NEWS: Europe to send emergency oil to US, page 1

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Topic started on 2-9-2005 @ 09:35 AM by FredT

The United States has requested emergency oil assistance from the European Union. The operation, coordinated by the International Energy Agency could ship as much as 2 million barrels a day to help offset the loss of Gulf Coast production. Both Germany and Spain have already indicated they can ship at anytime. The supplies would come from the countries emergency supplies.

news.yahoo.com
PARIS (Reuters) - Europe will dip into its emergency reserves of gasoline to help the United States through an energy crisis that began when Hurricane Katrina smashed into Gulf coast refiners, EU governments said on Friday.

Spain and Germany said they were ready and able to send fuel across the Atlantic in an operation coordinated by the West's energy watchdog, the International Energy Agency. The United States confirmed it had requested assistance.

EU nations have watched in horror as the world's richest country struggles with the aftermath of Katrina. Thousands are feared dead and troops in the flooded city of New Orleans have been told to shoot-to-kill to crack down on looting.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

As with any disaster it is nice to see help coming from around the world. I was surprised to see that many of the EU countries have substantial reserves to cover almost 90 days of use. The SPR pales in comparison, but we do have a much larger country. I think that the reserve should be expanded to at least the 90 day mark as any major crisis cutting off oil imports is unlikely to be resolved in 30 days. Kudos to the nations of the EU willing to help us in this time of crisis. It will take at least ten days for the oil to reach the U.S. but everything helps.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 09:38 AM by Uncle Joe

Well, its only polite to help a friend in need.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 09:39 AM by worldwatcher

this is good news for the short term, but where is this crude going to be refined at? are the operational refineries capable of handling the nation's gasoline consumption?

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 09:39 AM by stumason

Its nice to see, that despite political differences, many countries in the world are still willing to help the US when it needs it.

Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, said that its members would provide whatever assistance was requested by the US.

US consumers are having to get used to spending more to fill up
"Whatever they ask for they will be given, from reserves of oil that different countries have provided, to any other thing they may need," he said.
BBC

Although us Brits won't be sending oil...

In contrast, British foreign secretary Jack Straw said that EU members would focus on providing humanitarian aid and that the use of their petroleum reserves was "not in people's minds".

But, even after everything is said and done, including the call for Assasinating it's President, Venezuela is ready to donate Oil too...

A host of other nations have offered assistance including Venezuela, the world's fifth largest oil producer and a staunch critic of US foreign policy, which has offered to provide cheap fuel.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 09:45 AM by FredT

Originally posted by worldwatcher
this is good news for the short term, but where is this crude going to be refined at? are the operational refineries capable of handling the nation's gasoline consumption?

The article also mentioned gasoline reserves as well. Perhaps the petroleum is already refined?

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 09:47 AM by stumason

I think this is where language differences occur. To us, at least in the UK, petroleum is an already refined product, like your "Gas", hence us Brits calling fuel "Petrol".

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 10:01 AM by Rikimaru

Originally posted by stumason
I think this is where language differences occur. To us, at least in the UK, petroleum is an already refined product, like your "Gas", hence us Brits calling fuel "Petrol".

Hmmm, I thought it was because the british had to be different in someway

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 10:30 AM by stumason

Originally posted by Rikimaru

Originally posted by stumason
I think this is where language differences occur. To us, at least in the UK, petroleum is an already refined product, like your "Gas", hence us Brits calling fuel "Petrol".

Hmmm, I thought it was because the british had to be different in someway

...and there I was thinking the opposite!!

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 10:34 AM by elevatedone

Originally posted by worldwatcher
this is good news for the short term, but where is this crude going to be refined at? are the operational refineries capable of handling the nation's gasoline consumption?

Here's one that could help ...

Refinery at 'reduced' capacity

CATLETTSBURG A local refinery that typically pumps out 220,000 barrels of oil a day has cut production because of supply problems caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Officials with Marathon Petroleum Company, which owns Catlettsburg Refining LLC, said Thursday the plant is operating at a "reduced rate" because the main pipeline which supplies crude from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest had been shut down for the past five days.

The pipe, referred to as the Cap Line, was reopened Thursday, along with several gasoline pipelines, but was not at full capacity, according to a release from the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet.

The reopened Cap Line doesn't necessarily mean a return to normalcy at Catlettsburg, said Chris Fox, a Marathon spokeswoman.

Fox wouldn't say how many barrels a day Catlettsburg is currently producing.

"We hope to resume shipments of oil from the Gulf Coast, but we don't know if there's any crude oil to run in the pipeline yet," she said. "Until the situation stabilizes, we won't know where we sit."

This refinery is in my home town... Catlettsburg KY, My dad retired from this refinery, I've actually been inside this place...

Send the oil here ...

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 10:47 AM by subz

Im sorry but shouldnt we ship our oil reserves to the United States after their own strategic reserve is empty? Why should we get rid of ours while they still have theirs? Im all for helping out with humanitarian aid but this just seems like stupidty to me. What are we going to do when we have a major disaster?

And Rikimaru, its not us who change words just to be different, it is our language after all.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 10:55 AM by junglejake

Originally posted by subz
Im sorry but shouldnt we ship our oil reserves to the United States after their own strategic reserve is empty? Why should we get rid of ours while they still have theirs? Im all for helping out with humanitarian aid but this just seems like stupidty to me. What are we going to do when we have a major disaster?

Because Americans have been Johnny On The Spot in times of need for other countries without asking questions. We donated like mad for the tsunami in the pacific rim, and we didn't demand that the individual governments go broke before they could get any money to help people.

Also, the strategic oil reserves ar unrefined oil. They're there in the event of a war, and we don't know how we'd need it. So, we keep it unrefined to be flexible. From what I've gathered from this article and others posts, it sounds like it's processed "petrol" that is being sent, what we desperatly need.

Americans have a spirit of giving, even when that gift isn't the final recourse. I'm happy to see that many other nations are the same way. They're there to help out a fellow ally in need.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 10:56 AM by yadboy

Originally posted by subz
Im sorry but shouldnt we ship our oil reserves to the United States after their own strategic reserve is empty? Why should we get rid of ours while they still have theirs? Im all for helping out with humanitarian aid but this just seems like stupidty to me. What are we going to do when we have a major disaster?

And Rikimaru, its not us who change words just to be different, it is our language after all.

Two great points Subz. A lot of people here in the US seem to forget that the UK was here first.

I also agree that if it comes down to it the US should at least match oil donantions from other nations reserves with the same amount from it's own. We really shouldn't except others to tap their reserves if we don't.

As to wheater tapping our reserves at all is a good idea, I'm not qualified to answer that question, but I've read a lot from others on these boards that seem to suggest it wouldn't make much difference.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 10:59 AM by Uncle Joe

It is perhaps more of a symbolic gesture than a practical one, but it will help relieve the immediate shortage, and given the US reaction to the crisis I wouldnt trust the US government to find its bum with both hands at the moment, let alone deal with a fuel shortage.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 11:01 AM by junglejake

The first order of business is to take down and remove these gas stations from the map that are plainly taking advantage of a national tragedy. People are charging as much as $6/gallon! Why? Well, because they can and desperate people have no choice but to pay. We need to crack down on these scumbags, they're no better than the person stealing a TV in New Orleans.

It really is ironic. Hawaii, usually leading the nation in gas prices, has the lowest in the US right now.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 11:08 AM by Nygdan

Originally posted by subz
What are we going to do when we have a major disaster?

Maybe the US will lease you part of iraq for a few decades and you can use that.

reply posted on 2-9-2005 @ 11:54 AM by subz

Originally posted by junglejake
Because Americans have been Johnny On The Spot in times of need for other countries without asking questions. We donated like mad for the tsunami in the pacific rim, and we didn't demand that the individual governments go broke before they could get any money to help people.

So? Im not saying we shouldnt help with humanitarian aid but your country has millions of barrels of oil already in reserve for these occasions. Why should we send you our oil before you crack open your own reserves? Thats my point, it not about helping our American cousins at all. And for the record the United States was woefully down the list of top donors to the Tsunami effort, in percentage of GDP terms its one of the most miserly nations on the planet (since you brought it up).

Originally posted by junglejake
Also, the strategic oil reserves ar unrefined oil. They're there in the event of a war, and we don't know how we'd need it. So, we keep it unrefined to be flexible. From what I've gathered from this article and others posts, it sounds like it's processed "petrol" that is being sent, what we desperatly need.

From the original news story
But European oil will take at least 10 days to reach U.S. shores and tanker space is in short supply with many commercial ships already under charter and crossing the Atlantic.

Both "gasoline" and "oil" is mentioned in this story. So I assume Europe has both "gasoline" and "oil" in strategic reserve. If we send petrol then fine, thats understandable, but not our oil.