Posted in drilling, energy, tagged gyrotron, melt rock, millimeter wave drilling, Quaise Energy, test drilling on March 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Last month, we demonstrated millimeter wave drilling outside of the lab for the very first time.“
“Millimeter wave drilling is the keystone of superhot geothermal. It’s the only way to access the resource at scale while reaching economic and power parity with fossil fuels. Over the coming months, two more drilling field tests will pave the way to our first commercial developments.”
Posted in climate, decommissioning, energy, Wind Energy, tagged Commonwealth Fusion, Dominion Energy, nuclear fusion, Offshore Wind, superseding wind and solar, Virginia, Youngkin on January 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Why BOE, and most everyone else, likes nuclear fusion:
Tempering the optimism a bit, the plant won’t be operational until the early 2030’s. As we all know, there could (will likely) be delays. CFS is currently building a demonstration plant in Massachusetts that will use their SPARC “tokamok” technology.
The implications of advanced nuclear technology, not only the holy grail of fusion energy, but also modular fission reactors, for intermittent wind and solar power are substantial. Ultradeep geothermal is on a similar timeframe, and could also supersede wind and solar.
The logic behind costly offshore wind projects is therefore questionable, and the regulators better make sure that the decommissioning of these facilities is fully funded. The most likely long-term scenario is for natural gas to continue meeting most power generation needs as the nuclear and ultradeep geothermal alternatives are phased in.
More about fusion. Most of you can start at Level 3. 😉
Posted in climate, energy, Wind Energy, tagged Anemoi, JL Daeschler, no wind, Wind Energy on September 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »
JL Daeschler reports that there has been no wind for the past 4 days at his home in Scotland, and his wind gauge is droopy. (See his sketch below and read the fine print 😉)
Posted in energy, Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, tagged evacuations, Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Francine, production shut-in on September 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »
BSEE data for the past 3 days are tabulated below. Data are as of 12:30 p.m. ET on the specified date. Barring offshore or downstream infrastructure damage, production should begin to resume over the next few days.
Prior to the shale boom, when our national production was lower and the OCS accounted for a larger share, these numbers would have had a more significant effect on oil and gas prices. That is not the case today with only a 2.4% rise in WTI prices.
| date | 9/10 | 9/11 | 9/12 |
| oil shut-in (BOPD) % of total | 412,070 23.55 | 674,833 38.56 | 730,472 41.74 |
| gas s.i. (MMCFD) % of total | 494 25.56 | 904 48.77 | 991.68 53.32 |
| platforms evac. % of total | 130 35 | 171 46 | 169 45.55 |
| rigs evacuated % of total | 2 40 | 3 60 | 3 60 |
| DP rigs moved % of total | 3 15 | 4 20 | 2 10 |
Posted in energy, Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, tagged Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Francine, production shut-in on September 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »
As of 12:30 pm ET on 9/11/2024, nearly 40% of the oil and half of the gas production was shut-in.
| Total Shut-in (Percentage of GOM Production) | ||
| Oil, BOPD Shut-in | 674,833 BOPD | 38.56 % |
| Gas, MMCFD Shut-in | 907 MMCFD | 48.77 % |
| Evacuations and rig movements | total | % of GOM |
| Platforms Evacuated | 171 | 46% |
| Rigs Evacuated (non DP) | 3 | 60% |
| DP Rigs Moved-off | 4 | 20% |
Posted in energy, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged Labor Day, offshore workers on September 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »
On Labor Day 2024, BOE is proud to salute the thousands of dedicated offshore professionals, in the US and around the world, who work in remote locations under challenging conditions to support economic growth and prosperity.
The overwhelming majority of offshore workers do their jobs skillfully and conscientiously, and are committed to protecting their colleagues and the environment. It is their lives that are threatened, their “back yard” that is polluted, and their jobs that are at stake if accidents occur.
Fortunately for us, energy exploration and production doesn’t stop on holidays. BOE wants offshore workers to know that their important contributions to society are greatly appreciated, on Labor Day and throughout the year.
Happy Labor Day!
Posted in energy, energy policy, natural gas, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, tagged natural gas, reliable energy, Wind Energy, wind stops blowing on July 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »
July 24 (Reuters) – The amount of electricity produced by wind farms in the U.S. fell to a 33-month low on Monday, forcing power generators to crank up natural-gas fired plants to keep air conditioners humming during a hot summer day.
Over the past few years, much of the money energy firms have invested in new generation has gone into renewable power sources like wind and solar. But when the wind stops blowing and the sun does not shine, gas is still needed to keep the lights on.
Funny how that works! Being trendy and highly promoted doesn’t make you reliable!
Posted in energy, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged abundant energy, energy security, freedom, Memorial Day on May 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Thinking of those who gave their lives to protect our freedoms, including workers who died providing the energy needed to power our economy.
abundant, reliable, affordable energy 🡆 economic strength 🡆 security and independence
Posted in climate, drilling, energy, tagged field tests, gyrotron, Nabors Drilling, Quaise Energy, ultradeep geothermal on March 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Given the intermittency, space preemption, aesthetic, and wildlife issues associated with wind and solar power, more attention has been shifting to geothermal energy. Quaise’s plan to tap ultradeep heat resources has been on our radar for several years and has been attracting private funding and a bit of media buzz.
Quaise is exciting not only because of the unlimited energy potential, but because of the fascinating gyrotron technology that vaporizes hard rock and could enable wells to be drilled to depths of 20-30 km and temperatures of >1000° C. Nabors, a leading drilling contractor, is one of the Quaise investors, and will be involved with the test drilling.
Demonstrating the gyrotron technology in the field is a big step up from doing so in the lab. Those of us in the “peanut gallery” are awaiting more definitive information on the lab tests that have been conducted to date and the important field tests, which are scheduled for this year.
Posted in drilling, energy, Uncategorized, tagged Autry Stephens, Diamondback Energy, Endeavor Energy, management, Midland, Permian, successful companies on March 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »
A Fortune article about Autry Stephens, Endeavor Energy Resources CEO, pegs him as the world’s richest oilman following the sale of his company to Diamondback Energy. His story reinforces many of the success messages previously discussed on BOE:
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 