SC is not equipped with the infrastructure needed to supply gas units. The only major gas line large enough to supply large gas units is located along the I-85 corridor. Hence the idea of drilling offshore.
This is crucial. However, think about LNG coming also. I am pretty sure I know who you work for, but I won’t say since you have not.
You have coal railed in. LNG can be moved the same way. There’s also that technology where they mix with water and freeze as a solid. So it may not all be necessarily piping-dependent here.
I know it isn’t what’s common right now, but it seems to be a direction things are wanting to head in.
I have had several friends go through having to relocate due to their power plants being shut down. The new law will definitely increase that effect for us here unless you can change the plants over to more NG, right?
Landfills… I know a little about them too; more than I want to know, actually. We’ll see more changes in that area as well if they continue developing the LNG and SNG technology.
That’s what makes tapping into our NG resources offshore a no-brainer. NG is a much cleaner fuel than coal…and even the most ardent tree-huggers have to admit that.
Drill, baby, drill…
That’s my mantra.
“Never argue with an idiot…he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.”
I cant speak educationally on the NG conversion of coal units. I do know that neighboring power companies have done so with some success. I am also not sure about the cost/output ratio. I also know that the coal units that were retired were extremely old, and retrofitting them with newer exhaust emissions controls werent worth the dollars it would take to do so compared to their outputs. The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze. Again, more costs handed down to the end user. By the way, those shutdowns were done in order to comply with the 2012 EPA standards, which we will not meet if the new standard takes effect.
I also do not know the logistics involved in trucking or railing NG to a facility. I do know that NG units are extremely reliable and efficient… as well as cheap RIGHT NOW. That also is subject to change. With drilling offshore of SC and providing other means to obtain the fuel, then I would assume that prices would stay close to where they are now… Just my guess.
Below is a link to a plant under construction in Mississippi (Kemper, Southern Company). It is a new Clean Coal (lignite) gasification plant that should come on-line soon. Testing thus far has went well last I heard.
The construction costs have escalated greatly and SO CO has had to eat ALOT of the increases. In the long run, this may turn out to be OK, as it does cost to advance with technology. We will see.
I heard SO CO was trying to develop something of this nature but hadn’t heard the details. Interesting stuff indeed. If they are successful with this, I am sure others will follow suit. I am also willing to bet, So Co is going to gamble somewhat on the coal quality they can use to help lessen operating costs. I am purely making an assumption, but by gasifying the coal, they are probably thinking it will produce similar Btu ratings as a more expensive, higher quality coal.
There is plenty of plain old sandy bottom in 60/80 feet of water. I agree that they don’t need mess up any live bottom, but it could certainly improve fishing for Gags, bsb, snapper, Kings, Cobia, and other species.
Actually, the surfaces at the outside of the wheel travel much greater distances that the inside----- I actually got out my bike to see about this wheel thing .
The enviro groups fail to recognize that petroleum is a natural compound on this earth. It is abundant , and an excellent source of energy. There are many places in this world that have petroleum on the surface - on land and water. The enviros never want to talk about the chemical process to make solar panels, and the number of birds killed in wind “farms”.
The GOM oil and the Alaska Valdese spill was followed by a huge invasion of enviro types just looking for problems. However, the fail to recognize that the petroleum biz has done more to improve wildlife habitat in the GOM than could ever be imagined. One good volcanic eruption negates all the carbon the wackos save in 20 years
The original post that I put up is just a cut and paste of an email that was forwarded to me. I was totally ignorant of this topic until now. I’m trying to get quickly educated. Since I live in Beaufort I’m taking my fishing team/group to the meeting
Phin, I’m still trying to refine down to 1 or 2 points that I might make at this “meeting”
The original post that I put up is just a cut and paste of an email that was forwarded to me. I was totally ignorant of this topic until now. I’m trying to get quickly educated. Since I live in Beaufort I’m taking my fishing team/group to the meeting.
I’ll keep y’all posted on what I find out.
Baracuda, can you fill me in on any potential negative effects from just the exploration part of it?
It’s a little confusing now having 3 different places we’re talking about this. But no big deal I just have to copy whatever point I want to make to 3 different discussions.
You boys are dumber than a bag of hammers. Big oil and gas will come in, destroy the environment, and only a few of the already super wealthy will make off with the loot. We however, will be left holding the sh*t bag. Just like in EVERY place they have ever set up shop. Get off your ass and take a look what the gulf coast looks like now. Ask the shrimpers how they are doing. Ever heard or Corexit? Jesus. Check out this episode of VICE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URAFvSYHOEg
All I can say is if you support this horrible idea, you deserve what you get. Any South Carolina resident who enjoys the outdoors and more specifically the coast of SC should be overwhelmingly against this project. Almost everyone I know makes a living off of tourism. One oil spill and that game is over. OVER… Lastly. Big Oil and gas have made a living convincing dim people that this is a good idea. Where do you figure in? Show some balls people. The time is now to stand up and be heard. Make sure EVERY politician who supports this knows they will pay a huge price at the polls.
I know several gulf coast shrimpers and lots of fishermen. They had a GREAT year 2014. The oil industry is even more regulated than fishing is. The industry has made huge advances in safety and spill prevention. All that is on the table now is exploration. Nothing will be harmed - not one whale or dolphin was ever confirmed killed by exploration in the gulf. The doomsayers will always be around.
You boys are dumber than a bag of hammers. Big oil and gas will come in, destroy the environment, and only a few of the already super wealthy will make off with the loot. We however, will be left holding the sh*t bag. Just like in EVERY place they have ever set up shop.
I respect your opinion, but you may want to educate yourself on what commodity is sought off our coast along with the means of extraction, processing and transport. We are quite different from what is in the Gulf.
If it was drilling for oil, I’d be against it. I’d be with you. I’d call everyone dumber than a bag of hammers.
However, I don’t really appreciate being called dumber than a bag of hammers if I don’t take an extreme approach in opposing what is coming off our coast anyway because of the enormous amount of political and financial interest in it. That is not how you are heard and listened to as you ask for drilling not to occur inshore of the 30 fathom curve nor where there is any sort of reef or unique habitat such as clay tilefish habitat or oculina corals. That is not how you are heard when you ask for royalties to go to the states to help fix our roads and buy conservation easements from the private sector. None of that works if you take a knee jerk position as if big oil is coming to ruin us all.
“It’s” coming anyway. Don’t you get it?
Natural gas and liquefied natural gas are a regional product, and their supply to us locally will impact our own energy prices as coal gets choked out by the EPA and the global warming folks.
Also, I have friends and family who have made a livelihood in the gulf due to this industry, and all were devastated by the DWH spill. They were the ones crying and in ruins over what had happened to them. I am not stupid enough t
There is plenty of plain old sandy bottom in 60/80 feet of water. I agree that they don’t need mess up any live bottom, but it could certainly improve fishing for Gags, bsb, snapper, Kings, Cobia, and other species.
Guess what happens when they start pushing around that sandy bottom? Where does it get deposited? It's already been documented that the number one reason for natural live bottom destruction is beach re-nourishment projects.
Keep in mind a lot of the “boys in the gulf” like TX and AL did NOT have natural live bottoms, so yes, any structure in the gulf was better than sandy bottom. We don’t need it. We have a great fishery.
Other than the potential to catch tuna, I have to ask “what’s in it for me?” Why should the common person care if big oil\gas is allowed to set up shop here? Jobs? Is that the argument? Maybe I am selfish, but I don’t plan to apply for a job on an oil rig.
Also, I have to ask the philosophical question. Why drill here when the middle east is selling at rock bottom prices right now? Wouldn’t it be better for national security if we sucked them dry and saved our oil for a rainy day? Or should we just burn up all of our oil first and then one day beg them for prices better than $300 barrel when they are the last ones holding? I can’t wait to fight the apocalypse when we have burned through our fuel and our jets are powered by hamster wheels when the middle east is the place you can get oil for the machines.
As Warren Buffet would advise: “Buy low, sell high”…
Keep in mind a lot of the “boys in the gulf” like TX and AL did NOT have natural live bottoms, so yes, any structure in the gulf was better than sandy bottom. We don’t need it. We have a great fishery.
Other than the potential to catch tuna, I have to ask “what’s in it for me?” Why should the common person care if big oil\gas is allowed to set up shop here? Jobs? Is that the argument? Maybe I am selfish, but I don’t plan to apply for a job on an oil rig.
Also, I have to ask the philosophical question. Why drill here when the middle east is selling at rock bottom prices right now? Wouldn’t it be better for national security if we sucked them dry and saved our oil for a rainy day? Or should we just burn up all of our oil first and then one day beg them for prices better than $300 barrel when they are the last ones holding? I can’t wait to fight the apocalypse when we have burned through our fuel and our jets are powered by hamster wheels when the middle east is the place you can get oil for the machines.
As Warren Buffet would advise: “Buy low, sell high”…
It isn’t about oil and the international market. It’s about natural gas and domestic energy production.
The middle east nor American reserves will come anywhere near “drying up” in our lifetimes.
This has nothing to do with that.
Think coal miners, frackers, and nuclear alarmists instead.
Natural gas is at the highest supply it’s ever been. Prices are lower than they have been in decades. We need to tap more???
Peak Oil is real. If it wasn’t, why is the middle east investing heavily in offshore drilling technology that’s 100x more expensive than drilling on land?
Secondly, I don’t know what you mean by “drying up”… It doesn’t have to “dry up”. Oil at $170+ a barrel had significant effects on the US economy just a few years ago. Supply and demand. The less oil there is and harder to get, the higher prices people will pay for it. It doesn’t need to dry up to pay $5 a gallon at the pump. But, we will definitely see $5+ again in our lifetime. Maybe $10.
