Biofuel Technology and Performance Issues Could Slow Acceptance
Ari Axelrod

Biofuels are a conundrum. Their potential advantages are undeniable: reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, lessening of our dependency on imported oil, support of domestic agriculture. And they certainly have their supporters. The Obama administration repeatedly affirmed its backing of rapid development of alternative energy sources, including biofuels. Still, the hurdles are high.

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Gas price spikes threaten Americans' aallets
Search-autoparts.com Mar 17 2010 6:05PM GMT

US Gulf oil lease sale attracts $949 mln high bids
Reuters Africa Mar 17 2010 6:04PM GMT

BP Botswana asset sale won't affect diamond mines
Engineering News Mar 17 2010 6:04PM GMT

Sudan hangs two for oil killings
Upstreamonline.com Mar 17 2010 6:04PM GMT

Sudan hangs two for killing Chinese oil workers
Reuters Africa Mar 17 2010 6:03PM GMT

Oil tops $82 as demand rises, OPEC maintains quotas
Reuters Mar 17 2010 6:02PM GMT

Tony Blair got cash for deal with South Korean oil firm
Guardian.co.uk Mar 17 2010 6:02PM GMT

Iran, Pak ink deal on 900-km gas pipeline
IBNLive India News Mar 17 2010 6:01PM GMT

OPEC 'agrees' to maintain oil output level
Vancouver Sun Mar 17 2010 6:01PM GMT

Rising oil prices boost Toronto stock market
Vancouver Sun Mar 17 2010 6:01PM GMT

Oil tops $82 on US gasoline demand, OPEC
Sharenet Mar 17 2010 5:58PM GMT

Coming soon - 'oil-less' economic growth
Qatar Peninsula Mar 17 2010 5:58PM GMT

Saudi sees Opec output steady for rest of year
Qatar Peninsula Mar 17 2010 5:58PM GMT

Africa told to harness Chinese oil-interest
Qatar Peninsula Mar 17 2010 5:58PM GMT

Shell to slash another 1,000 jobs by 2011
Qatar Peninsula Mar 17 2010 5:57PM GMT

Total eyes Congo JV with Tullow Oil
Qatar Peninsula Mar 17 2010 5:57PM GMT

Oil Search Company to drill 2nd explorative oil wall in Shabwa
Yemen News Agency Mar 17 2010 5:56PM GMT

Milestone for Maersk Oil Qatar
Qatar Peninsula Mar 17 2010 5:56PM GMT

Crude Oil ETFs Surge Following OPEC Decision
Seeking Alpha Mar 17 2010 5:56PM GMT

Light Crude 03-17
Yahoo! Canada Mar 17 2010 5:56PM GMT

McDermott gets Vietnam offshore oil contract
CNBC Mar 17 2010 5:55PM GMT

OPEC agrees output rollover, to meet next on October 14
Platts Mar 17 2010 5:55PM GMT

Fuel price will hit record high
Colombo Times Mar 17 2010 5:54PM GMT

UPDATE 2-Conoco to halve LUKOIL stake within 3 yrs-source
Reuters UK Mar 17 2010 5:53PM GMT

Oil rises above $82 as crude supplies rise less than expected, interest rates stay low
Canadian Business Magazine Mar 17 2010 5:53PM GMT

Oil rises as OPEC holds out
Oil & Gas Next Generation Mar 17 2010 5:53PM GMT

Rising oil prices boost Toronto stock market
Financial Post Mar 17 2010 5:51PM GMT

Oil Addiction: Gas Price Spikes Threaten Americans' Wallets
Los Angeles Business Mar 17 2010 5:51PM GMT

Oil Addiction: Gas Price Spikes Threaten Americans' Wallets
Twin Cities Business Journal Mar 17 2010 5:50PM GMT

Statoil: Wins 20 Oil Exploration Leases In US Gulf of Mexico
FOXBusiness.com Mar 17 2010 5:50PM GMT

Financing deal for Egyptian refinery to close in Q2
Egypt-based private equity firm Citadel Capital expects to close a $2.2bn financing deal related to an Egyptian refinery in the second quarter, Reuters has reported. Financing for the project, a greenfield refinery in partnership with Egyptian General Petroleum Corp, will include $900m from state-run Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Ahmed El Houssieny, a managing director at Citadel said at a conference in Dubai. [AMEInfo.com]

Maersk Oil Qatar reaches milestone
Maersk Oil Qatar has announced the successful installation of the last of 15 new platforms and other offshore facilities, including the region's largest platform at 13,500 tonnes as part of the Al Shaheen Field development Plan, the Peninsula has reported. Hook-up and commissioning of the new platforms is underway and is expected to be finalised by the end of Q1 2010, connecting facilities via 300km of inter-field pipelines and 50km of subsea cables, the company said. [AMEInfo.com]

Saudi minister 'very happy' with oil price
Saudi oil minister Ali Al-Naimi has said that oil prices are in the right range and that production policy should remain unchanged, Bloomberg has reported. 'The price has stayed very well in the range of $70 to $80. It is in a very happy situation,' Al-Naimi was quoted as saying in Vienna, adding he is pleased with quota compliance and foresees no need to change output. 'There are no shortages, investment is going on, demand looking forward is going to continue to rise, so everyone is happy.' [AMEInfo.com]

China now largest oil and gas investor in Iraq
China has become the biggest single investor in Iraq's oil and gas sector, with nearly one fifth of the reserves that have been auctioned over the past year under its control, Meed has reported. China is spending a total of $577m in signing on fees to give it access to an estimated 24 billion barrels, or about 18% of the reserves on offer, the magazine said, citing its own data. Chinese investment doubles the US' signing on fees, which has committed $296m to control about 12 billion barrels, the magazine added. [AMEInfo.com]

Egypt, Kuwait ink deal on power generating station
Egypt's Delta Electricity Production Co has secured a KD30m loan ($104m) from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to launch El-Ein El-Sokhna power generating station, east of Cairo, Kuna has reported. The new power station aims to help Egypt meet its growing demand for electricity and feed the national power grid. [AMEInfo.com]

Grade Control System facilitates excavation.
Available for Trimble® GCS600 Grade Control System, CB450 Control Box provides graphical display of 2D profile information, grade guidance, and warnings. Adjustable brightness and viewing angle accommodate various outdoor lighting conditions, while 4 integrated LED lightbars enable user to monitor grade guidance information in cab of excavator while also viewing conditions at dig site. Featuring sealed cast aluminum display housing, CB450 survives harsh construction site conditions.

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Slicklines resist corrosion and aggressive environments.
Used to lower heavy tools and instruments into oil and gas wells, Bright Surface Slicklines feature smooth surface that minimizes friction, maximizing life expectancy of pulleys, sheaves, and counters. Smooth surface also minimizes microscopic pores, which can lead to pitting, especially on line exposed to aggressive conditions encountered in deepest part of well.

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Subsea Oil Tree is suited for harsh, shallow waters.
Merging horizontal and vertical tree technology, VetcoGray S-Series SVXT delivers essential functionality in pre-engineered, pre-configured, modular manner. Design enables deployment using standard offshore jack-up drilling rigs without requiring major modifications. Features include smaller tree and fisher-friendly wellhead protection structures as well as barrier approach that removes need for separate tree cap. SemStar5-powered ModPod control system is also included.

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Surface Crawler Drill Rig features modular design.
Equipped with COP 1840 rock drill offering 18 kW of drilling power, Model ROC T35M employs cylinder-driven aluminum feed system that provides optimal penetration rates and drill steel life. Hydraulic-based control system COP Logic adjusts feed speed, feed pressure, and impact pressure in real time according to rock condition. Maintenance is simplified by all around access to service points and optimized hose management with bulk heads.

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Crane Trash Skip is designed to facilitate discharge.
Heavy Duty Crane Trash Skip, Model 1450, has rated capacity of 12,000 lb to handle trash or bulk material. Designed to be hoisted with set of 10 ft or longer cable or strap slings, product has sloped end that facilitates safe load discharge. Unit measures 10 x 4 x 2 ft and is suited for removing tear-off or other construction refuse from roofs and elevated decks. It is constructed of heavy steel and reinforced at all stress points for extended life.

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LED Headlamps include visor clip.
Designed to clip to hat brim, lapel, or car visor, Enduro® LED Headlamps offer hands-free operation in low-light conditions. White LED model provides up to 850 candela peak beam intensity and 14.5 lumens output in high-level mode and 6 lumens in low mode, while green LED version provides 162 candela peak beam intensity and 8 lumens output in high mode and 4 lumens in low mode. Weighing 2.75 oz, both are constructed with impact-resistant housing and are waterproof to 1 m for 1 hr.

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Filtration System enables continuous on-line flow.
With absolute-rated performance from 1-70 µ, Cuno High Flow Triplex Skid is suitable for filtration of small to medium volumes of fluids ranging from 200-20,000 bbl in both deck-side offshore and onshore applications. System houses 3 vessels and each 6½ dia x 40 in. long cartridge provides 13 m² filtration area, resulting in total of 117 m² effective filtration area. Measuring 2.72 m², skid offers 99 kg total dirt loading capacity and connection to standard 4 in. service pipework.

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Centrifuge offers feature set for productivity and safety.
Heated Oil Test Centrifuge incorporates LCD touchscreen control panel that can be used to govern centrifuge rotation speed, turn heat on/off, set duration of test, and choose type of rotor assembly and corresponding glassware to be used during test. Manufactured to meet Class 1, Division 2 explosion resistant rating, system conforms to range of Standard Test Methods and features top-opening lid that provides access to rotor and tube holders and features 18½ in. dia viewing window.

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Network Monitoring Service serves mining industry.
Acting as remote network operations center for mining industry, ActiveVision(TM) provides 24/7 monitoring and support for ActiveMine(TM) network, voice communications, and tracking systems anywhere on globe. Services include real-time network diagnostics and troubleshooting as well as ability to pinpoint network and component issues. Able to track and store operational statistics, solution also lets mine operators centrally view and monitor multiple mine operations.

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Oil Rig drills to 15,000 feet vertically.
Designed for oil and gas industry, 1,100 hp SpeedStar SS-1100 features state-of-the-art controls, allowing drill to be monitored from remote location, and enabling service departments to diagnose and prevent maintenance issues before they happen. Due to its size, SS-1100 can be set up in mountainous areas, and once on site, rig can begin drilling within a few hours.

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Foam Wrap compensates for subsea well annular pressure.
Typically installed within B or C annuli of subsea wells, CFW+ (Crushable Foam Wrap) acts as mechanical fuse and collapses at pre-determined pressure and temperature (110ºC) envelope. This allows expansion of annulus fluids as well as dissipation of any potentially hazardous increase in pressure. By incorporating Glass Bubbles, solution helps mitigate subsea well casing failure due to annular pressure build-up or trapped annular pressure.

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System finds geological structures within Earth's surface.
Comprised of 16 wireless sensors, impact generator, and intuitive user interface, SWIPS(TM) Surface Wave Intelligent Profiling System enables users to analyze, model, and visualize physical and mechanical properties of solids in non-invasive manner. Through MicroMentis Platform, SWIPS Wizard and Drill Hole Wizard help users integrate complementary data, plan work, gather data, plan drill holes, incorporate drill hole properties, and support project modeling and evaluation.

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High-Frequency Ground Current Reducer has MSHA approval.
Engineered for use where AC induction motors operate in conjunction with VFD applications, ZERO-GROUND® High Frequency Extraction System is approved by US Department of Labor, Mining, and Safety Health Administration (MSHA) for use in underground and surface mines. Completely passive system utilizes no filters or brushes and eliminates electrical noise while directing high-frequency ground currents away from hazardous locations and sensitive equipment.

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Software integrates well planning and drilling applications.
Paradigm Sysdrill(TM) v3.0 is product suite of well planning and drilling software solutions that combines new modules with existing software in single unified application. Components include automatic well planning, advanced target definition, casing wear prediction, dual gradient modeling, and temperature modeling. It also includes well control kill sheet, volume calculator, packer calculation, and DEX/WITSML interoperability.

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SCCS Solution helps ensure safety system uniformity.
Designed for oil and gas industry, AADvance Safety and Critical Control Systems (SCCS) enables users to operate and update entire plant-wide safety systems from one access point. Combined hardware and software solution delivers flexibility and scalability through its distributed nature, which consists of modular controller hardware situated close to plant it protects. Solution also helps minimize use of heavy cabling and installation time.

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Controls and Controllers
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Helmet Light uses CR123 lithium batteries for extended life.
Combining PM6 LED or incandescent light with universal helmet bracket, Helmet Lighting System fits all models of industrial and fire helmets and as many as 27 flashlights. Constructed of engineering-grade polymer, PM6 weighs 3.45 oz so it won't weigh helmets down. PM6 LED utilizes 1 W Luxeon® LED to produce 41 lumens of light for up to 20 hr of peak performance, while incandescent model, engineered with Xenon bulb, produces 74 lumens of light for up to 1 hr of continuous use.

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LED Headlight features Division 1 safety rating.
Suited for hazardous locations, hands-free HAZ-LO(TM) combines impact- and weather-resistant resin casing, unbreakable polycarbonate lens, and 1 W Super High Flux LED. Unit includes push button on/off switch and rubber dome actuator that enables operation while wearing heavy gloves. All openings are O-ring sealed for water resistance. Operating on 3 AA alkaline batteries, light comes with rubber hard-hat head strap as well as elastic head strap for general use.

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Software aids drilling engineers and asset teams.
Merging macro realm of geology and geophysics with micro realm of petrophysics, Sysdrill v2.5 helps plan well paths, minimize drilling risk, and optimize wellbore placement by integrating engineering and well planning disciplines into multi-disciplinary workflows. Program supports geological surfaces such as formations, faults, and oil-water contacts. Users can import planned trajectories, copy and paste well plans, and share data with 3rd party applications.

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Jaw Coupling Spiders provide shock absorption.
Offered in sizes from .6-2.25 in. OD, 3-piece Zero-backlash Jaw Couplings are comprised of 2 hubs with curved jaws and elastic element. Polyurethane spider provides dampening of impulse type loads, minimizing shock to motor and other sensitive equipment. Blue spiders have durometer of 85 shore, while yellow spiders are 92 shore, and red spiders are 98 shore. Standoffs, located on spider limbs, assist in angular misalignment capabilities, as well as electrical isolation.

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LED Headlamp weighs 2.75 oz with batteries.
Hands-free Enduroâ"¢ LED Headlight features 0.5 W LED designed to last 100,000 hr while providing up to 18 lumens of output. Two-stage switch offers choice of high and low beam settings, providing up to 24 hr of continuous runtime on low-beam setting and up to 7 hr on high-beam setting. Water-resistant, O-ring sealed, polycarbonate lens and body withstand harsh conditions. Head strap combines non-slip security with flexibility to accommodate range of head sizes.

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