4 ms·

Electric cars or not, the Saudi wells are likely running lower than advertised. They have been pumping sea water into well to force oil out of others for decade

by dexwiz 5y ago

Electric cars or not, the Saudi wells are likely running lower than advertised. They have been pumping sea water into well to force oil out of others for decades. This is what you do to extend the life of an oilfield. SA has a long history of keeping exact reserve sizes muddled to appear more powerful. Also Russian gas has only accelerated in recent years, their prime competitor.

eloff 5y ago
How is natural gas a competitor to oil? I know of nothing that can be powered by both. Natural gas is way more competitive in electric generation, but oil is not commonly used for that if there are other alternatives. These are two very different markets. The US and fracking have been the major competitor to the Saudis lately.
- lovemenot 5y ago
  >> How is natural gas a competitor to oil? Domestic heating?
  - eloff 5y ago
    Are there domestic heating systems that can work on both oil and gas? I've never encountered that, and it's pretty important in Canada where I live. I've only ever seen gas or electric here.
    - lovemenot 5y ago
      Not using same devices, but the same application. Oil-fired boiler was pretty common heating in UK when I was a kid. Not sure if it is still.
trhway 5y ago
> Also Russian gas has only accelerated in recent years, their prime competitor. Russia also achieved its major goal in Syria - maintaining Assad [Shia] regime (part of the Shia belt from Lebanon to Iran) thus preventing [Sunni] SA from building pipeline toward Europe which would have been a significant hit for Russian interests. Without such pipeline - if i remember correctly SA was recently trying to bring some stuff to Poland by sea at cheap prices, yet with no big success so far while Russia is nearing the completion of the Baltic sea floor pipeline directly to Germany. And at the same time US - SA's large market - is running a large fracking of its own and even explores the options of exporting that natural gas, and thus SA seems to start feeling a bit of squeeze, at least when it comes to natural gas. With "greenification" and electrification of economy the natural gas is the near- and mid-term future of our civilization when it comes to fossil fuels, and SA hasn't yet been as successful as they would like in securing the desired top spot in that future.

by dexwiz 5y ago

eloff 5y ago

How is natural gas a competitor to oil? I know of nothing that can be powered by both. Natural gas is way more competitive in electric generation, but oil is not commonly used for that if there are other alternatives. These are two very different markets. The US and fracking have been the major competitor to the Saudis lately.

lovemenot 5y ago
>> How is natural gas a competitor to oil? Domestic heating?
- eloff 5y ago
  Are there domestic heating systems that can work on both oil and gas? I've never encountered that, and it's pretty important in Canada where I live. I've only ever seen gas or electric here.
  - lovemenot 5y ago
    Not using same devices, but the same application. Oil-fired boiler was pretty common heating in UK when I was a kid. Not sure if it is still.

trhway 5y ago

> Also Russian gas has only accelerated in recent years, their prime competitor. Russia also achieved its major goal in Syria - maintaining Assad [Shia] regime (part of the Shia belt from Lebanon to Iran) thus preventing [Sunni] SA from building pipeline toward Europe which would have been a significant hit for Russian interests. Without such pipeline - if i remember correctly SA was recently trying to bring some stuff to Poland by sea at cheap prices, yet with no big success so far while Russia is nearing the completion of the Baltic sea floor pipeline directly to Germany. And at the same time US - SA's large market - is running a large fracking of its own and even explores the options of exporting that natural gas, and thus SA seems to start feeling a bit of squeeze, at least when it comes to natural gas. With "greenification" and electrification of economy the natural gas is the near- and mid-term future of our civilization when it comes to fossil fuels, and SA hasn't yet been as successful as they would like in securing the desired top spot in that future.