is nuclear power


British government approves new nuclear power plants - International Herald Tribune


RPT-FACTBOX-New nuclear power plants | Reuters


So why is it, that it is acceptable for oil refineries, coal and nuclear plants to be built everywhere else, but not in the U.S.? Whether you believe in GW hysteria or not, it is hard to deny the energy problems we are facing. Gas is continually going up, and people are feeling the effects. While I agree that we should be researching and and developing new energy sources, shouldn't we deal with the problems we are facing now?

Who is stopping them from being built in the US? The first answer that comes to mind would be oil company investors not wanting to cut into their pofits.

Originally Posted by Goldwater

Between 1945 and 2000, we had an unlimited cheap supply of oil. Now the Saudiis know they only 50 years worth of oil to sell left. So as oil becomes less of something that's lying around and you throw it in a barrell, reality has come up and bitten us in the ass, and it's not letting go. So we are paying for the lack of vision amongst the oil companies who have been shelving green advances, such as electric cars, several high mileage engines and so forth because they never thought we'd need them.

And there are too many humans, that will cause us to adapt quicker, or become extinct

We've been bitching about no new nuclear plants and refineries for the last twenty five years. This isn't a surprise to anyway. Everyone knew this day was coming, but our politicians went in a different direction.

Originally Posted by Think for myself

Who is stopping them from being built in the US? The first answer that comes to mind would be oil company investors not wanting to cut into their pofits.

government regulation and environmental resistors.

Originally Posted by Think for myself

Who is stopping them from being built in the US? The first answer that comes to mind would be oil company investors not wanting to cut into their pofits.

The first answer that came to your mind was incorrect.

I read in an interview with a Dutch Royal Shell executive (forgot his name) that the main reason for these prices is US destruction of Iraq which resulted in Iraqi production dwindling to 1/5 of it's daily potential, Russia's restrictive measures that are halting major drilling in Siberia, etc.

Russia announced that it will soon open it's own oil bourse that would trade in euros, following what Iran already did. This means that two major world suppliers of oil will renounce US dollar as it's trading currency. Since dollar doesn't have a real economy backing it's value but relies primarily on US held oil trade monopoly, impact on US dollar and economy are and will be huge.

What America is experiencing is just the beginning. Europe will not find itself under such threat because it still has huge markets in developing countries and a guaranteed supplier that can meet all it's energy needs in Russia.

Originally Posted by mjdsr

I agree that we need to find new technologies, and we need to ultimately get off of oil. But what are we supposed to do in the mean time? If oil, coal, and nuclear are really that bad, why all the new refineries?

Supply and demand - while the demand is at al all time high they will build refineries until they meet that demand with supply. If that means that we run out of oil in 20 years instead of 50 who cares - so long as the time when we run out is someone else's problem.

Originally Posted by tagurit

government regulation and environmental resistors.

Really? Show me the proposed refinery that was stopped due to the reasons you listed.