Energy News

Europe Struggles Unsuccessfully To Evade Russian Energy

New fashion mode when world reverts to barbarism.
Elaine Meinel Supkis

Even though world oil prices dropped below record highs, it is still much higher than two years ago. All oil comes with a political price tag or in America's case, drenched in blood. Outside of the USA and Russia, most oil pumping nations don't have huge nuclear arsenals and ballistic missiles. The new balance of energy power has shifted to Russia, a land that bristles with nukes ready to fire.

Italy scrambles to find new sources of energy only to discover Russia has been there first and taken all the prizes.

Mark Beunderman, EU Observer
Italy has sounded the alarm over Russia's recent energy deal with Algeria, amid fears that the Kremlin is undermining the EU's strategy of seeking less energy dependency on Moscow.

Russia's state-owned energy firms Gazprom and Lukoil in August announced they would clinch a co-operation deal with Algeria's state energy firm Sonatrach, in a move which directly challenges EU plans to boost gas imports from Algeria in order to decrease dependency on Russian supplies.

...The commission together with Mr Solana made clear in a paper published in June that the EU should seek less energy dependency on Moscow - which supplies around a quarter of Europe's gas and oil - following a dramatic Russian gas supply cut in January.

Putin tried to be friends with Bush only this made his life hell. Things were going very badly when the President and Prime Minister of China paid several historic, important visits which this blog has tediously detailed along with links to Xinhua News, the Chinese power-elite's primary website for their diplomatic deals.

I said at the time, the nouveau Chinoise art of standard diplomacy whereby the party wishing to get something from someone acted pleasant, proper and rolled out red carpets would pay off handsomely. The USA is involved in childish shouting matches with various mischievous leaders of much, much tinier countries that have no nukes while nuclear China successfully courts nuclear/oil power, Russia. All of Europe trembles with fear because they indulged in quite a bit of Russia-bashing when they thought Russia was going bankrupt.

Now, all that comes back to haunt them as they gingerly try to alternately placate or defy Putin. Japan is following the exact same path, alternately begging Russia and then slapping wildly at Russia, giving no ground nor giving any honor or prestige!

The USA has done the worst: open and frequent insults, criticisms and denial of wishes. In return, Russia leans more and more towards China which has done all it can to please Russia and make good deals that are mutually beneficial.

Now, Putin knows of all the Chinese contacts in Africa and South America and he is following right in their footsteps, the dynamic diplomatic duo of Hu and Wen, and is tying up all the loose ends and working effectively to shut out Europe.

With a FOREX fund only a quarter the size of the Chinese, still, Russia's is bigger than the USA or many European countries and he is now out shopping.

By ARIANE BERNARD
Published: September 24, 2006
COMPIÈGNE, France, Sept. 23 — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia dismissed concerns over his country’s growing interest in the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company at a meeting here Saturday with his French and German counterparts.

“As far as the acquisition of a 5 percent stake is concerned, it is not at all evidence of aggressive behavior on the part of the Russian side,” Mr. Putin told reporters after discussions with President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany at Compiègne, north of Paris, that ranged from Russia’s handling of its energy resources to such diplomatic issues as Lebanon and Iran. “We will not use this stake to change in any way the institutional situation of EADS.”

China has already made it perfectly clear they will dominate the world ship building trade and they intend to take over automaking and then aeronautics as well as a most critical thing: rockets and ballistic missiles. Russia, once the world leader in rockets and up at the top on aeronautics, is working with China to regain mastery and this scares the USA which has decided to use the handy tool of whining like a whipped dog and snarling at allies, threatening them if they do business with the two nations that have jointly a good 1/3 of all FOREX funds.

This is a stupid thing to do. If we don't want them to go shopping all we have to do is stop shopping, ourselves and conserve oil. Duh. Like, in a rat's ass.

As diplomats and politicians manipulate oil prices by alternately talking about war in the Middle East and then chickening out over and over again is bankrupting more than one hedge fund group.

August 4 2006: 7:26 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- New York energy hedge fund MotherRock L.P. is closing down after suffering major losses in the natural gas market, according to a report published Friday.

MotherRock was one of the biggest hedge funds in New York trading natural gas futures, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The fund was formed early last year by former New York Mercantile Exchange President J. Robert Collins and gained 20 percent in 2005, the newspaper said.

MotherRock managed approximately $430 million in assets at its height in May, but movements in the natural gas market and investor redemptions led to big losses in June and July, the Journal said, citing a source close to the matter.

The only people making money on all this are world leaders who know what is going to happen next (Carlyle and Cheney spring to mind) and Russia and China's state planners. They are communists so they don't mind slitting the throats of a bunch of hedge fund mavens. This news will obviously amuse them no end. As the housing market goes bust so will many hedge funds that have made many an undeserving rich person richer.

Meanwhile, Bush and Blair talk wildly about running all our big fat SUVs on biofuel which is an insane, horrible dream.

BBC: Of course we all want greater energy security, and helping achieve the goals (however weak) of the Kyoto Protocol is surely a good thing.

However, biofuels - made by producing ethanol, an alcohol fuel made from maize, sugar cane, or other plant matter - may be a penny wise but pound foolish way of doing so.

*snip*

Food prices are already increasing. With just 10% of the world's sugar harvest being converted to ethanol, the price of sugar has doubled; the price of palm oil has increased 15% over the past year, with a further 25% gain expected next year.
Little wonder that many are calling biofuels "deforestation diesel", the opposite of the environmentally friendly fuel that all are seeking.

This is a great way to destroy the entire ecosystem. Our present lifestyle is doomed. I used to hang out in the Society for Creative Anachronism where I used to do strange things like run around fighting in steel plate armor and seeking armour at night wearing my mercenary wealth in the form of lots of jewelry. This jewelry mostly came from many distant lands like Syria, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, China, India and Africa. The photo illustrating this story shows one of my garb's outfits with a heavy belt of bronze, gold, turquoise, coins and bells as well as a silver filigree purse with burnished gems. This is our future.

Those with money will flaunt it and those without will be peasants and beggars. And everyone who thinks the rulers have great interest in making life confortable and happy for everyone should remember that the ruling elites of all cultures love to make life miserable and will and HAVE forbidden the use of chairs of all things---so they could sit on a throne while everyone else squats or stands.

This is why figuring out what to do with the information published in this news blog is so important.

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Russia Cancels Important Energy Deal With Japan

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Putin continues to play energy games. Russia is no longer the crippled giant but is now the biggest energy exporter in the world now that Saudi Arabia's vast oil fields are beginning to slow down. Japan is run by right wing nationalists who, along with Bush, are totally incapable of negotiating with anyone except in the most insulting ways possible. A big problem with Putin who demands respect.

So Putin slaps down Koizumi, hard.

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

MOSCOW--Japan's ambassador immediately protested Russia's decision Monday to suspend the Sakhalin II gas and oil project, telling the country's natural resources minister that the act was unjustified.

Two Japanese trading houses together own 45 percent of the development.

Russia's Natural Resources Ministry revoked the approval for Sakhalin II that was granted in 2003.

The decision is expected to suspend all project activities for the time being, possibly further delaying the project, which is already one year behind schedule. The latest target for the start of production and export of liquefied natural gas is 2008.

Beggars can't be choosers. Where is Japan getting its energy? Iran? This world-wide 'Go' game is most interesting. Japan is far from the USA and close to China and Russia, geographically speaking. And Japan has fought both Russia and then China in attempts at extending their own empire. So Koizumi's visits to the war shrine irritated not just the Chinese or the Koreans or all Asians who suffered under the Japanese sneering hordes but has also very gravely irritated Russia.

Japan and Russia have issues over various islands, too. As well as Japan hosting nuclear weapons aimed at Russia and China vis a vis the American military. All these issues are sensitive and very important and Japan thinks they don't matter. So instead of courting Russia or China, for that matter, Japan climbs on America's back and then makes faces at both countries. NAYYYY.

A very bad way of doing business! The USA is demanding Japan back us up as we perform circus tricks for Israel. Israeal stands ahead of Japan in the line-up for using American diplomacy and military equipment. Japan also has a problem about being at war with Russia and China, namely, they desperately need to do business with both countries.

This insanity should be easily resolved by Japan getting rid of the war criminal's son who is running foreign policy, Mr. Aso. But also severing military ties with the USA. Far from attacking Japan, Russia and China will then be pitched into competition with each other to see who could court Japan and entice them over in friendship treaties and buddy-buddy business deals!

If Hungary's government falls, these contracts will probably be terminated.

SOCHI - Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] guarantees the necessary natural gas supplies to Hungary and the country’s concerns over oil supplies have been also eased, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday.

A meeting between the president and Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany in the Black Sea resort of Sochi earlier in the day focused on trade and energy.

“The Hungarian government had certain concerns regarding oil supplies to the Hungarian market during my visit in February but this problem has been resolved,” Putin said at a joint news conference with the Hungarian premier after the meeting.

Putin watches political disorder on his borders and I expect him to warn the USA to not encourage thugs attacking the government and overturning it in a violent fascist coup.

And China gets closer and closer to breaking ranks with the USA over the issue of Iran, especially since Iran has successfully formed an alliance with many other non-aligned nations.

09-18) 04:00 PDT Beijing -- With Iran's nuclear enrichment program at the center of high-stakes multinational negotiations, China is in the awkward position of passing judgment in the U.N. Security Council on the very technology it helped the Islamic republic accumulate.

For more than a decade, starting in 1984, China aided Iran with its fledgling nuclear program. Although Beijing no longer is providing such assistance, Tehran's weapons program would be far less sophisticated had it not received significant Chinese help.

That assistance included training Iranian scientists, helping to build facilities, and direct military aid and hardware sales, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a Washington-based research group. China also supplied Iran's first nuclear reactor in 1991, in addition to hardware and support.

The President of Iran chastized America in front of the UN today. He did what I figured he would do: called for the USA to be disarmed. Called for UN inspectors to come in and investigate the world's biggest military organization, the very same one that has already dropped two nuclear bombs on two civilian cities as well as being at war right now with several Muslim nations.

This speech was a success. Bush's speech about bringing 'freedom' to Iran was frowned upon since the collapse of the elected government of Thailand and the threat of collapse of Hungary's elected government is giving everyone the chills.

And this is right on our own doorstep with Mexico going down the same path. Freedom means not having anything to lose, as Janis Joplin used to sing before she knocked herself out with drugs.

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Scientists Mimic Organic Method For Generating Solar Energy

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Research on new forms of renewable energy move ahead as funding increases. In Australia, Dr. D'Alessandro finds way of mimicking methodology leaves use to capture energy of the sun. India expands solar energy initiatives and 2,500 solar energy scientists meet this week in Dresden, Germany, to discuss research.

As always, it is best to go to Mother Nature to learn how to do things.

29 August, 2006

“A leaf is an amazingly cheap and efficient solar cell,” says Dr Deanna D’Alessandro, a postdoctoral researcher in the Molecular Electronics Group at the University of Sydney. “The best leaves can harvest 30 to 40 percent of the light falling on them. The best solar cells we can build are between 15 and 20 percent efficient, and expensive to make.”

“We’ve recreated some of the key systems that plants use in photosynthesis,” says Deanna.

Bacteria and green plants use photosynthesis to convert light energy into usable chemical energy. Wheel-shaped arrays of molecules called porphyrins collect light and transfer it to the hub where chemical reactions use the light energy to convert carbon dioxide into energy-rich sugar and oxygen.

“This process, which occurs in about 40 trillionths of a second is fundamental to photosynthesis and is at the base of the food chain for almost all life on Earth,” says Deanna.

“We have been able to construct synthetic porphyrins. More than 100 of them can be assembled around a tree-like core called a dendrimer to mimic the wheel-shaped arrangement in natural photosynthetic systems.”

After the initial panic when oil prices shot up right after the world's number one consumer of oil hit the Hubbert Oil Peak in America, during the seventies when everyone became suddenly aware of the need to develop sustainable energy systems, research and development of solar power went into the duldrums under Reagan's 'morning in America'. The entire nation became much stupider when it followed this senile man. Now we are following a brain damaged monkey with the usual attending lack of intelligence being shown, collectively.

Instead of leading the world on research and application of alternate energy systems, we decided to go around oil pumping nations, trying to create coups or outright invasions all of which have earned us well-deserved emnity. Back five years ago, I suggested our government should invest in a collective bank that would sponsor energy systems on everyone's roofs. After ten years, one would then pay for the system which would have a very low interest rate attached. Then one could own and generate energy. People wanting better systems could have the older ones deinstalled and new ones put up and the old ones could be used by people with less income to install. Setting up these systems and manufacturing them would create millions of jobs! A win/win situation.

Instead, we went to war and have blown over $300 billion and will blow over a trillion dollars, fighting Muslims for their oil!

The latest development within the solar energy research community is quite interesting. This means hopefully the end of using so many batteries for many things, or rather, the batteries can be recharged easily by simply leaving things out where the sun shines. This saves burning coal or other fuels to recharge batteries. And if this can be extended to the roof systems for the main energy banks, all the better! A 40%+ efficiency rate means more energy with less input of materials manufacturing the systems. I do hope this research works. I can't wait!

We bought our system way back in 1991. Every component of the system has rapidly become outdated as the technology improves. This is probably one of the few hopeful signs I can see. Bush called for us to stop importing oil. I agree with this. Heh. Unlike him, though, sitting by stupidly, doing nothing, I urge everyone to contact Congress and demand they take the war money and set it aside for installing alternative renewable energy systems!

India has, since the seventies, always been interested in solar power due to the fact that wiring up that vast land would be most expensive.

CHENNAI : Solar power has the potential to play a pivotal role in ensuring the country's energy security if there is a right mix of policy initiatives, including a shift from the emphasis on promoting it in the rural and remote areas to the urban rich and middle class.

Popularisation of solar energy also requires initiatives to encourage technological upgradation and create a mass market, Sabahat S. Azim, an Indian Administrative Service officer belonging to the Tripura cadre, has said.

Under FDR, the USA extended power lines to all communities as part of trying to get us out of the Great Depression which was caused by the economic collapse of Britain and Germany after WWI. Like China today, we made a lot of money selling manufactured stuff as well as raw materiels to Europe. FDR and his group decided to extend domestic infrastructure and markets when that collapsed. This worked just fine until the banking crisis brought on by a real estate and stock market bubble burst (ahem). Using government spending, FDR restarted the economy. Something we won't be able to do in the future thanks to historic reckless GOP misspending under three massively irresponsible Presidents.

India is also using the ancient technique of using money to buy oil and using diplomacy to write up oil deals with Iran, for example. Something we better learn to do too.

Solar Energy researchers, empowered by increasing funding, meet in Dresden to discuss their vital work.

Dresden, 04.09.2006 - On 4th September, the European solar energy conference EU PVSEC will open its doors for the 21st time. Around 2,500 scientists, industry representatives and politicians from all over the world will be coming to Dresden to discuss latest developments in solar energy generation. Rising oil prices, doubts about the lasting availability of fossil fuels and the importance of climate protection have all contributed to increasing interest in renewable energy sources. The European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, which is supported by various bodies including UNESCO, the European Commission and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, is regarded as the world´s leading platform for the transfer between research and industry.

The Chinese are very interested in how Germany does things. Just like after Perry opened Japan, the Japanese studied the way schools were run and decided the Bismarkian system set up in Germany was the one to imitate. To this day, only now is the idea that students wear uniforms breaking down. And they still stand and salute the teacher just like I had to when I went to school in Germany years ago.

The Germans were badly ruined by Naziism. It made them much dumber. Following stupid, insane leaders can cause everyone's brains to rot. Germany, like Japan, now struggles with the contridictions of industrialization and hyper-civilization which universally means women stop bearing children, but aside from that riddle, they are pursuing the right course, unlike America, instead of emptying out the country of all industry, they struggle to find a balance. And developing alternative energy systems is the key to the future. All countries that achieve this will be the ones to dominate the future.

And China is interested in alternative energy systems just like India is and for the same reasons. The USA is acting like it is stuck in the mud because we developed our energy matrix long ago and think we don't have to alter anything funamentally. This is a stupid notion. Time will run out on us and we will be stuck with a system that is unusable as the world demands we stop burning all that coal that is pumping massive amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere.

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Japan Inks Oil Deals With Iran

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Unlike the USA, our 'allies' always look at their own bottom lines before they do anything. Japan makes itself the number one entity, for example. This is why they give lip service to the Israeli/American hysteria about Iran getting nukes and then, in the teeth of the USA yelling for a massive boycott of Iran, they happily sign a joint oil agreement with the wily Persian cat that hisses in our general direction. With humor, of course.

The Japanese don't care if Israel is scared of Iran, they just want that oil at a good price.

BBC: Iran and Japanese firm Inpex say they are close to finalising a joint project to develop a big new Iranian oil field.

Both sides say they are less than two weeks away from final agreement over the Azadegan field, which is one of the world's largest untapped oil reserves.

Any deal will no doubt raise eyebrows in the US which wants sanctions against Iran due to Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Eyebrows aren't merely being raised due to Koizumi's actions, they have shot right off the faces of all those nasty neo cons. They will be screaming at the Japanese how America, land of a million nukes, is terrified of a tiny pussy cat. Why should we care what Iran does? All the oil in the Middle East is for sale to the highest bidder. We have made certain this trade is done in increasingly worthless dollars so we should be happy, no?

Aside from the shameful lack of poise and projection of strength, our piddling pools of urine every time the Persian cat decides to hiss at us or Israel makes us look stupid. I mean, come on now! America is supposedly leading all of NATO which is Europe as well as the entire United Nations and here we are, cowering in fear every time Iran looks at us! This tragic loss of power can't be regained by beating up Iran. We did this to Iraq, lying about how terrifying Saddam was and then leaping upon him the minute the UN certified he was without any weapons of mass destruction like the cluster bombs we gave Israel which the IDF dropped into Lebanon right after the ceasefire was announced it would terminate fighting in three days.

Everyone wants the oil and they can plainly see, our method of writing oil contracts by invading a country and then fighting tooth and nail year after year, bleeding billions of dollars a month, is a fool's errand. Even the craven, timid Europeans have finally figured this out and they have simply tried to distract America by having false 'negotiations' with Iran which is OK with the Iranians who seem to be much smarter than anyone working for the USA State Department these days.

And here is Mr. Überdummkopf himself.

By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer 50 minutes ago
PINEY POINT, Md. - President Bush said Monday the economy is growing steadily and jobs are plentiful, but America must work harder to break its dependency on foreign oil. Making a Labor Day appearance at Maryland's Paul Hall Center for Training and Education, which offers vocational training to Seafarer's International Union members, Bush said "dependence on foreign oil jeopardizes our ability to grow."

"Problem is, we get oil from some parts of the world and they simply don't like us," he said. "The more dependent we are on that type of energy, the less likely it will be that we are able to compete and so people can have good paying jobs."

They don't like us? How about they hate our guts because we are agents of Israel? Under Bush, our policies became so totally lopsided, it sank into a Sea of Despond. Of course, electing a Democrat won't right this sinking ship since they, too, will make the same mistakes or face fearful consequences.

Thanks to the internet, talking about this mess is possible but not at any mainstream sites, of course. But light is leaking in around the gaskets sealing us off from world opinion. Someday we will have an honest discussion about all this.

As far as foreign oil is concerned: we can't afford to buy it from ANYONE! This is due to the flood of red ink within our government, our populace and our world trade balance. The American dream is running aground due to us throwing dollars at everyone and hoping no one will notice it isn't backed by anything solid anymore.

But they do notice which is why European energy costs went up a fraction of our own costs. And the yuan continues to rise against the dollar but more onimously, the Chinese FOREX funds are past a trillion dollars and we can't stop it from going to two trillion dollars in only three years or less! So we have to strangle our oil appetites.

China, like Japan, likes oil and is slowly driving us out of places we thought we 'owned'.

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China's largest oil producer, has entered into two cooperative contracts with Uzbekistan, in central Asia.

The company's in-house journal has announced the ratification of a production-sharing agreement on Wednesday with Uzbekistan's Uzbekneftegaz, Russia's Lukoil, Malaysia's Petronas and South Korea's National Oil Corporation to explore and develop prospective natural gas deposits in the Aral Sea.

The contract was signed after CNPC received exploration permission in five onshore blocks in Uzbekistan nearly ten days ago.

The Chinese dragon tightens its grip on more subterranean riches. Not one bomb was dropped, not one peasant was hunted down by helicopters and killed, no women cooking dinner next to their tents were blown up. There is no hatred. No reason for war.

This won't stop peasant uprisings but the Chinese consider that to be the ruling elite's headache. Whoever takes over if the government falls will get red carpet visits in Beijing. As long as the contracts hold up, the Chinese see no point in fighting anyone.

And here is a warning from our dear hedge fund dudes.

The people manipulating the NYMEX don't care about the price of oil at all... They care about the price of Exxon, Conoco, Sunoco, RIG, HAL and other sector stocks that have Trillions of dollars of market caps. A 1% move in the oil sector is a $20Bn profit or loss in sector market cap.

Exxon, for example trades about 20M shares a day for $67 each, that's $1.3Bn a day of Exxon stock alone. Barclays Global has 241M shares of Exxon worth $13Bn and 83M shares of COP worth $5Bn and 82M shares of CVX and 14M shares of Suncor... Let's say they have $100Bn tied up in oil...

Now not Barclays, because I'm sure they are super honest and do everything by the book, but let's say that some other investment house, hedge fund or whoever the new Enron is, has $100Bn tied up in oil stocks. Let's say those stocks drop suddenly 10%, just like the OIH did between May 11th and May 22nd. It's hard to unload 83M shares of COP because it only trades 8M shares on an average day. This is BIG TROUBLE!

*snip*

There are 330 Energy dedicated hedge funds in addition to thousands of mutual funds, index funds, private money managers, arab sheikh, Chinese government officials (remember the zinc scandal) and other private investors who have the means, the motive and the opportunity to rig the system with Billions of dollars on the line and virtually no chance of being caught.

To keep the price of futures up, they need hot talk about war! War! More war! So don't be surprised if Bush and Cheney talk about starting more wars right in the heart of Oilpumpingstan. There is no other way. Of course, everyone will allow these clowns to drop the price at the pump right before the election to make all the easily duped happy, all those NASCAR dads will be relieved and might even believe lies about how oil will be very cheap very soon.

But that is for chumps. There is no way these guys will bite the bullet and take a hit in their wallets. After all, these are the same people who have already bought the services of the political elites and they always expect pay day. Which means, fleecing American sheeple.

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