Tawanai

• Exxon and Shell quarterly profits soar: The two biggest nongovernment-companies. http://bit.ly/crSsD4 (via @lowelectricbill) #

Energy Energy

Crosspost from TelecomPK

Of the various uses of mobile technology, one interesting use of the technology for Gas or Oil Pipeline Operators is for Remote Cathodic Protection (CP) Monitoring.

The traditional way used to monitor CP is the manual measurement of potential risks by a dedicated team of field engineers and technicians. This required an operator to physically go out to the field and collect readings on a quarterly basis. Records showed that, a pipeline of 128 miles could take up-to three weeks to complete. Not to forget the labor, time and cost involved in this effort.

Now, using the GSM technology  a complete M2M turn-key solution can be provided for web-based wireless remote monitoring systems for the oil, gas, irrigation, water/wastewater, and similar industries. The technology gives a reliable solution for data acquisition with low-cost telemetry, well-packaged hardware and easy-to-grasp web-based data presentation.

The flow diagram below shows how it really works.

This is one way mobile technology is used in the oil and gas industry. I believe more of such viable solutions can be made to help the agricultural sector.

Gas, Oil, Technology cathodic, gas, GSM, mobile, oil, pipeline, protection

The state oil company, PSO already in litigation along with Petrosin over the auto-gas deal, it has now being disclosed by the company MD that a power group is involved in supply scams involving selling of cheap oil ahead of monthly price adjustments.

Here is an excerpt that appeared in Dawn News today.

A fresh scam in the oil supply chain surfaced on Thursday when the management of state-run Pakistan State Oil (PSO) officially confirmed that a powerful group in the company was involved in selling cheap oil to influential dealers ahead of monthly price adjustments to enable them to charge higher rates from consumers.

As the managing director of the country’s largest oil supplier, Mr Irfan Qureshi, broke the news before the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, the committee’s chairman, Shaikh Waqas Akram, demanded an inquiry and its report within a week to identify officials involved in manipulating the supply chain to the benefit of dealers.

Mr Qureshi told the committee that PSO officials were found providing petroleum products to dealers on credit at the end of each month in anticipation of an increase in prices to earn a windfall at the cost of PSO. He said two officials had been held accountable for being involved in the malpractices and an inquiry had been in progress since April.

He said the practice had been going on for years and had now been brought to an end. He said six officials at the Lalpir depot had been suspended for embezzling Rs100 million. He said whenever the PSO took action against corrupt officials, courts reinstated them.

Read more: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/powerful-group-in-pso-involved-in-supply-scams-370

Fuel, Infrastructure, Oil, PSO, Pakistan oil, prices, PSO, scam, supply

Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) is a blend of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Air that is a direct replacement source for Natural Gas. Working on the fundamentals of fuel interchangebility, the LPG-Air mix/blending is an invisible application of LPG not known to many.

The oppurtunities SNG, also known as Substitute Natural Gas, provides include:

Using it as an industrial back-up (during the Natural Gas shutdown/curtailments).

Using it a base fuel to serve area not under service of Natural Gas.

Using it to suppliment Natural Gas during peak demands known as peak shaving.

SNG is made by mixing the vapour LPG with air to a ratio of approximately 45% air and 55% LPG. Why mixing? Becasue LPG is a highly concentrated source of energy, with 2516 BTU’s per cubic foot gross heat content. Which is too rich to be used as a substitute for natural gas without dilution. If the Natural Gas and SNG have an indentical Wobbe Index, they will produce equivalent energies and will combust in the same amount of air. Thus the mixer blends in just the right amount of air and LPG; producing a mix of specific gravity 1.31 (1480BTU/Cu.Ft) and Wobbe Index that will match that of the Natural Gas.

This interchangeable use of SNG and NG makes it a powerful tool to startegically manage Natural Gas shortage.  In the coming posts we will discuss the details of this strategy and technical aspects of SNG.

Energy, Infrastructure, Natural Gas, SNG Natural g, Pakistan, SNG, Synthethic Natural Ga

LPG, the domestic gas used by people in remote areas and when mixed with air (SNG) used by industries for Natural Gas back-up is facing an unjustified price hike during the last month. The Express Tribune reports the details as follows:

Despite the decrease in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices in the international market, the LPG producers on Saturday increased prices by Rs6 per kilogramme and now LPG is available for Rs69 per kg, industry sources said.

The prices of LPG in the international market decreased Rs4 per kg but the local producers increased the price by Rs6 per kg, said LPG Distributors Association Chairman, Irfan Khokhar.

He said that Jamshoro Joint Venture Ltd (JJVL) is the major producer of LPG in Pakistan and it has increased the prices, compelling other producers to increase the prices.

He said it was the second consecutive increase in the last one month, and the industry, due to the unjust increase, has earned Rs150 million.

“The government should take it seriously and provide relief to the people,” he said.

LPG, Natural Gas, SNG hike, JJVL, LPG, Natural gas, SNG

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Petrosin, a Singapore-based company, have entered into a legal battle over scrapping of Rs 10 billion LPG sale contract between the two parties, as the latter has got a stay order from Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, Business Recorder has learnt.

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Board of Management (BoM) had rescinded its earlier decision of awarding a contract to Petrosin in last week of April for setting up 400 LPG auto-gas stations across the country. The sources said the PSO’s board had earlier approved the deal through a majority vote with Petrosin.

The PSO’s BoM recently gave the go ahead to the management to invite parties for prequalification to participate in the project of LPG supply to the entire net of the autostations. According to sources, Rawalpindi Bench of LHC has issued stay order directing PSO not to proceed with the process of LPG deal as per advertisement given in newspapers seeking parties for pre-qualification till the final verdict of the court. Sources said that the court would resume hearing of the case today (Friday).
Read more…

Auto-Gas, LPG, PSO, Pakistan AG, Auto-Gas, LPG, PSO

• British Eco-Car Can Travel 50 Miles on a Cola Can of Fuel http://su.pr/1RSOHL (via @TreeHugger) #

Energy Energy

Recently WSJ published an article on a slightly different use of solar energy – to have hot water supply in a home. As the article states, you don’t need a super hot climate and tens of thousands of dollars to go solar. In many cases, all it takes to offset two-thirds of your hot water bill is a couple of panels resembling skylights, an 80-gallon water storage tank and some shade-free southern rooftop exposure. Costs range from about US $2,000 to $10,000,

Buildings, Environment, Solar

After many years of discussions, politics and negotiations Pakistan and Iran signed the gas pipeline deal last month. To see a historical perspective, see the below image from 2005. India is no longer part of the deal. Also note the US reaction, via Dawn.

Construction on the pipeline should begin this year and be operational by 2014, said Abdul Basit, a foreign ministry spokesman.

Iran and Pakistan signed an initial pact in June last year and reached agreement on pricing in September. Under the terms of the final deal signed Tuesday, Iran will supply 750 million cubic feet a day of gas to Pakistan for 25 years.

The pipeline has been on the drawing board since the mid-1990s, when Iran and India signed a deal to transport gas through Pakistan. Dubbed the “Peace Pipeline” because of hopes it would lead to a détente between rivals India and Pakistan, the $7 billion, 2,700-kilometer pipeline project was stalled as the two nations almost went to war in 2001.

India dropped out last year amid continued security concerns in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, home to a militant Islamist separatist movement, and over disagreements between the parties on pricing.

The scaled-down project could still face further delays. Militants blew up another gas pipeline in Baluchistan in August, highlighting the difficulties Pakistan’s government faces in operating in the poor but resource-rich province. Some details of the Iran-Pakistan pipeline also remain unclear, including how much it will cost and how the countries will finance the project given U.S. opposition.

Gas, Infrastructure, Investment, Natural Gas

So now generators are going to be the big gift! Here’s one which boosts that it has cng kit installed and it will work for your fans, lights and TV.

Energy, Generator