by jboullion | Jan 9, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a letter to the editor by Bobby Gifford:
In print we recently heard from a member of the Stevens Point Plan Commission regarding the pace of planning for downtown, including the mall. We need to look not at the pace of planning, but at the assumptions of planning and how they square with our new economic reality.
A key component of the mall plan is spending over $2 million on parking spaces. It appears that PDI, the paid consultants we are using in Point, are unaware of the peak oil problem, or ignore it. It seems that most planning in our region is based on the assumption that cheap oil and gas will persist far into the future.
The global peak of oil production is still here. The global economic collapse has not increased global petroleum supply. Instead, crashing petroleum prices are driving supply capacity from the market. The next upswing in crude oil and natural gas prices will be a brake on recovery.
Our recovery from global recession will be very slow. The retail sector as we know it is probably already history.
Our Plan Commission and local sustainability groups need to be on the same page. Local elected officials need to consistently consult with local sustainability activists such as Farmshed, Sustain Central Wisconsin, Eco-municipality committees, UWSP, students, and the Interfaith Council for the Earth and read all available sustainability literature.
Gifford offered these Web sites for research:
http://www.energybulletin.net
http://www.peakoil.net
http://www.theoildrum.com
http://aspo-usa.com
http://www.simmonsco-intl.com/research.aspx?Type=msspeeches
by jboullion | Nov 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Shelley Nelson posted on RiverTowns.net:
Plans for a nearly seven-fold expansion of Murphy Oil’s Superior refinery are on hold.
The company, headquartered in El Dorado, Ark., is putting the brakes on detailed design engineering until it can find a partner to provide a reliable source of bitumen crude from the Canadian oil sands to feed the expanded facility.
The proposed project would increase the refinery’s processing capacity from 35,000 barrels of crude oil per day to 235,000 barrels per day, making the Superior refinery the largest rather than the smallest of Murphy Oil’s three refineries worldwide.
The company also operates a 120,000 barrel-per-day refinery in Meraux, La., and a 108,000 barrel-per-day refinery in Mill Haven, Wales.
The refinery is the only oil refinery in the state.
If it happens, the $6 billion investment – the largest in Wisconsin history – could create 300 permanent jobs and 3,000 to 4,000 construction jobs.
“We’ve beaten down doors trying to find a partner for the project,” said Jim Kowitz, interim manager of the Superior refinery. “We have not come up with a partner yet.”
The company needs a partner to ensure a crude supply from the oil sands in Alberta, Canada, for the expanded facility. However, with crude prices hitting record highs, Murphy Oil has found no takers for the partnership.
“With dropping crude prices – if demand stays up – it may look more favorable for Canadian producers to invest in,” Kowitz said. ” When crude is $140 a barrel, they’re making lots of money. When crude is $60 a barrel, they’re not making near as much, and they might be interested in spending money to get into the U.S. fuels market rather than just be a crude supplier. That’s our hope. If crude stays down for awhile, our project will look more attractive again.”
