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If you are looking for respite from news of bombings, threats to ancient civilizations, becalmed oil tankers, rising prices, disputes about who can go to which toilets, and sex scandals among the rich and famous, consider these stories that matter for energy folk who would have otherwise noticed but might have been distracted by all the other stuff. Nuclear reactor price—As part of the tariff dispute last year, Japan was strong-armed into announcing billions of dollars of new investments in the USA. As part of the deal, GE Hitachi will partner…
Governments worldwide are racing to find a solution to contend with the severe energy shortages brought about by the war in Iran and the ongoing Middle East conflict. For some, this means accelerating the deployment of renewable energy, which is likely to be a longer-term solution. For others, it means relying on stockpiles of crude, while the oil trade remains limited. And, for many, it means using any type of energy available, including coal. Several countries have reduced their reliance on coal in recent years in favour of oil, gas, and renewable…
A widespread myth in energy circles is that U.S. refineries are “unable” to process the light, sweet crude produced by the shale boom. The claim tends to surface whenever gasoline prices rise or energy independence becomes a talking point. The argument is usually that the U.S. is producing record volumes of oil, yet still imports crude because its refineries were built for heavier foreign barrels. It’s a compelling narrative, but it’s mostly wrong. U.S. refineries can and do process shale crude every day. The issue isn’t…
No country was more prepared for the war in Iran than China. As the rest of Asia reels from oil and gas shortages due to the Iran War, Beijing is sitting pretty thanks to its vast stores of crude oil and its enormous clean energy infrastructure. China has been building up its domestic clean energy sector faster than any other country on Earth at the same time that it has been stockpiling massive amounts of surplus oil and gas, all in anticipation of a major geopolitical disruption just like the one we’re seeing now. As a result, China is…
Key European Union oil and gas groups will hold meetings this week as countries around the bloc scramble to deal with the impact of the US-Israel-led war with Iran on energy prices and supplies. European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told a news briefing on April 7 the oil coordination group will meet on April 8, while the gas group will convene the following day. The EU is facing energy-saving measures such as reduced air travel, highway speed limits, and work-from-home directives as the war has resulted in the blockage…
