Fuel

Natural Gas Exports: ‘Whats the Rush?’ Asks Dow

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The debate over natural gas exports from the US has broken out of the energy sector and begun to raise temperatures across the political spectrum, with a high profile Congressional hearing this week underlining the stakes at play in a Department of Energy policy decision on the economic standing of natural gas export projects.

Despite being painted as absolutely opposed to exports of domestically produced natural gas and its position as a leader in the manufacturing sector’s opposition to unrestricted approval of export projects, Dow Chemical actually favors exports to free trade partners but is concerned about the impacts of unchecked exports to non free trade countries, the company’s Vice President for Government and Public Affairs Kevin Kolevar told Breaking Energy in a recent briefing. Keep reading →

 /  Published February 6, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Ending Corn Ethanol Subsidies Not Just an Oil Industry Fight

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The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a federal policy requiring that ethanol be blended into the U.S. gasoline supply at annually increasing amounts, has been touted by the biofuels industry as the solution to a myriad of energy woes. But in the seven years since the policy was enacted, the RFS has failed to meet its goals of protecting the environment and reducing dependence on foreign oil. It has and is forcing Americans to pay more for fuel, and it has raised food prices around the world. And yet, ethanol lobbying groups continue to argue on behalf of the policy, armed with an array of invalid claims:

Myth: “Oil is the cause of casualties abroad and economic volatility at home.” Keep reading →

 /  Published January 31, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Rocket Engine Maker Commissions Fuel Cell In Ongoing Effort to Help Conserve Energy

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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR), a rocket engine maker based in California, celebrated another milestone in its effort to conserve energy and reduce waste with the commissioning of United Technology Corp.’s first operational large (400kW) fuel cell in the San Fernando Valley.

About 35 people attended the Jan. 9 event at PWR’s headquarters in Canoga Park, including Los Angeles City County Councilman Dennis Zine and representatives from California state assemblyman Bob Blumenfield’s office; the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; and Southern California Gas Company. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 30, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Debunking Five Myths about Alternative Fuels

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Few innovations hold more promise than alternative fuels. The prospect of driving our cars on clean, renewable fuel has tremendous appeal. Yet few technologies have had more hype and disappointment than biofuels. And given all the fits and starts in the renewable fuel category it’s easy to be skeptical about the future of biofuel. Today, there is reason to renew hope. The breakthrough innovations we have all been waiting for to make clean, renewable fuel are finally becoming reality. Here is a look at five myths surrounding biofuels that can now be debunked based on new thinking and new technological advancements:

Myth #1: Producing biofuel takes valuable food out of the food supply and is inefficient use of farm land. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 25, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Everyone Knows Its Price, But How Much do You Really Know About Gasoline?

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Your favorite Exxon station is very likely not owned or operated by Exxon and the same is true for the rest of the major oil companies. The Chevron’s and BP’s of the world largely distanced themselves from the branded retail gasoline business following the mega-mergers of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s due to financial and regulatory factors.

In fact, these businesses – that most people still refer to as gas stations – are now thought of by the industry as convenience stores that sell motor fuels. The downstream segment – refining and marketing – of the oil and gas business has been marginally profitable for decades. But the vertically integrated model first championed by John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil remains attractive to the majors because owning refineries provides a guaranteed market for their often highly-profitable upstream businesses of finding and developing oil and gas. The upstream was often thought of as subsidizing the downstream, as Steve Coll described it in his book about ExxonMobil, “Private Empire.” Keep reading →

 /  Published January 24, 2013 at 2:00 PM

Petroleum Engineers in High Demand

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The sluggish economy has many workers anxious about job security. Yet despite the nation’s high 7.8 percent unemployment rate, there are careers out there with jobless rates so low as to nearly guarantee a job to anyone qualified to work in those fields.

 /  Published January 24, 2013 at 12:30 PM

Biofuels Business: Accelerating History

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The development cycles for projects using established technology are famously lengthy in the energy sector, while the length of time it takes for new technology to be developed and brought to commercial scale runs to decades, if not longer.

The advanced biofuels business, lent a generous mandate by US politicians against the background of fears over energy security and rising oil prices in the middle of the last decade, has managed to accelerate the development cycle to a degree that would have been unimaginable a decade ago, representatives for the industry said on a call with reporters recently. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 22, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Oil Sands Development, Increasing Pollution Levels Linked

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Oil sands producers found themselves in the midst of a fresh attack from the environmental community when a new study released Monday identified levels of oil sands-related contamination that appear to have intensified since the beginning of commercial development to present day. Core samples extracted from 6 regional lakes showed the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons up to 50 miles north of Fort McMurray, Alberta – the hub of oil sands mining activity.

“Our research tells a consistent story of increased contaminants and ecological change that has occurred in the region since industrial development of bitumen resources began,” Joshua Kurek, a postdoctoral fellow at Queen’s University, Department of Biology is quoted as saying on the university’s website. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 10, 2013 at 8:00 AM

Cheapest Cars to Fuel

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If you’re looking to save money on driving there’s no question that going electric will, almost always, save you money. According to EPA estimates, plug-in cars cost less to fuel — often much less — than gasoline or diesel powered cars.

 /  Published January 3, 2013 at 12:30 PM

Shell Statement – Kulluk Response

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Shell can confirm its Arctic-class drillship, The Kulluk, grounded on the southeast shoreline of Sitkalidak Island, Alaska, at approximately 9 p.m. local time on December 31, 2012, while under tow in heavy seas from Alaska to the U.S. port of Seattle, Washington State. There has been no loss of life and no significant injuries as a result of this incident and Shell is working hard with the relevant authorities to protect the maritime environment in the vicinity of the grounded vessel.

 /  Published January 2, 2013 at 11:15 AM
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