Russia Planning Nuclear Powered Offshore Oil Drilling Platforms in the Arctic

Russia is planning to build floating and submersible nuclear reactors to power oil drilling platforms which it intends to use to extract the untouched oil and gas reverses of the Arctic.

A floating nuclear power plant is being constructed at the SevMash shipyard in Severodvins located in north-east of Russia.The reactors will provide power to drilling platforms of Gazprom, Russia’s leading oil & gas company. The reactors are described to be capable of storing the nuclear waste on board and would require maintenance once 12 to 14 years.

Environmentalists are up in arms against this move by Russia as such a move could spell doomsday for the pristine and untouched environment of the Arctic region.

Environmental Disaster

Just recently there were calls by environmentalists that the number of tourists visiting Antarctica need to be reduced as the fragile Antarctic ecosystem needed to be protected. Scientists have also raised concerns about the alien or non-native species arriving in Antarctic seas and affecting the balance of the region’s ecosystem. During his research, environmental scientist John Priscu found the adverse effects of the presence of humans, limited to researchers of various countries, on the frozen island.

Big Oil Companies Face Shareholders’ Fury Over Clean Energy

Apart from earning windfall profits the shareholders of Big Oil companies also want them to act in the best interest of the environment. With millions battling the rising oil prices the calls to explore cleaner and cheaper energy sources are gaining strength. From founders and institutional investors to environmental groups and shareholders, everyone is pressurizing oil companies to look towards renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

The world’s largest oil company, Exxon Mobil, is facing a potential revolt over what some institutional investors see as its failure to invest in cleaner energy sources. Big names like F&C Asset Management, Morley Fund Management, the Co-Operative Insurance Society and the West Midlands Pension Fund are trying to push through resolutions which could bring drastic changes in the structure of company’s board. Putting wait behind their efforts is the Rockefeller Group which originally founded the oil business at Exxon Mobil. The resolutions call for ouster of the current boss and addition of an independent board member who could provide some buoyancy to the company’s clean energy plans.

Iran, Israel, Turkmenistan: India Going Places In Search Of Energy

Trilateral talks for Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline have started again and construction work on this project will commence in 2009. India has joined the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline project construction for which is scheduled to start in 2010. India is also looking to get oil & gas from the Black Sea and Caspian sea through an Israeli pipeline.

All these developments show the desperation of the Indian government which is fighting the skyrocketing inflation. Energy import bill is swelling as the international crude oil prices are touching new high everyday. India with rapidly growing economy is looking for energy wherever it could find it.

Gas from Bangladesh seems a far fetched dream given the sour relations between the two countries because of the continuous infiltration of terrorists into India through the Indo-Bangladesh border. It would be difficult for the Indian government to escape international scrutiny if it overlooks the situation in Myanmar and forges an energy deal – it would be something similar to what China is doing in Sudan. Plus China commands a strategic hold over the region.

The Iran Pipeline Dilemma

The project which was conceptualized by the current IPCC chief, Rajender Pachauri, has been delayed several times due to various reasons. The project would supply natural gas from the South Pars gasfield in Iran on a 50-50 sharing basis between India and Pakistan and would supply 2.06 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

Participation of India in the project is essential for it to be a profitable one. Due to the US pressure India had to put the pipeline on the backburner but Iran threatened to include China if India wasn’t interested. This is the reason given for the resumption of the trilateral talks however India’s Petroleum Minister cites economic reasons for the same. Lack of consensus over the nuclear deal and the rising oil prices added with possibility of losing to China on the energy front, once again, made the government rejoin the trilateral talks.

Pricing of the gas and the transit fees in addition to the security threat from the Baluchistan Liberation Army are some of the tricky issues that the three parties are currently trying to solve. Transit fees increase the gas  price by 42% and given the history of attacks on Pakistan’s pipelines in the region, India is finding it difficult to go by the high price.

The TAPI Solution

India enjoys some leverage over this project. The Asian Development Bank has long been pitching for India’s participation in this pipeline since it is essential for the profitability of the project. Although India can have its way, to some extent, over the pricing of the gas but the threat of sabotage by Taliban is a serious issue one that hasn’t been dealt with yet.

The TAPI pipeline has the backing of the US government which happily presents it as an alternative to the IPI pipeline.  Moreover there is a low possibility of China nudging India out of this project give the friction between the two countries. The issue of contention between the two countries is the the East Turkestan Independence Movement which advocates for the establishment of an independent and self-governing Xinjiang. Currently the area is an autonomous region in China.

Oil Through Israeli Pipeline

India has been approached by Eliat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company to participate in a multi-billion dollar crude oil pipeline. The company once used to be a joint venture between Israel and Iran. Once this project is completed India would get access to the vast oil reserves of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. India hasn’t had access to these reserves since heavy oil & gas carriers cannot  pass through the Suez  Canal.

This pipeline, although costlier, would be more secure than the other options. It would also open up oil reserves of the Algeria and Libya where the state-owned company ONGC has been trying to acquire oil fields. A pipeline through the region is preferable since it is a major choke point in global oil routes and would obviate the high shipping costs bringing down the oil import bill.

On the face of it India seems to have plenty of options to get the crucial energy supply for its booming economy but each of these option pose serious problems – economic, strategic or security related. India, being a big geo-political player and a huge consumer of energy, should take whatever legitimate leverage it could get to ensure a cheap, secure and uninterrupted energy supply.

Race for ‘New Energy’: US, Russia go North Pole, China off to the Moon

The thirst of energy has made the ‘biggies’ to go to the ends of the world & out of it. Russia has put claims over the North Pole & its unexplored natural reserves, so has Canada which recently sent a ship to the North Pole to make its presence felt.

On August 6, the US Coast Guard icebreaker Healy left Seattle on a mission to map the sea floor off the coast of Alaska. Although officially this is a ‘science’ mission but it is clear that now USA also wants a piece of the pie. Russia recently, in a sort of show of power, symbolically planted a flag at the sea floor under the North Pole (I personally found it bit funny). Under the international law all these countries including Denmark have rights over the region.

The Middle East is becoming highly unstable & there are genuine fears that somewhere in the future the terrorists could use oil as a tool to increase their influence over the region or even worse try to hijack the pace of the global economy by creating a bottleneck in the oil supplies. Then there are leaders like Hugo Chevez who would almost everything to hurt America’s interests which could in turn affect the global economy.

So these countries are out to find newer areas from where they could get easy & secure supply of energy. One of these areas is the moon. China plans to launch a lunar orbiter called “Chang’e One” in the second half of 2007 to take 3D images & map every inch of the moon. Now the Russian, American & European space agencies have already done that so there’s nothing new that the Chinese will find.

The former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam had put forward the idea that the various space agencies of the world should collaborate with each other to tap the huge Helium-3 reserves present on the moon and China seems to have paid attention to it. Likewise India is also working on a similar program.

With so many big players involved in the ‘race for the New Energy’ some serious diplomatic clashes are very much expected and it would be interesting to see who gets how much of the energy pie.

Iraq War: Has America Compromised Its Security For Oil & Israel?

Most people would agree that there were much better ways to tackle the ‘Iraq Problem’ and I believe the same. But I don’t believe that the Bush administration has learned anything from their experience in Iraq. Nonetheless it would be in US’ own interest if they don’t repeat their mistakes as far as the Iran issue goes.

It’s strange how easily (in comparison to US’s ‘endeavor’ to solve the Iraq crisis) the European Union tackled Libya & worked out a compromise whereby both the parties got somewhat equal benefits. Libya had acquired the nuclear technology which could have given them a nuclear warhead in a matter of few years. The EU offered Libya incentives which were vital for sanctions stricken country & they got a positive result in matter of few months.

One would argue that Muammar Gaddafi was much easier to deal with as compared to Saddam Hussein but USA & its allies could certainly have done better with some more diplomacy. But may be Bush noticed that there wasn’t oil to be had in Libya so he wasn’t much interested in any ‘adventures’ there.

Same was the case with North Korea. The Communist nation had apparently acquired the missile technology by which it could have hit America’s west coast but still North Korea was ‘overlooked’ and Iraq was attacked although it hadn’t had tested any missiles for quite a few years (no doubt Saddam had missiles that could have reached Israel). It is another thing that Bush couldn’t have attacked North Korea even if he had wanted to since China & Russia would have objected to any military action in their ‘backyard’.

But Iraq was a ‘natural’ target – having world’s third largest oil reserves & a major Arab power against Israel. The reasons were strong & the prize of a then looking sure short victory were more than excellent. Dossiers with fake intelligence were made – one even saying that Saddam could get his missiles ready in 45 minutes to attack Israel. Countries with dubious past records relating to terrorism (Pakistan & Saudi Arabia) were made allies and Iraq was prioritized over the war against Taliban & Al Qaida in Afghanistan.

Things didn’t go as planned in Iraq. Al Qaida, who wouldn’t have dared to step in Iraq has Saddam been the in charge, are now running the ‘show’, filling minds & hearts of people with hatred & abhorrence for their own fellow citizens. US military is suffering more than it has since the Vietnam War. But still Congress is happily financing the war thinking that the oil would come soon & a victory would silent the enemies of Israel.

America has put itself in a very difficult state wherein neither can it leave Iraq nor is it finding any headway in suppressing the growing violence. A troop withdrawal now would be an even harder blow for the already weakened image of America and it would lose any hope of getting a part of Iraq’s vast oil reserves add to it the danger of the militants getting control over the oil fields driving oil prices to unbelievable levels. Not to mention the view shared by many analysts that the overall terror threat has greatly increased.

Maybe in the coming years Bush would look back & realize his mistake of the way in which he tackled Iraq but I think that would be expecting a bit too much from him.

Congress & Voters Slept While Bush Destroyed America

No offence but it has been four years since the start of one of the most unpopular wars in the history & still nothing has changed. Initially there were thousands opposing the war but as the time went by the number grew to millions. Now almost the whole nation is opposed to the war but still nothing is being done to undo one of the biggest & bloodiest mistakes in US history.

George W. Bush fooled every one, be it his fellow citizens who had trusted their commander-in-chief or the allies who saw him as a friend. Bush & his administration told lies upon lies to make up a false case against Iraq by accusing it of sponsoring terrorism against the United States. Bush talked of Iraq’s Liberation but today Iraq is being plagued by the presence of militants that countries like Syria & Saudi Arabia are sending in to attack the US army.

Had Saddam been in power today we would have never allowed any insurgents coming from Saudi Arabia or Syria to step into his country with Iranian weapons in hand & spreading terrorism. There are more militants in Iraq now than they were before & now Iraq is a bigger threat to US interests than ever before. Earlier there was a man who was feared by all but now that Saddam has gone and the efforts of the US government to bring peace & order to the region have failed, the insurgents have cast the web of terror over Iraq which has engulfed the Americans as well.

But Bush isn’t the only one to be blame. This all could have been stopped four years back when Bush was preparing the false case against Iraq branding it as the home of international terrorism. Osama Bin Laden is currently sitting thousands of miles away on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border but still there are more American troops in Iraq than in Afghanistan.

Four years back there was a sudden change in American policy, bringing Laden to justice became secondary to the invasion of Iraq – nobody stopped him. The Congress happily funded the war (& is still doing it) dreaming about the billions of gallons of oil & seeing USA emerging as a major power in the Middle East which would have been beneficial to Israel as well.

America trusted this man not once but twice but I still fail to see the basis of this trust. The man never got in the first place – nobody cared to speak (the result of which the world is witnessing). But the surprise of the century was the re-election. It is completely beyond the understanding of a human mind why would the American people vote for Bush. It is astonishing that Bush actually won the second election even though millions opposed his policies. I would certainly want to know the reasons on basis of which people voted for Bush.

In every debate, the candidates talk about getting the troops out & ending the war but what have they done in the last four years. Nobody did anything to stop Bush from going to war or taking irrational decisions. How can a president justify important decisions like going to war by saying that God came to his dream telling him he was doing the right thing. If this is the way Bush takes decisions we should pray that he never sleeps because it would be disastrous for the whole world if Bush gets a dream of ‘his’ god telling him to nuke Russia.