wattsupwiththat--2020-04-25--Dozens Of Oil Tankers Are Hovering Around Southern California Coast With Nowhere To Go

The U.S. Coast Guard is monitoring a situation in which dozens of oil tanker vessels are floating around the Southern California coast as they wait to dock while the country wrestles with what to do with the current glut in crude .
Oil companies are storing excess supplies on giant vessels as the country and industry ponder how and where to offload the oil .
There were 27 oil vessels churning up waters just off the Southwest Pacific coast Thursday , according to a press statement from the USCG .
“ Due to the unique nature of this situation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adapting our procedures to ensure the safety of the vessels at anchor and the protection of the surrounding environment , ” Cmdr .
Marshall Newberry said in the statement .
Newberry is managing the traffic jam from Los Angeles , California .
He added : “ Coast Guard watchstanders , in partnership with the Marine Exchange of Southern California , are closely monitoring each anchorage to manage the increased number of tank vessels we ’ re seeing off the California coast.
” The Coast Guard is responsible for maritime safety , security and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ports and waterways .
( RELATED : ‘ Uncharted Territory ’ : Energy Analysts Worry Oil Prices Could Fall Below Zero , Forcing Producers To Radical Measures ) The traffic jam came as the oil industry faces serious headwinds as consumer demand for crude fell off a cliff after U.S. officials enacted economic lockdowns to slow the spread of coronavirus , which originated in China and is reportedly responsible for more than 150,000 deaths worldwide .
Oil prices fell below zero Wednesday as producers struggle to give away their oil .
Saudi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ intent to continue producing despite shrinking demand played a part in the calamity .
President Donald Trump played a role in getting Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to drop output , bringing production to 9.7 million barrels a day .
But the deal is unlikely to show results for another month , experts said .
The U.S. Coast Guard has not replied to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment .

From The Daily Caller
Chris White Tech Reporter April 24, 2020 4:54 PM ET
The U.S. Coast Guard is monitoring a situation in which dozens of oil tanker vessels are floating around the Southern California coast as they wait to dock while the country wrestles with what to do with the current glut in crude.
Oil companies are storing excess supplies on giant vessels as the country and industry ponder how and where to offload the oil. There were 27 oil vessels churning up waters just off the Southwest Pacific coast Thursday, according to a press statement from the USCG.
“Due to the unique nature of this situation, the Coast Guard is constantly evaluating and adapting our procedures to ensure the safety of the vessels at anchor and the protection of the surrounding environment,” Cmdr. Marshall Newberry said in the statement.
Newberry is managing the traffic jam from Los Angeles, California.
He added: “Coast Guard watchstanders, in partnership with the Marine Exchange of Southern California, are closely monitoring each anchorage to manage the increased number of tank vessels we’re seeing off the California coast.”
The Coast Guard is responsible for maritime safety, security and the environmental conditions of the country’s ports and waterways. (RELATED: ‘Uncharted Territory’: Energy Analysts Worry Oil Prices Could Fall Below Zero, Forcing Producers To Radical Measures)
WATCH:
The #USCG is closely monitoring the increased presence of tanker vessels anchored off the coast of Southern California. pic.twitter.com/i6HuX6wxgn — USCG Los Angeles (@USCGLosAngeles) April 24, 2020
The traffic jam came as the oil industry faces serious headwinds as consumer demand for crude fell off a cliff after U.S. officials enacted economic lockdowns to slow the spread of coronavirus, which originated in China and is reportedly responsible for more than 150,000 deaths worldwide. Oil prices fell below zero Wednesday as producers struggle to give away their oil.
Saudi Arabia, Russia and other oil-producing nations’ intent to continue producing despite shrinking demand played a part in the calamity. President Donald Trump played a role in getting Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to drop output, bringing production to 9.7 million barrels a day. But the deal is unlikely to show results for another month, experts said.
The U.S. Coast Guard has not replied to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
0 0 votes Article Rating
Share this: Print
Email
Facebook
Twitter
GETTR
Telegram
Like this: Like Loading...


wattsupwiththat--2020-04-26--Alternative resupply plan for RV Polarstern now in place

Thanks to the support of additional German research vessels , the MOSAiC expedition will continue , despite the coronavirus pandemic .
The new team will start in May .
Despite the current challenges , the MOSAiC expedition will continue .
After many national borders were closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic , one team transfer had to be postponed .
But thanks to new alternative plans supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research , the German Research Foundation and the operators of the German research fleet as well as the dedicated work of the expedition team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter its next phase .
An interim review of the project shows : the data to be gathered over the next several months will be indispensable for the scientific community .
After successfully completing the first half of its more-than-a-year-long drift through the Arctic Ocean , the international expedition MOSAiC suddenly faced unforeseen challenges , posed by the coronavirus pandemic .
The massive restrictions on global travel hindered the third team exchange , which had been planned as an aerial transfer in early April , using the Spitsbergen archipelago ( which Norwegian authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic ) as a base of operations .
Since the current situation also means the international icebreakers that were originally meant to resupply the expedition are also prohibited from making any staff transfers , in the span of just a few weeks the Alfred Wegener Institute , Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research ( AWI ) , the MOSAiC Coordination Office and the funding bodies and operators of the German Research Fleet Coordination Centre at Hamburg University developed a completely new alternative plan : The upcoming transfer will be completed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vessels RV Sonne and RV Maria S. Merian .
As a result of the pandemic-related measures , both ships have just returned to Germany .
Polarstern will meet the two vessels in calm waters off Svalbard , in order to carry out a complete personnel transfer ( ca .
100 people ) , and an exchange of cargo and provisions .
Once the process is complete , Polarstern and her new team will return to the ice and continue their expedition in the Arctic Ocean .
Expedition Leader Prof Markus Rex from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the AWI ’ s Logistics Team , together with our international partners , achieved a true masterstroke in the face of the enormous challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis .
With a host of alternative plans at the ready , the expedition was prepared for virtually every scenario imaginable .
Yet the pandemic forced us to devise a complex alternative scenario for wholly new , unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances .
It was only the team ’ s tremendous commitment and flexibility that allowed us to conduct climate research in the Arctic ice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current conditions .
As a result , in spite of the extremely adverse conditions , the continuation of the expedition has been secured.
” The new staff exchange plan will be accompanied by extensive safety concepts developed in close collaboration with the respective health authorities .
From early May , the participants in the next leg of the expedition living in Germany will enter a monitored quarantine phase , during which they will be regularly tested for the coronavirus .
Due to the delayed exchange , there will only be a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the course of the expedition , but this will have no effect on its total duration : the planned end date is still 12 October 2020 .
Prof Torsten Kanzow from the AWI , the current chief scientist on board Polarstern , had the following to report : “ Many of our people have families , and are of course doing everything they can to stay in close contact with their loved ones back home via satellite phone and email .
As the expedition leader , I also note the hardships and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pass them on to the Coordination Office and the AWI .
This has helped us regain a bit of certainty in our planning efforts.
” In addition , on 22 April seven participants , whose personal circumstances made it impossible to stay longer , were flown out with a Twin Otter .
According to Kanzow , he ’ s happy to see that , despite the current challenges and concerns , the participants have continued to carry out their research duties in the ice with great enthusiasm – even though , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so in the never-ending sunlight of the Polar Day .
Over the past months , Polarstern has rapidly advanced along her projected drift corridor ; as a result , she is already between the North Pole and Fram Strait , i.e.
, fairly far to the south .
For the upcoming logistical operation , this position is advantageous .
Some instruments on the MOSAiC floe will continue recording autonomously until Polarstern returns , while others will be dismantled .
Depending on how the drift progresses , the Ice Camp may be relocated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility of tearing down and relocating the camp was always part of the planning scenarios , in the event that the ship drifted faster than anticipated .
This would have only minimal effects on the expedition timeline .
As Markus Rex explains , “ If we drift too far south , we will set up the Ice Camp again farther north , and continue our observations in a region where the Central Arctic is still covered with ice in the summer .
We ’ re thrilled with the tremendous amount of data we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past seven months .
Despite the current adversities , we hope to continue the expedition for the remainder of the year-long cycle , and draw it to a close in October as planned.
” Further information : MOSAiC – Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate In the context of the MOSAiC expedition , experts from 20 countries will research the Arctic for an entire year .
To make this possible , from autumn 2019 to autumn 2020 the German research icebreaker Polarstern will drift through the Arctic Ocean , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research ( AWI ) .
To ensure that this unparalleled project is a success and yields as much valuable data as possible , more than 80 institutes have pooled their resources in a research consortium .
The expedition budget is ca .
140 million euros .
For news straight from the Arctic , check out the MOSAiC channels on Twitter ( @ MOSAiCArctic ) and Instagram ( @ mosaic_expedition ) using the hashtags # MOSAiCexpedition , # Arctic and # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expedition , please visit : http : //www.mosaic-expedition.org In addition , you can use the MOSAiC Web App to track Polarstern ’ s drift route and follow developments on site , live : http : //www.follow.mosaic-expedition.org The Alfred Wegener Institute , Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research ( AWI ) conducts research in the Arctic , Antarctic and oceans of the high and mid-latitudes .
It coordinates polar research in Germany and provides major infrastructure to the international scientific community , such as the research icebreaker Polarstern and stations in the Arctic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the 19 research centres of the Helmholtz Association , the largest scientific organisation in Germany .
Addendum , the Expedition can be followed here

Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Thanks to the support of additional German research vessels, the MOSAiC expedition will continue, despite the coronavirus pandemic. The new team will start in May.
Despite the current challenges, the MOSAiC expedition will continue. After many national borders were closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, one team transfer had to be postponed. But thanks to new alternative plans supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the German Research Foundation and the operators of the German research fleet as well as the dedicated work of the expedition team currently on board, MOSAiC will soon enter its next phase. An interim review of the project shows: the data to be gathered over the next several months will be indispensable for the scientific community.
After successfully completing the first half of its more-than-a-year-long drift through the Arctic Ocean, the international expedition MOSAiC suddenly faced unforeseen challenges, posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The massive restrictions on global travel hindered the third team exchange, which had been planned as an aerial transfer in early April, using the Spitsbergen archipelago (which Norwegian authorities have since placed off limits due to the pandemic) as a base of operations. Since the current situation also means the international icebreakers that were originally meant to resupply the expedition are also prohibited from making any staff transfers, in the span of just a few weeks the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the MOSAiC Coordination Office and the funding bodies and operators of the German Research Fleet Coordination Centre at Hamburg University developed a completely new alternative plan:
The upcoming transfer will be completed out with the aid of the German research vessels RV Sonne and RV Maria S. Merian. As a result of the pandemic-related measures, both ships have just returned to Germany. Polarstern will meet the two vessels in calm waters off Svalbard, in order to carry out a complete personnel transfer (ca. 100 people), and an exchange of cargo and provisions. Once the process is complete, Polarstern and her new team will return to the ice and continue their expedition in the Arctic Ocean.
Expedition Leader Prof Markus Rex from the AWI: “With this alternative plan, the AWI’s Logistics Team, together with our international partners, achieved a true masterstroke in the face of the enormous challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis. With a host of alternative plans at the ready, the expedition was prepared for virtually every scenario imaginable. Yet the pandemic forced us to devise a complex alternative scenario for wholly new, unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances. It was only the team’s tremendous commitment and flexibility that allowed us to conduct climate research in the Arctic ice two months longer than planned, despite the current conditions. As a result, in spite of the extremely adverse conditions, the continuation of the expedition has been secured.”
The new staff exchange plan will be accompanied by extensive safety concepts developed in close collaboration with the respective health authorities. From early May, the participants in the next leg of the expedition living in Germany will enter a monitored quarantine phase, during which they will be regularly tested for the coronavirus. Due to the delayed exchange, there will only be a total of four, not five, transfers in the course of the expedition, but this will have no effect on its total duration: the planned end date is still 12 October 2020.
Prof Torsten Kanzow from the AWI, the current chief scientist on board Polarstern, had the following to report: “Many of our people have families, and are of course doing everything they can to stay in close contact with their loved ones back home via satellite phone and email. As the expedition leader, I also note the hardships and concerns of the people on board, and pass them on to the Coordination Office and the AWI. This has helped us regain a bit of certainty in our planning efforts.” In addition, on 22 April seven participants, whose personal circumstances made it impossible to stay longer, were flown out with a Twin Otter. According to Kanzow, he’s happy to see that, despite the current challenges and concerns, the participants have continued to carry out their research duties in the ice with great enthusiasm – even though, since 31 March, they have had to do so in the never-ending sunlight of the Polar Day.
Over the past months, Polarstern has rapidly advanced along her projected drift corridor; as a result, she is already between the North Pole and Fram Strait, i.e., fairly far to the south. For the upcoming logistical operation, this position is advantageous. Some instruments on the MOSAiC floe will continue recording autonomously until Polarstern returns, while others will be dismantled.
Depending on how the drift progresses, the Ice Camp may be relocated closer to the North Pole. The possibility of tearing down and relocating the camp was always part of the planning scenarios, in the event that the ship drifted faster than anticipated. This would have only minimal effects on the expedition timeline. As Markus Rex explains, “If we drift too far south, we will set up the Ice Camp again farther north, and continue our observations in a region where the Central Arctic is still covered with ice in the summer. We’re thrilled with the tremendous amount of data we’ve been able to gather over the past seven months. Despite the current adversities, we hope to continue the expedition for the remainder of the year-long cycle, and draw it to a close in October as planned.”
###
Further information: MOSAiC – Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate
In the context of the MOSAiC expedition, experts from 20 countries will research the Arctic for an entire year. To make this possible, from autumn 2019 to autumn 2020 the German research icebreaker Polarstern will drift through the Arctic Ocean, trapped in the ice. MOSAiC is being coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). To ensure that this unparalleled project is a success and yields as much valuable data as possible, more than 80 institutes have pooled their resources in a research consortium. The expedition budget is ca. 140 million euros.
For news straight from the Arctic, check out the MOSAiC channels on Twitter (@MOSAiCArctic) and Instagram (@mosaic_expedition) using the hashtags #MOSAiCexpedition, #Arctic and #icedrift.
For further information on the expedition, please visit: http://www.mosaic-expedition.org
In addition, you can use the MOSAiC Web App to track Polarstern’s drift route and follow developments on site, live: http://www.follow.mosaic-expedition.org
The Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) conducts research in the Arctic, Antarctic and oceans of the high and mid-latitudes. It coordinates polar research in Germany and provides major infrastructure to the international scientific community, such as the research icebreaker Polarstern and stations in the Arctic and Antarctica. The Alfred Wegener Institute is one of the 19 research centres of the Helmholtz Association, the largest scientific organisation in Germany.
From EurekAlert!
Addendum, the Expedition can be followed here
HT/ Martin C
0 0 votes Article Rating
Share this: Print
Email
Facebook
Twitter
GETTR
Telegram
Like this: Like Loading...


wattsupwiththat--2020-04-26--Chinese virus on the shelf

Chinese virus on the shelf

As a Sunday rest from the doom and gloom about the Chinese virus , here is an ingenious photographic composition from one of Britain ’ s leading artists .
“ The English patient had caught it on the beach .
I should have stayed at home she said .
Now she was in quarantine in the dark house of splendid isolation .
Still … “ … hope springs eternal .
With a little bit of luck , common sense , and personal hygiene , the Corona book of horror stories must end soon .
Always remember , clean hands save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , don ’ t go out !
” Phil Shaw , the artist , was born and raised in Huddersfield , in God ’ s own county .
He studied painting at Leeds Polytechnic and then printmaking at the Royal College of Art .
In 2000 he was awarded a Doctorate in Printmaking from Middlesex University , where he has taught since 1980 .
In 2004 , one of his works was chosen as Print of the Year by the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers .
Shaw regularly exhibits at the Royal Academy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government Art Collection and the Vulcan Collection .
David Cameron commissioned Shaw to create the thought-provoking print presented to world leaders at the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland in 2013 .
The original is in the National Art Collection .
Meanwhile , here are today ’ s daily charts .
Since many countries have proven incapable of keeping a proper track of confirmed cases that have recovered , the Active-Cases chart is based on yesterday ’ s cumulative cases less cumulative cases for three weeks previously , on the assumption that people either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases .
On that assumption , several countries still show positive mean daily compound rates of growth in active cases , averaged over seven days .
Among them are the United States , United Kingdom , France and the non-lockdown Sweden , whose active-case rate is now the highest among the countries we are following .
Fig .
1 .
Mean compound daily growth rates in estimated active cases of COVID-19 for the world excluding China ( red ) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 , 2020 .
Fig .
2 .
Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative COVID-19 deaths for the world excluding China ( red ) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from April 8 to April 25 , 2020 .

By Christopher Monckton of Brenchley
As a Sunday rest from the doom and gloom about the Chinese virus, here is an ingenious photographic composition from one of Britain’s leading artists.
“The English patient had caught it on the beach. I should have stayed at home she said. Now she was in quarantine in the dark house of splendid isolation. Still …
“… hope springs eternal. With a little bit of luck, common sense, and personal hygiene, the Corona book of horror stories must end soon. Always remember, clean hands save lives: and, when in doubt, don’t go out!”
Phil Shaw, the artist, was born and raised in Huddersfield, in God’s own county. He studied painting at Leeds Polytechnic and then printmaking at the Royal College of Art. In 2000 he was awarded a Doctorate in Printmaking from Middlesex University, where he has taught since 1980.
In 2004, one of his works was chosen as Print of the Year by the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. Shaw regularly exhibits at the Royal Academy. Works by him are in the UK Government Art Collection and the Vulcan Collection. David Cameron commissioned Shaw to create the thought-provoking print presented to world leaders at the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland in 2013. The original is in the National Art Collection.
Meanwhile, here are today’s daily charts. Since many countries have proven incapable of keeping a proper track of confirmed cases that have recovered, the Active-Cases chart is based on yesterday’s cumulative cases less cumulative cases for three weeks previously, on the assumption that people either die or recover 21 days after becoming confirmed cases.
On that assumption, several countries still show positive mean daily compound rates of growth in active cases, averaged over seven days. Among them are the United States, United Kingdom, France and the non-lockdown Sweden, whose active-case rate is now the highest among the countries we are following.
Fig. 1. Mean compound daily growth rates in estimated active cases of COVID-19 for the world excluding China (red) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from April 1 to April 25, 2020.
Fig. 2. Mean compound daily growth rates in cumulative COVID-19 deaths for the world excluding China (red) and for several individual nations averaged over the successive seven-day periods ending on all dates from April 8 to April 25, 2020.
High resolution images here.
0 0 votes Article Rating
Share this: Print
Email
Facebook
Twitter
GETTR
Telegram
Like this: Like Loading...


wattsupwiththat--2020-04-26--Largest Bakken Producer Shuts In Almost All Production

The largest oil producer in North Dakota has halted most of its production in the U.S. state and notified some customers it would not supply crude after prices dived into negative territory this week , people familiar with the matter said .
Continental Resources Inc. , the company controlled by billionaire Harold Hamm , stopped all drilling and shut in most of its wells in the state ’ s Bakken shale field , three people familiar with production in the state said April 23 .
Global oil prices have plunged because of excess supplies and tumbling demand due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into negative territory this week—meaning suppliers had to pay people to take oil—due to lack of storage space , prompting moves by operators to halt output .
Shut-ins have been particularly swift in North Dakota , which produced more than 1.4 million bbl/d of oil in 2019 , making it the second-largest U.S. producing state after Texas .
State officials say production has already dropped by about 300,000 bbl/d .
This month , rival operator in North Dakota Whiting Petroleum Corp. became the first major shale producer to file for bankruptcy .
Coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150,000 bbl/d in the Bakken , according to company figures .
Continental Resources has also declared force majeure on current contracts to deliver crude oil at current prices .
Legal experts are dubious regarding their force majeure claim .
Continental , one of the most financially successful “ shale ” players , does not hedge production and was , therefore , highly exposed to the sudden price drop .
Continental Resources Draws Anger with Decision to Cancel Oil Sales Liz Hampton , Stephanie Kelly and Devika Krishna Kumar , Reuters Oil billionaire and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharp response from a top industry group and questions from legal experts after his company , Continental Resources Inc. , said April 23 it could not deliver crude to customers , citing hardships based on low prices .
With fuel demand destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic as people worldwide stopped driving and taking flights , oil producers have been forced to store hundreds of millions of barrels of crude and fuel that would otherwise have been consumed .
With tanks now brimming , producers are cutting output .
Continental Resources , the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drilling there , shut in wells and issued a force majeure notice , according to three sources familiar with the matter , an action typically reserved for situations out of a company ’ s control , such as natural disasters .
However , North Dakota oil regulators this week decided not to label current production as “ economic waste , ” which would have them the rationale to mandate production cuts .
The state ’ s Industrial Commission said it will hold a meeting soon to consider this possibility , but regulators have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s going to be very difficult for them to assert economic force majeure , which is basically what they ’ re doing , ” said Ted Borrego , who has practiced oil and gas law for over 45 years and teaches at the University of Houston Law Center .
“ I think the chances of success are pretty close to zero.
” Continental also produces in Oklahoma , which this week issued an emergency order allowing producers to shut in wells without fear of losing leases .
A producer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying , “ The only way there will be a force majeure on the producer side is if states prorate production.
” Continental is exposed to weak prices because it did not hedge future production , betting economic growth would lift prices .
Many large shale producers use derivatives as a type of insurance policy to lock in a price for their future output .
Bakken crude this week was selling regionally at roughly $ 3/bbl , far below the U.S. benchmark , said Ron Ness , president of the North Dakota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settled at $ 16.50 on April 23 .
Does Continental have a valid force majeure claim ?
The recent plunge in oil prices is entirely due to government malfeasance , starting with Red China : The ChiCom-19/Fire Marshal Gump Hostage Crisis .
So , maybe they do… Of course this raises the question , “ Could financial institutions declare force majeure and refuse to honor $ 50-60/bbl hedge contracts ?
” It ’ s a potential “ slippery slope.
” “ ChiCom-19 ” is my intentionally politically incorrect rebranding of all things pertaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire Marshal Gump ” is my nickname for Dallas County ’ s chief executive , County Judge Clay Jenkins .
Generically , Fire Marshal Gumps are the tyrannical mayors , county officials and governors who have unconstitutionally placed their citizens under house arrest to protect us from the Kung Flu .
Fortunately , the US Attorney General may take action against the Fire Marshal Gumps of America : Barr calls stay-at-home orders ‘ disturbingly close to house arrest ’ The attorney general said the Justice Department may consider taking legal action against states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that the need for strong restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus may be passing and that the Justice Department might consider taking legal action against states that go too far .
“ There are very , very burdensome impingements on liberty , ” he told radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt , “ and we adopted them for the limited purpose of slowing down the spread .
We didn ’ t adopt them as the comprehensive way of dealing with this disease .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curve , and we have to come up with more targeted approaches.
” The Justice Department took just such an action just last week , filing a statement in support of a small Mississippi church that sued city officials who tried to shut down a drive-in church service while allowing a local drive-in restaurant to stay open .
ChiCom-19 and Fire Marshal Gump are reversing this faster than Sandy Cortez on amphetamines could… I couldn ’ t make this sort of schist up if I was trying .

Guest “end the hostage crisis now!” by David Middleton
Continental Resources Halts Shale Output, Seeks to Cancel Sales
Devika Krishna Kumar and Liz Hampton, Reuters Fri, 04/24/2020 – 04:20 AM The largest oil producer in North Dakota has halted most of its production in the U.S. state and notified some customers it would not supply crude after prices dived into negative territory this week, people familiar with the matter said. Continental Resources Inc., the company controlled by billionaire Harold Hamm, stopped all drilling and shut in most of its wells in the state’s Bakken shale field, three people familiar with production in the state said April 23. Global oil prices have plunged because of excess supplies and tumbling demand due to the coronavirus crisis. U.S. crude prices plunged into negative territory this week—meaning suppliers had to pay people to take oil—due to lack of storage space, prompting moves by operators to halt output. Shut-ins have been particularly swift in North Dakota, which produced more than 1.4 million bbl/d of oil in 2019, making it the second-largest U.S. producing state after Texas. State officials say production has already dropped by about 300,000 bbl/d. This month, rival operator in North Dakota Whiting Petroleum Corp. became the first major shale producer to file for bankruptcy. Coming into this year, Continental produced nearly 150,000 bbl/d in the Bakken, according to company figures. […] Hart Energy
Continental Resources has also declared force majeure on current contracts to deliver crude oil at current prices. Legal experts are dubious regarding their force majeure claim. Continental, one of the most financially successful “shale” players, does not hedge production and was, therefore, highly exposed to the sudden price drop.
Continental Resources Draws Anger with Decision to Cancel Oil Sales
Liz Hampton, Stephanie Kelly and Devika Krishna Kumar, Reuters Fri, 04/24/2020 Oil billionaire and influential Trump adviser Harold Hamm drew a sharp response from a top industry group and questions from legal experts after his company, Continental Resources Inc., said April 23 it could not deliver crude to customers, citing hardships based on low prices. With fuel demand destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic as people worldwide stopped driving and taking flights, oil producers have been forced to store hundreds of millions of barrels of crude and fuel that would otherwise have been consumed. With tanks now brimming, producers are cutting output. Continental Resources, the largest producer in North Dakota, stopped all drilling there, shut in wells and issued a force majeure notice, according to three sources familiar with the matter, an action typically reserved for situations out of a company’s control, such as natural disasters. […] However, North Dakota oil regulators this week decided not to label current production as “economic waste,” which would have them the rationale to mandate production cuts. The state’s Industrial Commission said it will hold a meeting soon to consider this possibility, but regulators have been reluctant to mandate cuts. “I think it’s going to be very difficult for them to assert economic force majeure, which is basically what they’re doing,” said Ted Borrego, who has practiced oil and gas law for over 45 years and teaches at the University of Houston Law Center. “I think the chances of success are pretty close to zero.” Continental also produces in Oklahoma, which this week issued an emergency order allowing producers to shut in wells without fear of losing leases. […] A producer who saw the notice predicted legal action, saying, “The only way there will be a force majeure on the producer side is if states prorate production.” Continental is exposed to weak prices because it did not hedge future production, betting economic growth would lift prices. Many large shale producers use derivatives as a type of insurance policy to lock in a price for their future output. Bakken crude this week was selling regionally at roughly $3/bbl, far below the U.S. benchmark, said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. Benchmark U.S. WTI crude settled at $16.50 on April 23. Hart Energy
Does Continental have a valid force majeure claim? The recent plunge in oil prices is entirely due to government malfeasance, starting with Red China: The ChiCom-19/Fire Marshal Gump Hostage Crisis. So, maybe they do… Of course this raises the question, “Could financial institutions declare force majeure and refuse to honor $50-60/bbl hedge contracts?” It’s a potential “slippery slope.”
“ChiCom-19” is my intentionally politically incorrect rebranding of all things pertaining to the Chinese Communist coronavirus. “Fire Marshal Gump” is my nickname for Dallas County’s chief executive, County Judge Clay Jenkins. Generically, Fire Marshal Gumps are the tyrannical mayors, county officials and governors who have unconstitutionally placed their citizens under house arrest to protect us from the Kung Flu.
Fortunately, the US Attorney General may take action against the Fire Marshal Gumps of America:
Barr calls stay-at-home orders ‘disturbingly close to house arrest’
The attorney general said the Justice Department may consider taking legal action against states that go too far. April 21, 2020, 5:06 PM CDT / Updated April 21, 2020, 5:12 PM CDT By Pete Williams WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that the need for strong restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus may be passing and that the Justice Department might consider taking legal action against states that go too far. “There are very, very burdensome impingements on liberty,” he told radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, “and we adopted them for the limited purpose of slowing down the spread. We didn’t adopt them as the comprehensive way of dealing with this disease. We are now seeing that these are bending the curve, and we have to come up with more targeted approaches.” […] The Justice Department took just such an action just last week, filing a statement in support of a small Mississippi church that sued city officials who tried to shut down a drive-in church service while allowing a local drive-in restaurant to stay open. He called stay-at-home orders “disturbingly close to house arrest.” NBC News
ChiCom-19 and Fire Marshal Gump are reversing this faster than Sandy Cortez on amphetamines could…
Speaking of Sandy Cortez…
I couldn’t make this sort of schist up if I was trying.
0 0 votes Article Rating
Share this: Print
Email
Facebook
Twitter
GETTR
Telegram
Like this: Like Loading...


wattsupwiththat--2020-04-26--Rice genetically engineered to resist heat waves can also produce up to 20% more grain

“ This is exciting news , ” says Maria Ermakova of Australian National University , who works on improving photosynthesis .
The genetic modification worked in three kinds of plants—a mustard that is the most common plant model , tobacco , and rice , suggesting any crop plant could be helped .
The work bucked conventional wisdom among photosynthesis scientists , and some plant biologists wonder exactly how the added gene produces the benefits .
Still , Peter Nixon , a plant biochemist at Imperial College London , predicts the study will “ attract considerable attention.
” When plants are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proteins called photosystem II ( PSII ) energizes electrons that then help power photosynthesis .
But heat or intense light can lead to damage in a key subunit , known as D1 , halting PSII ’ s work until the plant makes and inserts a new one into the complex .
Plants that make extra D1 should help speed those repairs .
Chloroplasts , the organelles that host photosynthesis , have their own DNA , including a gene for D1 , and most biologists assumed the protein had to be made there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tweak than genes in a plant cell ’ s nucleus .
A team led by plant molecular biologist Fang-Qing Guo of the Chinese Academy of Sciences bet that D1 made by a nuclear gene could work just as well—and be made more efficiently , as its synthesis in the cytoplasm instead of the chloroplast would be protected from the corrosive byproducts of photosynthetic reactions .
Guo and colleagues tested the idea in the mustard Arabidopsis thaliana .
They took its chloroplast gene for D1 , coupled it to a stretch of DNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and moved it to the nucleus .
The team found that modified Arabidopsis seedlings could survive extreme heat in the lab—8.5 hours at 41°C—that killed most of the control plants .
The same Arabidopsis gene also protected tobacco and rice .
In all three species , photosynthesis and growth decreased less than in the surviving control plants .
And in 2017 , when Shanghai exceeded 36°C for 18 days , transgenic rice planted in test plots yielded 8 % to 10 % more grain than control plants , the team reports this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happened at normal temperatures .
Engineered plants of all three species had more photosynthesis—tobacco ’ s rate increased by 48 % —and grew more than control plants .
In the field , the transgenic rice yielded up to 20 % more grain .
“ It truly surprised us , ” Guo says .
“ I felt that we have caught a big fish .
”

From Science Mag
By Erik Stokstad Apr. 21, 2020 , 1:10 PM
…
“This is exciting news,” says Maria Ermakova of Australian National University, who works on improving photosynthesis. The genetic modification worked in three kinds of plants—a mustard that is the most common plant model, tobacco, and rice, suggesting any crop plant could be helped. The work bucked conventional wisdom among photosynthesis scientists, and some plant biologists wonder exactly how the added gene produces the benefits. Still, Peter Nixon, a plant biochemist at Imperial College London, predicts the study will “attract considerable attention.”
When plants are exposed to light, a complex of proteins called photosystem II (PSII) energizes electrons that then help power photosynthesis. But heat or intense light can lead to damage in a key subunit, known as D1, halting PSII’s work until the plant makes and inserts a new one into the complex. Plants that make extra D1 should help speed those repairs. Chloroplasts, the organelles that host photosynthesis, have their own DNA, including a gene for D1, and most biologists assumed the protein had to be made there. But the chloroplast genome is much harder to tweak than genes in a plant cell’s nucleus.
A team led by plant molecular biologist Fang-Qing Guo of the Chinese Academy of Sciences bet that D1 made by a nuclear gene could work just as well—and be made more efficiently, as its synthesis in the cytoplasm instead of the chloroplast would be protected from the corrosive byproducts of photosynthetic reactions. Guo and colleagues tested the idea in the mustard Arabidopsis thaliana. They took its chloroplast gene for D1, coupled it to a stretch of DNA that turns on during heat stress, and moved it to the nucleus.
The team found that modified Arabidopsis seedlings could survive extreme heat in the lab—8.5 hours at 41°C—that killed most of the control plants. The same Arabidopsis gene also protected tobacco and rice. In all three species, photosynthesis and growth decreased less than in the surviving control plants. And in 2017, when Shanghai exceeded 36°C for 18 days, transgenic rice planted in test plots yielded 8% to 10% more grain than control plants, the team reports this week in Nature Plants.
The shock was what happened at normal temperatures. Engineered plants of all three species had more photosynthesis—tobacco’s rate increased by 48%—and grew more than control plants. In the field, the transgenic rice yielded up to 20% more grain. “It truly surprised us,” Guo says. “I felt that we have caught a big fish.”
Full article here.
0 0 votes Article Rating
Share this: Print
Email
Facebook
Twitter
GETTR
Telegram
Like this: Like Loading...