I'm thinking we here in the good ole USA are targets as well:I hope that their arrogance will make it clear to europeans that the real target of all the shenanigans against Russia is really the European Union, there's really no other clear target for their games.
The US Is Now Sending the Bulk of Its Export Gas to Europe
The US sent nearly three quarters of all its liquefied natural gas to Europe in the first four months of 2022, up from one third last year.How Joe Biden Made the War in Ukraine a Gift to the Gas Industry
Within weeks of the invasion, his administration had adopted the sector’s policy demands.[...], the Biden administration has vowed to supply the European Union with at least 15 billion cubic meters of gas, equivalent to about half the amount of gas burned by Spain each year, by the end of 2022. The Department of Energy did not respond to questions as to how the new gas operations fitted with Biden’s goal of slashing US emissions in half this decade.
The US only began shipping LNG overseas in 2016 but has now become the largest exporter in the world, surpassing longtime export leaders Qatar and Australia. The majority of the gas is fracked in the Permian basin, an oil- and gas-rich area in Texas and New Mexico, before being taken in pipelines and by train to the Gulf of Mexico coast, where it is chilled and loaded on to ships.
Three export facilities under construction on the coast are set to further cement American dominance of the sector when they are fully operational by 2025, sandwiched in a landscape already thick with petroleum refineries and plastics companies that cause severe air pollution and noise that blights nearby residents, mostly people of color.
Much of the new gas infrastructure won’t be operational for several years, which may be beyond the timeframe of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has squeezed supplies and caused gas prices to spike. So much LNG export is planned or under construction, adding up to about half of all total US gas production, that it will probably cause gas prices to climb for domestic American users, according to Clark Williams-Derry, analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
“It’s beginning to eat into the amount of gas available to domestic consumers,” said Williams-Derry. “We will see very severe impacts on domestic US gas prices. We will see the impacts for as long as the eye can see.”
The crisis in Ukraine has, however, helped several LNG companies record bumper profits this year. The export company Cheniere earned $3.8bn more in cash from its operations in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period last year, while Sempra, a gas liquifying company, has enjoyed an eightfold increase in LNG sales to Europe.
[...]
But the extraction, transportation and liquefaction required to create LNG for export creates almost as much emissions as burning the gas itself, according to a 2020 analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
The NRDC said these extra emissions mean LNG’s greenhouse gas impact is “at best, only modestly smaller than that of other fossil fuels.” A key problem is that gas drilling produces a large amount of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is far more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
I read somewhere exactly how much LNG Biden's been sending to Europe, but don't remember now where I saw it. Meanwhile:
A fire broke out at a refinery operated by BP in Toledo, Ohio, on Tuesday, with two people injured [they died], according to a spokeswoman for the company.
The refinery was shut down soon after the fire broke out, the spokeswoman also said, as quoted by NBC News.
First responders are at the scene, working to put the fire out. The cause remains to yet be determined, media reported, citing emergency service officials. Reuters noted in its report that the refinery had just come out of maintenance.
The facility has a capacity of close to 160,000 bpd of crude oil and is co-owned by BP and Canada’s Cenovus. Last month, Cenovus agreed to buy BP’s 50-percent share in the facility and become its sole owner. The Canadian company inherited the stake from Husky, with which it merged last year.
The Toledo facility also suffered a fire in November last year, and an explosion in January this year. Neither of the incidents resulted in any injuries.
The Toledo refinery employs more than 840 people and can produce 3.8 million gallons of gasoline, 1.3 million gallons of diesel, and 600,000 gallons of jet fuel, according to the company’s fact sheet on the facility.
This is the second refinery fire in a BP-operated facility in the last two months. In late August, a fire broke out at the Whiting refinery in Indiana and sparked fears of a gasoline shortage across four states just as fuel prices were on a recovery curve after soaring earlier this year to all-time highs.
The electrical fire led to the shutdown of several units at the facility and prompted a declaration of emergency across four states, including Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. All four states get their gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from the Whiting refinery. The 435,000-bpd refinery, which is the largest in the Midwest, restarted a week later.
Oil Prices Set To Spike Again Due To Struggling Global Supply Chain
A short respite from rising oil and gasoline prices is about to end as 2022 comes to a close. The reasons are numerous, but almost all of them relate directly to the supply chain. Mainstream estimates suggest a return to $100 per barrel for the Brent which would inflate gasoline prices back to around $5 per gallon on average in the US. These projections are likely conservative.
It should be noted that it's unusual for the mainstream financial media or mainstream analysts to suggest the idea of a renewed energy price spike. With mid-term elections closing in, higher gas prices would put a damper on any chances democrats might have in maintaining a political majority. Stagflationary pressures already top the list of public concerns in the US, far above social issues and geopolitical conflicts. Higher energy costs would be more than unwelcome going into winter.
This is the reason why Joe Biden has been so exuberant about releasing oil supplies from the US strategic reserves for the past several months. Biden's plan unleashed 1 million barrels per day into the supply chain and is set to end in October. The reserves are now depleted to the lowest levels since 1984, with gas prices STILL nearly double what they were when Biden entered the White House. It is essentially market manipulation at the expense of US strategic readiness and for the express purpose of political gain.
More:
Ohio electric bills to increase in summer amid high natural gas prices
Ohioans may spend more on electricity this summer as the weather warms up and utilities contend with a surge in natural gas prices.Standard electric generation rates will increase beginning next month based on prices that were set in the latest auction for utilities. Ohio allows consumers to shop for their energy suppliers, but those who don't are charged a default rate negotiated through the bidding process.It's not just gas prices at the pump rising: Expect an 'extremely volatile' year for natural gas
It’s not just gas prices at the pump that are rising. The cost of natural gas has spiked this year, too, creating another concern for consumers as inflation lingers at a 40-year high.
The benchmark price for U.S. natural gas jumped to the highest level since 2008, closing at $7.82 per million British thermal units on April 18. Prices have since eased – settling at $6.67 this Monday – but remain at levels not seen in more than a decade.
Though this won’t immediately affect consumers’ wallets, experts say it could lead to higher heating costs in winter 2023.
In certain regions of the country, "a double-digit percentage increase is not out of the question" if high prices persist, says Eugene Kim, a research director focusing on natural gas with energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
Reminder: Your electric bill represents the total costs of supply and delivery.
The proposed generation hikes vary by utility and must first be confirmed by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
American Electric Power in Columbus, for example, is poised to increase its rate by about 2 cents per kilowatt hour. That means people using 1,000 kilowatt-hours each month would spend $18 more on their bill.
So, food and energy costs are escalating along with hints of possible future shortages - and oh, add water to the mix - it appears intended for all of us:
Water And Energy Shortages Are Fueling A Global Food Crisis
- The ongoing energy crisis is weighing on the global economy.
- High energy costs are also sparking a fertilizer shortage and in turn, food shortages.
- North America, Europe, and China are all facing unprecedented droughts.
Yeah - just picture humanity with this on our backs: