Alaska Oil Shut Down

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:55 am

OK, now that we've all heard about the shut down of the Alaska pipeline, who can give us the real scoop? AR Dave? Anyone?

AR Dave · Post by **AR Dave** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 1:49 pm

Just as long as we don't get into a political discussion! We ran a routine smart pig and found the walls of one of our production pipelines too thin. Still good for state requirements, but not BP's. So down she comes for replacement. This is Prudhoe Bay and about 400KBOPD. BP owns 26% of this production. Alaska's daily production is about 800MBOPD, down from 2 million BOPD at peak. This isn't going to get fixed in a short period of time.

Effect: Gasoline prices should be determined by refinery capacity. Unfortunately, this morning traders will bid the price of crude up because they fear an interuption in supply. Refiners have plenty of supply currently (2.6% or 400K isn't big), but lately gasoline prices have been determined by demand (trader fear) rather than supply.

Been a long night, going to bed!

Tom Downey · Post by **Tom Downey** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:55 am

I worked the refineries for years as a welder replacing pipe.

Crude is abrasive and when pumped thru a line at high speed wears the interior of the line, after a few years the pipe will burst.

oil speed in some lines will exceed 1800' per minute.

The media has mentioned corrosion, mostly not true, corrosion north of the artic circle is non existant. But to some extent the crude is corrosive.

mit · Post by **mit** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:50 am

I just went and bought 2 barrels of gas for 2.86 per/gal and called the fuel company to fill my heating oil tank. Hope I save a buck!

AR Dave · Post by **AR Dave** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:53 pm

Looks like the spoiled terriost plot will reverse the spike in crude prices for today. Will be something else tomorrow!

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:17 pm

AR Dave wrote:Looks like the spoiled terriost plot will reverse the spike in crude prices for today. Will be something else tomorrow!

I think I'm gonna start selling toothpaste and shaving cream on the sidewalk outside baggage claim at LAX. Sure would be a captive market.

Miles

CraigH · Post by **CraigH** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:34 pm

cessna170bdriver wrote: I think I'm gonna start selling toothpaste and shaving cream on the sidewalk outside baggage claim at LAX. Sure would be a captive market.
Miles

No kidding! A guy could go dumpster diving outside DFW and never have to buy toothpaste, mouthwash, hand lotion or contact lens solution again.

Post by **GAHorn** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:09 pm

You could open up a business buying unopened expensive perfume from women at discount then offering it for resale outside baggage claim.

In yet another example of givmint gone wild, a Dallas police officer described to me last night how the security police got into a scuffle with a woman attempting to board an airplane with a gel-filled artificial breast. They actually took the cancer victim's artificial breast away from her!
How'd they know? They asked if she had any liquids or gels on her, and she mistook their meaning and reported her prosthetic. A struggle ensued and He said she was in tears before it was over.

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:32 pm

CraigH wrote:No kidding! A guy could go dumpster diving outside DFW and never have to buy toothpaste, mouthwash, hand lotion or contact lens solution again.

I doubt that it's legal to dispose of "suspected explosives" in a dumpster. (We darn well couldn't do it here at the lab.) I also doubt that little technicality stops the TSA from doing it anyway.

Miles

CraigH · Post by **CraigH** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:50 pm

cessna170bdriver wrote: I doubt that it's legal to dispose of "suspected explosives" in a dumpster. (We darn well couldn't do it here at the lab.) I also doubt that little technicality stops the TSA from doing it anyway.
Miles

More than likely, a whole lot of TSA guys came through the door last night exclaiming "Honey, you won't believe what I got at the office today."

c170b53 · Post by **c170b53** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:19 pm

If airlines can't make money on in Flt sales now, they never will.

Post by **GAHorn** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:04 pm

Lesssee now..... the recent threat was by terrorists planning to use liquids in carryon to blow up planes...so TSA decides to ban ANY liquids in carry ons.
Wonder what they're gonna ban when they recall that the 911 terrorists used all that jet fuel in the tanks to blowup/burn down the twin towers?

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:33 pm

gahorn wrote:Lesssee now..... the recent threat was by terrorists planning to use liquids in carryon to blow up planes...so TSA decides to ban ANY liquids in carry ons.
Wonder what they're gonna ban when they recall that the 911 terrorists used all that jet fuel in the tanks to blowup/burn down the twin towers?

I suppose they'll mandate non-flammable fuel.

I wonder what they're going to ban when they recall that the Pan Am 747 over Lockerbie was blown up with solid explosives in checked baggage.

Miles

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 1:33 am

cessna170bdriver wrote:I wonder what they're going to ban when they recall that the Pan Am 747 over Lockerbie was blown up with solid explosives in checked baggage.

C4 (and Semtex) are actually very detectable with the equipment they have now, which is why this latest attempt was with a peroxide-based solution.