How then, do we move backwards? How does a society, with most of the people having no clue of future events, move from being dependent on a vast and intertwined network of goods and services produced by the indigenous people of whereever, to a local resource and renewable energy based society, and do so in the timeframe available (20-30 years using the most liberal extimates, 10-20 with resonable estimates, 5-10 with worst case scenarios), all the while prices on everything increasing, world politics getting more militaristic, governments continuously reducing civil liberties, shortages of goods on the market and weather patterns resembling bad Hollywood movies?
Joined: Oct 23, 2004 Posts: 5287 Location: New Jersey
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:19 am Post subject: Re: Need help from European PO.com viewers
sameu wrote:
I'll keep you guys updated
but it has to be said, even here it isn't big news (oil and refineries are not that important afterall )
when there's news to be reported I'll post it here rightaway
Thanks again sameu.
It looks like Antwerp is preparing for a strike. This article goes on to say that supplies normally going to the US Gulf Coast were sent to Singapore due to higher prices and high demand in the Far East for May delivery.
Quote:
4/27/07 Lloyd's List Int'l
LLOYDS LIST
April 27, 2007
Triple worries push bunker market higher
Prices firmed during a quiet trade period in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region, with concern mounting that refinery workers in Antwerp are to begin strike action next week.
Market sources reported that shipowners were avoiding bunkering calls if possible in the Low Countries ports, while suppliers are not offering more than one week forward.
Supply in Rotterdam also tightened after a couple of very large crude carriers left for Singapore last week.
'The market is quiet at the moment with prices going up,' a local bunker broker told Lloyd's List.
'This is not helped by rising crude and product shortage after a few cargoes were sent out to Singapore.'
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Joined: Oct 23, 2004 Posts: 5287 Location: New Jersey
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:58 am Post subject: Re: Europe Fuel Shortage Reports
Antwerp strike still be debated:
Quote:
Belgian Oil Workers To Reopen Talks With Oil Unions Wednesday
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
April 30, 2007 7:10 a.m.
LONDON (Dow Jones)--Salary negotiations will reopen between employers in Belgium's oil sector and refinery workers Wednesday afternoon, employer and union representatives said Monday. "We have had some contact with (the unions) today in which we have agreed to resume negotiations with them Wednesday afternoon," said Fred Van Melkebeke, spokesman for the employers' group, the Belgian Petroleum Federation.
Melkebeke said representatives from Belgium's major trade unions - the Christian ACV, socialist FGTB, and liberal ACLVB - would all be present at the scheduled talks.
Herman Baele of the FGTB union also confirmed that the talks would take place Wednesday.
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The difference between the averages has closed to 1.8p, and it was 2.4p two weeks ago. The prices themselves aren't any higher than you would expect, we have seen a rise of only 2-3p the last couple of months which you could argue is seasonal, but the fact that the gap between unleaded and diesel is continuing to close (by 0.3p over the weekend, compared to a narrowing of the same size over the preceeding fortnight), suggests rather obviously that unleaded is becoming more expensive faster than diesel.
If we see the difference between the averages close to 1p over the next couple of weeks, I would take that as a pretty good sign that someone this side of the Atlantic still believes in the Special Relationship.
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:45 pm Post subject: Re: Europe Fuel Shortage Reports
Valdemar wrote:
Pfft. Unleaded at my ickle village garage is 107p with diesel around 109p.
They sell LPG too at around 47p.
That's an outlier though. Places off the beaten track are annoying to deliver to, and there's a lack of competition. Thus you see extremely high prices. Also, relatively low local consumption, along with relatively low incidence of visitors filling up and using the cards that compile the stats, means that the actual contribution of such stations to the UK average is negligible. The right hand column in the table can be disregarded - those are anomalies.
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:55 pm Post subject: Re: Europe Fuel Shortage Reports
There are some out of the way places in Lancashire thats for sure but 107p is taking advantage IMO.
93.9 for standard unleaded
94.9 for diesel
Large village 20 miles west(ish) of manchester from this afternoon, I only made a mental note because of this thread. Interesting that someone else noted that this 1p difference is unusual, it is but I don't know from what date the price gap narrowed so much.
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:17 pm Post subject: Re: Europe Fuel Shortage Reports
Grifter wrote:
93.9 for standard unleaded
94.9 for diesel
Large village 20 miles west(ish) of manchester from this afternoon, I only made a mental note because of this thread. Interesting that someone else noted that this 1p difference is unusual, it is but I don't know from what date the price gap narrowed so much.
Exactly this in the Midlands. The gap in the averages has narrowed 0.6p in the last two weeks to below 2p, which might be significant, but we won't know unless it continues through May.
If anyone sees unleaded on sale at the same price or higher than diesel, that would be a very interesting observation.
Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 3:32 am Post subject: Re: Europe Fuel Shortage Reports
Twilight wrote:
If anyone sees unleaded on sale at the same price or higher than diesel, that would be a very interesting observation.
This morning, garage next to work (Central Bath) = 95.9p for Diesel and Petrol.
I'd assume that this implies a slight petrol(Gasoline) shortage, possibly caused by exporting too much.. and I assume that a typical feature of the pre-peak/plateau period is going to be a change from lighter to heavier grades of oil and a consequent higher basic yield of diesel over petrol.
Joined: Oct 23, 2004 Posts: 5287 Location: New Jersey
Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 10:00 am Post subject: Re: Europe Fuel Shortage Reports
Looks like talks tomorrow are the last chance to avoid a scale down in refinery production.
Quote:
LLOYDS LIST
Informa Martime Trade and Transport
May 1, 2007
Strikes set to disrupt Belgian refineries
Jamie Dale
BELGIAN workers will begin strike action on May 9 which could paralyse refineries in Antwerp .
The employers' federation has received letters from three major Belgian unions, the Christian ACV, socialist FGBT and liberal ACLVB, informing it of their intention to strike .
Talks between the Belgian Petroleum Federation and the unions have been ongoing but Lloyd's List understands that a formal position has yet to be taken, whilst informal discussions are still under way.
The three major refineries in Antwerp that would be severely affected by a strike have a capacity of around 745,000 barrels per day.
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Joined: Mar 07, 2007 Posts: 293 Location: Holland, United Kingdom (of the seven Netherlands)
Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 3:52 pm Post subject: Re: Europe Fuel Shortage Reports
Here is a list of Dutch historic prices for one chain of fueling stations. Unleaded has become slightly more expensive when compared to diesel. (Of which € 0,015 can be explained by government measures as of January 1st.) Such a difference has happened before during the summer, so it's not yet exceptional.
Joined: Oct 23, 2004 Posts: 5287 Location: New Jersey
Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 3:22 pm Post subject: Re: Europe Fuel Shortage Reports
Antwerp refiners begin to cut back production as strike looms; industry association warns of petrol shortages:
Quote:
5/2/07 Agence Fr.-Presse 16:58:00
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE ENGLISH WIRE
May 2, 2007
Belgian oil refiners cut output amid strike threats
BRUSSELS, May 2, 2007 (AFP) - The Belgian oil sector began reducing production on Wednesday amid threats of strike action, the BRAFCO industry association said.
Wage negotiations between unions and big international oil groups such as ExxonMobil and Total active in Antwerp failed to lead to an agreement, BRAFCO official Olivier Neirynck told AFP.
Christian trade union CSC has warned of a strike if an agreement is not found by May 9 while Socialist union FGTB has threatened to down tools from May 20 if a deal is not struck.
"Refineries can't be shut down all of a sudden, so companies have slowly started to reduce their (refining) activity," Neirynck said.
ExxonMobil, Total and the Belgian Refining Federation all declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
Belgium's refiners are mostly based near the northern port city of Antwerp and pump 700,000 barrels of product per day.
"We've asked our associates to build up stocks in order to make up for a halt in production if a strike happens," Neirynck said.
He said that fuelling stations should be able to get by for a week or two before being hit by shortages.
[no link]
Quote:
Belgian fuel production slows as strike action looms - fuel supply federation
Published : Wed, 02 May 2007 18:40
BRUSSELS (Thomson Financial) - The Belgian fuel industry has started to slow down production as strike action looms, which could lead to an increase in prices and a shortage at the pumps, said Brafco, the Belgian federation of fuel suppliers.
Negotiations over salaries at the sector level between large groups in Antwerp -- including Exxon Mobil Corp and Total SA -- and unions have not come to an agreement, Brafco technical director Olivier Neirynck told Agence France-Presse.
Union CSC has warned that if an agreement is not struck before May 9, a strike will take place the next day.
'The companies have started to reduce their operations,' Neirynck said.
ExxonMobil and Total declined to comment.
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