Not only have no official findings been released, but there has been little new speculation since our June 2023 update. Given the political stakes, it is increasingly unlikely that the responsible parties will be identified.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
One year ago tomorrow the Nord Stream pipelines were sabotaged
Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, Uncategorized, tagged Denmark, germany, Nord Stream, pipelines, sabotage, Sweden on September 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »
More on ultradeep microwave drilling for geothermal energy
Posted in climate, drilling, energy, Uncategorized, tagged DOE, microwave drilling, Quaise Energy, ultradeep geothermal on September 21, 2023| 2 Comments »
As has been previously discussed on this blog, the renewable energy source that shows the greatest promise for generating the power needed to support economic growth is ultradeep geothermal.
This JPT article nicely describes the opportunities and challenges
Good comparison of drilling into hard basement rock with conventional and millimeter wave (microwave) technologies:
Quaise Energy’s first full-scale testing of a hybrid drilling rig combining conventional rotary drilling and millimeter wave drilling capabilities is scheduled for 2024.
Extravagant wind lease bidding is looking even more nonsensical as power purchase agreements are terminated
Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Wind, Uncategorized, tagged Atlantic wind woes, Commonwealth Wind, high bids, Massachusetts, power purchase agreements, SouthCoast Wind on September 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »
A BOE post from last December commented on the seemingly irrational bidding for Atlantic and Pacific wind leases. More recent posts have reported on the woes of Atlantic leaseholders.
Two Atlantic lessees, Commonwealth Wind and SouthCoast Wind, which paid $135 million for each of their North Atlantic leases, have now agreed to pay $48 million and $60 million respectively to cancel their power purchase agreements with electric utilities. Perhaps the effective date of these leases (see below) reflects on the wisdom of their purchase.🍋
Both Commonwealth Wind and SouthCoast Wind are hoping to rebid their projects in a Massachusetts offshore wind procurement scheduled for next year.
Commonwealth Magazine
Some northeast states and their public utilities may be in a bit of a bind. Either they accept higher electric rates and the likely public backlash, or they deviate from their staunch anti-gas, anti-nuclear orthodoxy. Similarly, oil companies that have invested heavily in offshore wind may find that they are not just less profitable, but (even) less popular.
Tropical Storm Lee on Georges Bank
Posted in Georges Bank, hurricanes, Uncategorized, tagged Georges Bank, NOAA buoy, Tropical Storm Lee, wave heights, winds on September 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The worst conditions were relatively common by Georges Bank standards. Per the NOAA data buoy (see plots below), the wind speed peaked at 40.8 kts, gusts at 58.3 kts, and wave height at 29.2 ft.
Looking back at my Georges Bank Exploratory Drilling paper (1983), a spring storm in April 1982 generated 105 mph winds and 35 foot swells. I’ll post information on the rig performance issues during those operations at a later date.
Venus, beauty, and early navigation
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged beauty, brightness, navigation, September, Venus on September 15, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Venus is very impressive in the pre-dawn September sky and will peak in brightness over the next week days. Worth checking out!
The reason that the planet Venus is so dazzlingly bright is because it is completely enshrouded in thick clouds that reflect sunlight at us.
In ancient times, mariners looked up to the night sky for guidance, and one celestial body held a special role in their navigation: Venus. With its bright and consistent appearance, Venus served as a reliable reference point for sailors venturing across vast oceans. This article explores the significant role that Venus played in early navigation, guiding mariners safely to their destinations and paving the way for future advancements in seafaring.
$300 oil?
Posted in energy, Uncategorized, tagged Forbes, oil price forecast on August 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Forbes article: “Oil Is Going To $300 A Barrel”
The title grabs your attention, but the justification isn’t terribly compelling. The author simply adjusts the brief 2008 price spike ($200/barrel) for inflation to justify his forecast.
Per the author:
The thing about commodities like oil is that while they can be acutely volatile because of supply and demand and political events, long term their price is a function of the technology needed to create them and the state of inflation in the denominating economy.
Dell executive purchased NASEM’s Jonsson Center (Quissett) estate in Woods Hole
Posted in conferences, Uncategorized, tagged Bill Scannell, Jonsson Center, NASEM, Quissett estate, Woods Hole on August 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »
As a followup to the post on the sale of the Quissett estate, previously owned by the National Academies and used for conferences and meetings, the purchasers are William F Scannell and his wife Elizabeth A Scannell. Bill Scannell is President of Global Sales & Customer Operations at Dell Technologies.
The property was on the market for 2 years, and the purchase price was only about half of what NASEM was asking. NASEM must have really wanted to unload this great property which served the marine science community well for nearly 50 years
“Not My Job” spirit lives on!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Not My Job Award on August 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »
My former colleague Jim Lane, who shared the original Not My Job Award photo many years ago, has forwarded impressive evidence (below) that the NMJA work ethic is still proudly on display. 😉
Jim commented that the freshly painted raccoon is a more modern and universal NMJA symbol than the old armadillo.
Either image, properly presented, is appropriate recognition for proud Not-My-Jobbers in your organization or industry. 😉
“The Great Carrier Reef”
Posted in rigs-to-reefs, Uncategorized, tagged Great Carrier Reef, Pensacola, USS Oriskany on August 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »
USS Oriskany (CV-34) holds the distinction of being the final Essex-class aircraft carrier ever completed. Instead of being decommissioned and scrapped, the ship was intentionally sunk approximately 25 miles south of Pensacola, Florida. This unique decision transformed the USS Oriskany into the largest ship ever used to create an artificial reef. Due to this extraordinary use, the carrier has earned the affectionate nickname “The Great Carrier Reef.” from Military Tactics
Climate friendly cows; seriously?
Posted in climate, Uncategorized, tagged cattle, incentives, methane, NZ, offshore livestock, taxation on August 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Savvy marketing? Looking for mandates and incentives? Taxation opportunity?
Burps are the top source of methane emissions from cattle. Semex, the genetics company that sold Loewith the semen, said adoption of the low-methane trait could reduce methane emissions from Canada’s dairy herd by 1.5% annually, and up to 20%-30% by 2050.
The Canadian government currently offers no incentives for low-methane cattle breeding, but the agriculture department said in an email that Ottawa is working to introduce offset credits for reducing methane through better manure management.
New Zealand will begin taxing farmers for methane from cattle in 2025.
Reuters
Common sense reservations:
Juha Nousiainen, senior vice-president at Valio, a Finnish dairy, warned that breeding cattle to burp less methane could create digestive problems. Methane is produced by microbes in the cow’s gut as it digests fibre, not by the animal itself, he said.
We have our own genetically engineered livestock offshore. 😀
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 