Article on Diesel fuel in Car & Driver...
- Thread starter drchris1024
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"Saddle up!"
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For what it is worth, here is my $ 1.50 worth.
China and India are working overtime to ramp up their industrial infrastructure thereby sucking up much of the readily available global natural resources.
In addition to oil they are having an impact on the price and availability of metals. Steel, stainless steel and aluminum, and titanium are really taking a hit.
Don't forget the war effort (no politics). It takes a lot of fuel to support our military forces worldwide.
Plus, I read a couple of weeks ago, two US refineries were shut down. Don't know the reason or which fuels they produced. It was just a quick blurb on Bloomberg.
Huge, record oil company profits are a big reason as well. A very vicious circle it is.
China is second only to the US in daily oil consumption...as the populace of China moves from peddling rickshaws to driving, they will surely surpass us in short order.
Plus, a huge amount of Venezuelan barrels per day have been diverted from the US to China shores.
The disparity of diesel prices are apparent. Just in my little suburb of the suburbs of Dallas, fuel ranges $ 2.17 to $ 2.39. In all cases, 10 to 15 cents per gallon more than gas.
Diesel is the fuel of choice for China & India. Three cylinder diesel vehicles like Toyota trucks are more than common. Diesel powered generators etc.
Not only is crude being diverted but, I have read, that refined US made diesel is also shipping overseas.
Also keep in mind that the US hasn't built a new refinery in many, many years. Decades, as I understand it. How many diesels of all kinds are on the road today compared to even 5 years ago? How many more homes are warmed by heating oil compared to 5 years ago? US diesel manufacturing capacity is max'ed out.
A simple rule of supply and demand.
BTW: The EPA boys have stifled the building of new power plants in the US as well...has your pay check increased by the same % as your energy bill? Typically, not.
Home building in the US, over the last 5 years, has been at a record pace. They all require energy plus one diesel truck, or diesel VW it seems, in many a driveway.
I am typically not a pessimist but in 10 or 20 years rickshaws could be the transportation mode of choice. The new yields to the old.
Last week in the Dallas Morning News:
Beijing: A leading Chinese oil producer, CNOOC, is considering making a competitive bid to Chevron's $ 16.4 billion offer for Unocal, as soaring demand puts pressure on China to find new oil supplies.
IMO: If CNOOC is successful, more fuels historically targeted to the US market will be diverted to China.
Fact is, they must feed the industrial beast. If they do not buy Unocal it will be someone else. It is not intended as a financial investment for the $$$$. But for the oil.
China is awakening folks and I don't think they are gonna care much about global economic impacts or EPA like issues.
I also agree with Rat’s statement that “we are being taken to the cleaners by clueless tree huggers.”
Well, there you go. How is that for a soapbox? And just a 3rd post at that.
China and India are working overtime to ramp up their industrial infrastructure thereby sucking up much of the readily available global natural resources.
In addition to oil they are having an impact on the price and availability of metals. Steel, stainless steel and aluminum, and titanium are really taking a hit.
Don't forget the war effort (no politics). It takes a lot of fuel to support our military forces worldwide.
Plus, I read a couple of weeks ago, two US refineries were shut down. Don't know the reason or which fuels they produced. It was just a quick blurb on Bloomberg.
Huge, record oil company profits are a big reason as well. A very vicious circle it is.
China is second only to the US in daily oil consumption...as the populace of China moves from peddling rickshaws to driving, they will surely surpass us in short order.
Plus, a huge amount of Venezuelan barrels per day have been diverted from the US to China shores.
The disparity of diesel prices are apparent. Just in my little suburb of the suburbs of Dallas, fuel ranges $ 2.17 to $ 2.39. In all cases, 10 to 15 cents per gallon more than gas.
Diesel is the fuel of choice for China & India. Three cylinder diesel vehicles like Toyota trucks are more than common. Diesel powered generators etc.
Not only is crude being diverted but, I have read, that refined US made diesel is also shipping overseas.
Also keep in mind that the US hasn't built a new refinery in many, many years. Decades, as I understand it. How many diesels of all kinds are on the road today compared to even 5 years ago? How many more homes are warmed by heating oil compared to 5 years ago? US diesel manufacturing capacity is max'ed out.
A simple rule of supply and demand.
BTW: The EPA boys have stifled the building of new power plants in the US as well...has your pay check increased by the same % as your energy bill? Typically, not.
Home building in the US, over the last 5 years, has been at a record pace. They all require energy plus one diesel truck, or diesel VW it seems, in many a driveway.
I am typically not a pessimist but in 10 or 20 years rickshaws could be the transportation mode of choice. The new yields to the old.
Last week in the Dallas Morning News:
Beijing: A leading Chinese oil producer, CNOOC, is considering making a competitive bid to Chevron's $ 16.4 billion offer for Unocal, as soaring demand puts pressure on China to find new oil supplies.
IMO: If CNOOC is successful, more fuels historically targeted to the US market will be diverted to China.
Fact is, they must feed the industrial beast. If they do not buy Unocal it will be someone else. It is not intended as a financial investment for the $$$$. But for the oil.
China is awakening folks and I don't think they are gonna care much about global economic impacts or EPA like issues.
I also agree with Rat’s statement that “we are being taken to the cleaners by clueless tree huggers.”
Well, there you go. How is that for a soapbox? And just a 3rd post at that.