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Conley
11-16-2011, 10:43 AM
ZAWIYAH, Libya — The bullet holes in the oil tanks have been patched, the damaged backup generator is being repaired, and most important, the pipeline that feeds the giant oil refinery here has been reopened.

Oil production is quickly being restored in Zawiyah and around the country, in large part because both the Qaddafi regime and the former rebels, now the interim leaders of Libya, took pains to avoid permanently crippling the country’s most important industry during their six-month civil war.

“Qaddafi wanted to keep the refinery going because he needed the fuel, and the rebels wanted the refinery safe because it belongs to the Libyan people,” said Khaled Rashed, shift coordinator at the Zawiyah refinery’s control room.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/business/global/oil-production-rises-quickly-in-libyan-fields.html

This is good news for our economy at least. They're aren't back to full production and corruption is a problem, but if the shit hits the fan with Iran and Israel it'll be nice to know Libya is still pumping out that black gold. 8)

Mister D
11-16-2011, 11:01 AM
ZAWIYAH, Libya — The bullet holes in the oil tanks have been patched, the damaged backup generator is being repaired, and most important, the pipeline that feeds the giant oil refinery here has been reopened.

Oil production is quickly being restored in Zawiyah and around the country, in large part because both the Qaddafi regime and the former rebels, now the interim leaders of Libya, took pains to avoid permanently crippling the country’s most important industry during their six-month civil war.

“Qaddafi wanted to keep the refinery going because he needed the fuel, and the rebels wanted the refinery safe because it belongs to the Libyan people,” said Khaled Rashed, shift coordinator at the Zawiyah refinery’s control room.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/business/global/oil-production-rises-quickly-in-libyan-fields.html

This is good news for our economy at least. They're aren't back to full production and corruption is a problem, but if the shit hits the fan with Iran and Israel it'll be nice to know Libya is still pumping out that black gold. 8)


It would be nice to know we're looking elsewhere (the US for example) in addition to funding research into alternative fuels.

Conley
11-16-2011, 11:02 AM
Definitely. There's still plenty of oil, the problem is just that it's expensive and funds terrorism and despots. >:(

Mister D
11-16-2011, 11:05 AM
Definitely. There's still plenty of oil, the problem is just that it's expensive and funds terrorism and despots. >:(


True. Offshore would be nice.

Conley
11-16-2011, 11:14 AM
When you compare the effects of the War in Iraq versus Deepwater Horizon it does seem like a no-brainer, doesn't it?

Peter1469
11-16-2011, 11:49 AM
The research is done if the answer is what can replace oil today.

18th century chemical engineering has the answer, alcohol fuels. The original model t ran off alcohol. Then came prohibition.

Of course there is research into modern processes to more effectively make alcohol fuels, but they will mature in time.

The key is to open up the transportation fuel market to other energy sources than oil based sources.

Mister D
11-16-2011, 11:51 AM
Good points all, guys.

Conley
11-16-2011, 11:54 AM
I really don't think we're all that far away from viable alternatives. Twenty years tops, less if oil spikes and stays high. The Chinese are doing a lot of work on it, it'll be nice for us to reverse engineer their tech instead of the other way around :D

In my mind the biggest obstacle to alternative energy isn't the technology, it's building the infrastructure and moving our economy and the powers that be away from oil. That is going to take a much longer time. :-\

Mister D
11-16-2011, 11:56 AM
I really don't think we're all that far away from viable alternatives. Twenty years tops, less if oil spikes and stays high. The Chinese are doing a lot of work on it, it'll be nice for us to reverse engineer their tech instead of the other way around :D

In my mind the biggest obstacle to alternative energy isn't the technology, it's building the infrastructure and moving our economy and the powers that be away from oil. That is going to take a much longer time. :-\


Agreed. Peter has talked about that a lot as I recall.

Peter1469
11-16-2011, 12:07 PM
20 years? I say much less than that.

http://www.permaculture.com/ Find the stations near you that offer an alternative to gasoline.

If Congress passed one law and stepped back, the free market would take over and end the oil monopoly within a decade.

"All new cars sold in the US must be able to run off 100% gas, 100% methanol, 100% ethanol, or any complication by 2013." There is no new technology to achieve this goal- it can be done for an additional $200-500 per vehicle.

Considering that alcohol fuel is significantly cheaper than current gas prices (after factoring the mpg difference) this can only be a good thing for America.


And if we wanted to use this for national security interests we could totally eliminate the need for oil. You can even replace your personal lubrication products with an alcohol alternative. This would eliminate our national security interest for anything in the Middle East. It would end the need for wars in that region (with us involved that is) and it would let us allow them to wallow in 7th century levels of poverty for the foreseeable future. That my friends would be karma coming home to roost.

Peter1469
11-16-2011, 12:09 PM
Just think what we could say to the Saudi ambassador when he asks for our assistance: Saudi Arabia? Never heard of it. Get the hell out of my office you camel jockey.

Conley
11-16-2011, 12:12 PM
20 years? I say much less than that.

http://www.permaculture.com/ Find the stations near you that offer an alternative to gasoline.

If Congress passed one law and stepped back, the free market would take over and end the oil monopoly within a decade.

"All new cars sold in the US must be able to run off 100% gas, 100% methanol, 100% ethanol, or any complication by 2013." There is no new technology to achieve this goal- it can be done for an additional $200-500 per vehicle.

Considering that alcohol fuel is significantly cheaper than current gas prices (after factoring the mpg difference) this can only be a good thing for America.


And if we wanted to use this for national security interests we could totally eliminate the need for oil. You can even replace your personal lubrication products with an alcohol alternative. This would eliminate our national security interest for anything in the Middle East. It would end the need for wars in that region (with us involved that is) and it would let us allow them to wallow in 7th century levels of poverty for the foreseeable future. That my friends would be karma coming home to roost.


Yes, when I say 20 years I am thinking more along the lines of solar power. As far as alocohol goes I don't think there's enough vegetable matter to produce all that would be needed right now, but it is very enticing. Perhaps as the process becomes more efficient.

We know if the government backed out of it the free market could take it over, but what are the chances of that? None and slim, and slim just left town :(.

Your last point is a great one ;D To paraphrase Syriana, a hundred years ago they were living in tents out in the desert chopping each other's heads off, and that's where they'll be a hundred years from now.

Peter1469
11-16-2011, 12:26 PM
As far as alcohol production goes you don't have to rely solely on vegetable matter. We can use waste products from our landfills. That would eliminate up to 90% of our non-metallic waste products.

Mister D
11-16-2011, 12:26 PM
Just think what we could say to the Saudi ambassador when he asks for our assistance: Saudi Arabia? Never heard of it. Get the hell out of my office you camel jockey.


:smiley_ROFLMAO: