[Adelaidewonderer]

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatche ... a-pipeline

So by all accounts, prices dont determine the availability of oil supply. The trans alaskan pipeline currently conveys 650,000 barrels a day (dropping from 1 million only 7 years ago), but the flow rate is getting to the point where it will cause great difficulty for the pipe operator. Havent they already been having alot of maintenance issues with it??? At 500,000 barrels a day, do they just say bugger it, and let it fall into disrepair??

[Tanada]

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/politics/8837-lawmakers-urged-to-get-more-oil-in-trans-alaska-pipeline

So by all accounts, prices dont determine the availability of oil supply. The trans alaskan pipeline currently conveys 650,000 barrels a day (dropping from 1 million only 7 years ago), but the flow rate is getting to the point where it will cause great difficulty for the pipe operator. Havent they already been having alot of maintenance issues with it??? At 500,000 barrels a day, do they just say bugger it, and let it fall into disrepair??

Let me put it to you this way.

500,000*$100.00 = $50,000,000.00 every day.
*365 = $18,250,000,000.00 every year.

Not all of that is profit by a long shot, but a lot of it is.

[Adelaidewonderer]

Let me put it to you this way.
500,000*$100.00 = $50,000,000.00 every day.
*365 = $18,250,000,000.00 every year.
Not all of that is profit by a long shot, but a lot of it is.

$18 billion dollars hey. Why cant we put it this way -
GM 2008 revenue = $148 billion = Bankruptcy
US Federal Government revenue $2.2 Trillion = Bankruptcy

Or maybe news

At $680 million to run it, and still have leaks occurring, it may require alot more of the $18 billion that gets shared between the Alaskan state, oil companies, drillers, employees etc etc.

[Pops]

I think at around 700 b/d the oil moves too slow to stay warm so water falls out and makes ice.

The Oil Cos say all that is needed is a tax cut and they'll find more oil to eliminate the problem.

Paging Dick Cheney...

[Adelaidewonderer]

I think at around 700 b/d the oil moves too slow to stay warm so water falls out and makes ice.

The Oil Cos say all that is needed is a tax cut and they'll find more oil to eliminate the problem.

Paging Dick Cheney...

I know you are only quoting the oil companies Pops, but in theory, if the alaskan oil fields are so profitable (and theres more oil out there) , why run to seek a tax cut. Its not like BP and the likes are having much luck finding oil in other places, if they can spend $50 to get $100 in prudhoe bay, surely they wont be fussed with taxes. If your an oil company, I am sure it would be better to be taxed on some oil, rather than having no oil to be taxed.

600,000 barrels a day (apparantly it takes 9 days to get thru form one end to the other), through a 1300 kilometre pipe which is 48 inches thick, is going to cause a few problems. 7725 barrels (volume wise) per kilometre, would allow the pipe to hold approx. 10 million barrels. So the pipe by volume, is only half full at any onetime. If you fill it up to the 10 million barrels, you have to slow the oil speed in half, or if you maintain same volume you leave alot of the internal section of the pipe exposed. Both ways cause bigs issues.

[Pops]

I don't really know the specifics Adelai, maybe it's a touch of blackmail or maybe there is a good amount of oil to be had at greater effort/expense which can only be brought to the pipe with a tax break.

Which may be SOP from now on...