Salem-News.com Energy articles

Hood River Power Outage Caused by Metallic Balloon

There are about 30 of these "balloon" outages a year, just in the Hood River area.

(HOOD RIVER, Ore.) - A power outage that disrupted life in Hood River Nov. 12 was caused by a metallic-skinned helium balloon that got away.

The balloon from a nearby celebration apparently blew into a substation and made contact with electrical equipment and caused a short. Response came quickly and power was back on within 75 minutes. While rare, balloon-caused outages are regular occurrences.

Follow The Sand To The Real Fracking Boom

The frac sand business is a huge element of the US oil boom but one that very few investors know anything about.

(LONDON / Oilprice.com) - When it takes up to four million pounds of sand to frack a single well, it’s no wonder that demand is outpacing supply and frack sand producers are becoming the biggest behind-the-scenes beneficiaries of the American oil and gas boom.

Demand is exploding for “frac sand”--a durable, high-purity quartz sand used to help produce petroleum fluids and prop up man-made fractures in shale rock formations through which oil and gas flows—turning this segment into the top driver of value in the shale revolution.

Why Hasn`t The U.S. Gone After Gazprom?

Gazprom has already warned that further Western sanctions could disrupt gas exports to Europe.

(LONDON OilPrices.com) - Amidst the deepening war of words over Moscow's annexation of Crimea, U.S. President Barack Obama on April 28 added more Russian individuals and companies to a sanctions list that already included influential members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and Bank Rossiya, which has close ties to the Russian leadership.

The new list freezes the assets of Igor Sechin, head of Russia's major oil company, Rosneft, six other individuals and 17 companies.

BP Pipeline Sprays `Oily Mist` Over 33 Acres of Alaskan Tundra

The company was at fault in at least two oil spills in the same region since 2006.

(MOSCOW RT) - Alaska state officials confirmed Wednesday that an oily mist sprung from a compromised oil pipeline and sprayed into the wind without stopping for at least two hours, covering 33 acres of the frozen snow field in the oil well's vicinity.

The discovery was at the BP-owned Prudhoe oil field on Alaska’s North Slope, the northernmost region of the state where a number of profitable oil fields sit beneath the tundra. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) revealed that BP officials found the mist during a routine inspection on Monday.

Ukraine Falling to Economic Warfare and Its Own Missteps

There has been no movement by the Ukrainian military to make good on its ultimatum; indeed, the messages have been unclear and contradictory.

(LONDON OilPrices.com) - As protests in Ukraine's eastern region turned violent on Sunday leading to the death of a Ukrainian security officer in a shootout with pro-Russian militia, Kiev threatens military action while Moscow flexes its geo-economic warfare muscles.

Pro-Russian militia groups have seized government buildings and police headquarters in Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk and Slovyanks--where the shoot-out took place--and despite a Monday morning ultimatum by the Ukrainian government, these groups have shown no sign of giving in.

The Most Profitable Gas in the World

The smart investor will realize that there is no better time to invest in Ukraine's energy sector. Once it is transformed, the best opportunities will have been seized.

(LONDON OilPrices.com) - There is only one certainty in Ukraine: The energy sector must and will be transformed, and how long this takes will depend on who ends up in the driver's seat and how serious they are about becoming a part of Europe and reducing dependence on Russia.

But by then, investors will have missed the boat.

Why Ukraine`s Next President Doesn`t Matter

Regardless of who wins the presidential vote, the Maidan will be disappointed.

(LONDON OilPrices.com) - Having ridden roughshod over Ukraine, Russia's annexation of the Crimea is now over and a new chapter in Ukrainian politics is about to begin—but it won't be much different than the last chapter, with the same old faces surfacing for May presidential elections.

In the aftermath of the Maidan protests that overthrew president Viktor Yanukovych in February and Russia's retaliatory annexation of the Crimea in March, Ukraine has moved presidential elections forward a year to 25 May.

Small Oil Companies Eye Huge Prize in Ghana

Bigger companies continue to make significant headway in with Ghana's oil, despite a few setbacks, including delays to the country's gas infrastructure, which means that associated gas is being lost to flaring or has to be re-injected into wells.

(LONDON) - Since the first discovery of the massive Jubilee oilfield in Ghana by a start-up company, the West African playing field has begun to change, and so too have investor sentiments, disappointed most recently by the low fourth-quarter 2013 results of major integrated oil companies like Exxon, Shell, Chevron and BP.

But while the supermajors are struggling with soaring project costs and poor balance sheets, innovative juniors and start-ups are increasingly swooping in...

Russia Looks East as Relations with Europe Deteriorate

Several market analysts had already predicted before the Crimean crisis that a deal would be finalized this year.

(LONDON OilPrices.com) - The standoff between the U.S. and the EU on one hand, and Russia on the other, intensified pretty quickly late last week. The U.S. quickly slapped heavier sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea, leading to a mutual escalation of retaliatory measures.

However, it appears that the West gained a bit of leverage at the moment, as the Russian economy has shown some cracks amid uncertainty over how bad this is going to get.

What the Loss of Crimea Means for Ukrainian Energy: Interview with Robert Bensh

Birth of a New Ukrainian Nation? Interview with Robert Bensh

(LONDON OilPrices.com) - Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula is now Russia's. It was done with an impressively organized non-violent military operation, and supported by the foregone conclusion of a referendum on independence from Ukraine.

One Ukrainian soldier was reportedly killed on 18 March, after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty to annex the Crimea and troops moved to take over a Ukrainian military facility in Simferopol.