Aug 21

Crude Oil: Black Gold or Black Menace?
With all the publicity nowadays surrounding the price of Crude Oil, I resolved to write an enlightening article on the backdrop of the so-called “Black Gold.” I’ll briefly go over history, environmental effects, pricing and the future of the thick black sludge that is coveted by every major economy in the world. Hopefully you can reach a better point of view on the subject.  The history of Crude Oil is too immense to discuss in this brief editorial so I will limit it to a general overview. The first oil wells were drilled in China in the 4th century. They where as much as 243 meters deep and were drilled utilizing drill bits attached to bamboo poles. The contemporary history of crude began in 1846, with the breakthrough of the process of refining kerosene from coal by Atlantic Canada’s Abraham Pineo Gesner. The first rock oil mine was built in Bobrka, Poland the following year. These breakthroughs rapidly spread around the world, and Meerzoeff built the first Russian refinery in the mature oil fields at Baku in 1861.  James Miller Williams in Oil Springs, Ontario, Canada in 1858, excavated the first commercial oil well drilled in North America. The American petroleum industry commenced with Edwin Drake’s discovery of oil in 1859, near Titusville, Pennsylvania. The industry matured slowly in the 1800s, driven by the demand for kerosene and oil lamps. It became a major national business in the early part of the 20th century. With the introduction of the internal combustion engine came a need that has largely sustained the industry to this day.  While we all need to get to work in some way or another, rarely does anyone consider the environmental effects of the fuel that powers our mode of transportation. Yes we know that the emissions from are cars, buses and trains have a green house effect on our delicate environment; but what about the rest of our ecology? Oil extraction is costly and occasionally environmentally detrimental, although Dr. John Hunt from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution revealed in a 1981 paper that over 70% of the reserves in the world are associated with visible macroseepages, and numerous oil fields are found due to natural leaks. Offshore exploration and extraction of oil agitates the encompassing marine environment. Exploration could call for dredging, which stirs up the sea bottom, stamping out the ocean plants that nautical creatures need to survive. Not to mention the typical Crude Oil and refined fuel spills from tanker ship accidents. All of these factors have tainted frail ecosystems all over the world. Petroleum products are priced like most commodities: supply and demand. While this may sound simple, the actual start to finish process can be a lot more complex subject. References to oil prices are generally related to the spot price of either WTI/Light Crude as traded on New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Priced by the barrel, Crude Oil is rapidly becoming the most costly commodity on the market (second only to Gold). Oil pricing is extremely reliant on both its grade and location. The vast majority of oil will not be traded on an exchange but on an over-the-counter basis, typically with reference to a standard crude oil grade that is quoted via a pricing agency such as Argus Media Ltd or Platts. It is often claimed that OPEC arranges the oil price and the real monetary value of a barrel of oil is in the area of $2, which is equivalent to the cost of extraction of a barrel in the Middle East. These appraisals of costs disregard the cost of finding and developing oil reserves.  You can’t talk about the future of oil without talking about the “Hubbert Peak” oil theory. This hypothesis depicts the long-term rate of production of conventional oil and other fuels. It assumes that oil reserves are not replenishable. It also predicts that future world oil production must unavoidably reach a crest and then decline as these reserves are exhausted. Like every other theory of any importance it is highly controversial. “When will the Oil actually start to run out?” is the big question. No matter how you look at it, our society needs to concentrate more efforts on either alternative fuels or more fuel-efficient modes of transportation. While I’m sure that the oil won’t peter out in my life time I would like to think we can leave this world a better place for future generations. In closing, I hope this article has given you a better understanding of the topic and made you a more informed consumer. So the next time your grumbling at the price of gas, at least you’ll understand what you re complaining about. If you would like to read more on the topic of Crude Oil, you can vistit http://www.crudeoilrefineryhome.com/ or read one of the books listed at the end of this article.  Books about the petroleum industry: James Howard Kunstler (2005). The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-first Century. Atlantic Monthly Press.  C.J. Campbell (2004). The Coming Oil Crisis.  Peter Odell (2004). Why Carbon Fuels Will Dominate the 21st Century’s Global Energy Economy. Multi Science.  Amory B. Lovins (2004). Winning the Oil Endgame. Rocky Mountain Institute.  Vaclav Smil (2003). Energy at the Crossroads : Global Perspectives and Uncertainties. The MIT Press.Stephen Nelson is a professional commodity trader that specializes in the energy market. http://www.crudeoilrefineryhome.com/
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Used car auctions are the best deals money can buy
Cars have become a crucial part of life. Many people are found of having different cars in fact for many it has became a style statement. They love to keep as many as models as they can. They even don t mind to buy the used or a pre-owned vehicle. For this purpose the best place to buy used cars is through the General Services Administration (GSA). GSA is a federal agency that offers vehicles in auction. The cars are acquired through Government agencies such as IRS, DEA, FBI and the police departments through seized and foreclosure laws and auctioned off to the general public. These cars are listed and sold at up to 95% off of their original values and sometimes, these auctions may start from $100 only. The cars are sold very quickly as their storage costs are very high. Now the questioned rose why government sell it own vehicles? And the answer to the question is that the us government sell their own vehicle due to regular change in policies or due to the financial concerns or technological changes, At these times, the vehicles are written off the books by selling out to the general public. Government Vehicles may come from several different sources. Generally, a vehicle can only be sold at a government auction if it is purchased under a federal or state government contract. To appreciate the numbers of vehicles up for the auction in this way, one needs to think of the long list of the different departments and levels of government in the US. Some of the sources of these used vehicles include the Federal Government, State Government, Local Councils organizations, Police Services / departments (incl. Sheriffs/Marshall s Dept.), Fire & Emergency Services, Religious Groups & other Non-profit Organizations, Universities & other Education Organizations, as well as Hospitals & Ambulance Services. Thousands of repossessed and seized vehicles are also auctioned off at these auctions. Moreover, Government and Police auctions are considered more authentic in the country. A large number of approximately new cars get forfeited or seized by the financial institutions everyday from people who fail to pay their car mortgage or lease costs. These cars are also auctioned off in a hurry, because the rate of accumulating the cars compensates the banks’ ability to get the lost money back (similar to the police auctions, etc.). These auctions are thus the best place for people with access to straight sources to acquire a used car at offers that look unbelievably cheap to an average car buyer. However, this is real and is taken advantage by many car dealers. However not everyone can buy cars in this manner as this source of revenue is protected for the majority of car dealerships and not journalized. The general masses might have to go through the dealer or a classified ads routine. However, several organizations have gathered enough information and access rights to be able to let their members enjoy a multitude of the direct sources, whereby one can find their next vehicle with up to 90% savings off the book value price. Buying a car can be a difficult and stressful process but GAS makes it enjoyable and fun experience. One just needs to go to the police or government department of cheap used car auction. Before setting his maximum bid for sale, it is essential to look at the condition of car and to do the preliminary investigation.Get yourself a cheap car through <a href="http://www.gov-auctions.org/">Used Car Auctions</a>. Also Get important updates about <a href="http://cars.gov-auctions.org/">Local Auto Auctions</a> at our blog.
Source: www.ArticlePros.com