The conflict between North and South Sudan is rapidly deteriorating amid talk of war. The South last Friday and Saturday reportedly shut in 900 oil wells and signed a deal with Kenya to construct a new pipeline that would divert exports away from the North. “What the South will pay to ship oil north to Port Sudan is the divisive matter at present. Eighty percent of Sudan’s oil reserves are in the South. The newly created South Sudan initially offered one dollar per barrel — the standard international rate — and a one-time cash transfer of $2.6 billion to help with the North’s budget deficit. Khartoum refused the offer, demanding $36 per barrel.” [Foreign Affairs]
The nascent US offshore wind industry took a step forward with the announcement that Alstom will supply five 6MW turbines for the 30-megawatt Block Island Wind Farm, located about three miles off the coast of Block Island, R.I. Total costs were not disclosed, but Deepwater Wind made an “initial multi-million dollar payment” in December 2013, that ensures the project will qualify for a federal tax credit. “Deepwater Wind’s multi-million dollar payment to begin manufacturing our project’s 15 blades ensures that our project will qualify for the federal Investment Tax Credit,” the company’s CEO Jeffrey Grybowski said. “When combined with engineering and permitting work we already completed, we’re confident this payment puts us significantly over the required 5 percent ‘safe harbor’ for the ITC.” [Deepwater Wind]
The EIA yesterday released an update to its mapping tool that allows users to see the location of producing offshore and onshore natural gas and crude oil wells. “EIA’s expanded mapping tool shows offshore and onshore wells in areas where crude oil and natural gas production is being developed. This includes areas like Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Texas where crude oil and natural gas development in shale basins has increased significantly in recent years. With the release of this tool, the public, policymakers, energy experts and other stakeholders can easily track oil and natural gas field development over time.” [EIA]
