Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Caspian Pipeline

Do WE really need this type of motivation?

Hey folks

In our "From the Energy Front" today, we learn about the Caspian Pipeline. Beautifully named Nabucco. What is the meaning behind the name? I'll tell you in just a second.

First what is it? It's a pipeline that will run 2,050-mile (3,300 kilometer) from the Caspian Sea across Turkey to Austria and involves investments of euro 8 billion ($10.26 billion), according to EU data.

What this does is completely leave out Russia {None to happy about it} and Iran. According to the LA Times - Turkey, EU countries to sign deal for pipeline to carry gas from Caspian, Mideast by SELCAN HACAOGLU, SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press Writers
2:02 AM PDT, July 13, 2009

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and five European Union countries will sign a landmark agreement on Monday aimed at reducing Europe's reliance on Russian energy by running a gas pipeline from the Caspian Sea region to the EU via Turkey.

They should do it.

The United States, which is backing the Nabucco project alongside the EU, said it does not object to Russia's participation but claimed Iran should be excluded until it improves its ties with the West. Washington said the pipeline that will carry Central Asian and Mideast gas to Europe through Turkey and the Balkans would "help invigorate Europe" and strengthen U.S. allies.

The prime ministers of Turkey, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary will sign the intergovernmental deal to allow the Nabucco pipeline to cross their territory. It will be built by a private consortium.


Now get this statement.

"The most important word in Europe is energy security," said Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann ahead of the signing ceremony. "In the past supplies were taken for granted, but ... it is clear that those days are now over."

This is the way WE should be looking at OUR situation. Check out the links below for more in depth information on all this. What I want to share is this. This is from JoongAng Daily By Hoh Kui-seek. THIS is a GREAT piece.

“Nabucco,” short for “Nabucodonosor,” is one of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s best-known operas. The story follows the Jews in exile in the days of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 B.C.

The epic story of struggle, faith and the longing for a homeland by the Jewish slaves became a catharsis of nationalistic fervor to Italians dejected over the failure of their anti-Austria movement at the time of the opera’s Milan opening in 1842.

The opera’s most famous number, the “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves,” starts with the words, “Fly, thought, on golden wings.” The song struck a similar responsive chord in the hearts of the audience in the Vienna State Opera in 2002.

Among the audience at that time were energy specialists from five partners of a natural gas pipeline project driven by an ambition to pump gas from the Caspian Sea to Austria via Turkey and the Balkans without crossing Russia. They named their pipeline project “Nabucco” over dinner after the performance.

The project’s aim - to diversify natural gas transport to address persistent energy concerns in Europe and energy dependance on Russia - mirrored the opera’s themes of freedom and longing for independence.

The 3,300-kilometer pipeline passing through Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria, at an estimated cost of 7.9 billion euros, or around $11 billion, is expected to pump as much as 31 billion cubic meters of gas from the Caspian Sea, if completed by 2015 as initially planned.

The new trans-Caspian gas route, together with the 1,768-kilometer Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline that pumps crude oil from the Caspian Sea will likely ease European dependence on Russia for energy supplies and delivery.


Russia not to happy.

Russia, which depends on national resource exports to finance its economy and restore its global power, was obviously none too pleased with the plan. It launched its own titanic pipeline project called the “South Stream” to channel Russian gas through Western Europe via the Black Sea, while buying up gas fields and sources to choke off potential gas supplies to the competing Nabucco line.

Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti carried an editorial mocking the trans-Caspian pipeline that bypasses Russia, suggesting that although the hymns of slaves are beautiful, they are nonetheless sad and hopeless.

But Russia’s playing hardball - it flexed its energy muscles by cutting off gas to shivering customers in the Balkans last winter - was what motivated European countries to brave the odds against rising energy prices, lack of suppliers and hefty financial costs to finally put the project back on track.

Today, Turkey hosts a key intergovernmental meeting to reach agreement on the five-nation pipeline. Round two of the energy war is set to begin.


So I ask again. Do we REALLY need this type of incentive? $4.00 a gallon of gas was not enough? We have the answer RIGHT NOW in our own country. USE OUR OWN RESOURCES. DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW! We would no longer be at the mercy of those that care only for profit. Those that do not like us. Those that would love to use energy as a weapon against us.

The EU got it. The Balkans most definitely got it. They are seeking Energy Security. Why can't we?
Peter

Source:
LA Times - Turkey, EU countries to sign deal for pipeline to carry gas from Caspian, Mideast
World Bulletin
JoongAng Daily - Europe’s energy war heating up

2 comments:

samspade said...

From what I have been reading the rush to make Americans go with alternative fuels will make us more dependent of other nations besides drive the cost into the stratosphere.

I remember back in the 70's we were supposed to increase production but what did we do? You know the answer.

Now we see Russia and others threaten to cut supplies and in Russia's case actually do so.

No one disputes that we need cleaner energy but it is a process and if we rush into Obama's plan-----------

Peter said...

Hey Sam,

Just like with all the Nationalizing of Private industries, Healthcare, and the insane "Green Movement" they HAVE to rush this. They have to do it as soon as possible. They are starting to fear 2010, and 2012.

More and more people are waking up and that is not good for thier agendas.
Peter