Coal for Oil (more Yang for the buck)

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Not too long ago, America traded food for oil at less than $11/barrel! That is probably not a sustainable type of transaction when the whole world is taken into consideration...

The oilmen state that it takes 2 barrels of crude to make 1 barrel of petrol. Why not produce 2 barrels of petrol from 2 barrels of crude using COAL in the production process? The Saudi's or any oil producing region could DOUBLE their crude supply and it would be sustainable.

Perhaps it just takes a lot of heat to produce petrol? The 45 proposed new nuclear power plants for the US could be located in the Middle East? That's about 15 nuclear plants each for Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia?

According to Ancient Mystery Texts discredited by Keynesians, sustainable American exports would balance the heavy Yang of crude imports bought with borrowed money, keep the American dollar afloat and make survival in the grocery store just a little bit easier when the whole world is taken into consideration...

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Oilman T. Boone Pickens suggests that 'Wind for Gas' is one way to bank on alternatives to overseas crude oil. Seems like his plan is to use wind to generate electricity and put propane in cars' gas tanks instead of petrol from crude oil.

Hey T., y'all pick a good name fer yer fill'n stations first! Everything else in your plan will fall into place after that.

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In 1922, a Frenchman doubled the amount of gasoline produced from crude oil using the Houdry process.

The Houdry process still relies on mass quantities of heat produced mainly from burning crude oil. If the heat was replaced by COAL or NUCLEAR heat sources, the refinery efficiency could be dramatically altered. The US has 5 PADD refinery districts. In 2006, only 2 districts used COAL directly and only in a very small amount.

China with its vast COAL production capabilities is willing and able to rescue the American driver so that they can continue to drive to the shopping mall and continue to be American consumers.

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Ocean Ethanol claims that it can make a petrol alternative from the evil green house gas (CO2). Sounds like they have a device that generates electricity from 'empty' oil wells too

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OLD West style refineries are inefficient

In 2000, 69 percent of refinery fuel consumption consisted of petroleum products (68 percent of petroleum products consumed was refinery still gas). Purchased natural gas accounted for 28 percent of delivered energy consumed at refineries in 2000. Machinery and other miscellaneous equipment are powered mainly by electricity, which is either cogenerated with steam in the refinery, or purchased from an electricity generator. In 2000, purchased electricity accounted for 4 percent of the delivered energy consumed in refineries. (1)

NEW, competition based, refineries must be built that are efficient in terms of total world energy supply (crude, coal, steam, electricity, wind, etc).

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(1) EIA analysis

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In the 1990's, US refineries used about 5X as much COAL as in the first decade of the 2000's. The price of crude was 10X less in the 1990's.

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How about 'T-bones' for Pickens' fill'n stations?

Pickens might want to point out that 'Refining' natural gas takes a whole, heck of a bunch LESS enegry than Refining crude oil. If you called it by the 'barrel', you get close to one barrel of 'refined' natural gas for each barrel of 'crude' natural gas pumped out of the ground.

The natural gas refining process is a more simple process which mostly cleans and dries the gas.

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The UAE will be building nuclear power plants in the Middle East. The UAE believes

nuclear power-generation represents an environmentally promising and commercially competitive option which could make a significant contribution to the UAE's economy and energy security.
GulfNews

Every barrel of oil that isn't burned to produce electricity, steam and desalinated water for steam is another barrel that can be added to secure and peaceful energy reserves.

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Another Gas Guzzler:

...1,200 megawatt Rabigh fuel-oil fired power plant...

MSN MoneyCentral

At that rate, the Saudis will guzzle more gas than Americans but then as one American said while pumping his guzzler full of fuel, "I don't care how much gas costs..." *

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* Said prior to economic crisis, circa fall of 2008.