A Monumental Con Job?

[HARDCORE]

I just watched a program, part of which covered a British North Sea oil-rig disaster of years past. A genuine catastrophe in which more than 160 rig workers were killed in a tremendous explosion upon that drilling and production platform!

Now that was bad enough, but toward the end of the segment, if I saw correctly, it pointed out that before (and maybe even after?) the mishap, British North Sea Oil Production was far higher than even the Middle East! If that is indeed the case, why are fuel prices so damned high in that neck of the woods? (Just a question)

Now add to this the fact that (reportedly): "Only about 10% of our (U.S.A.) oil is imported, yet much of the blame for out of sight gasoline prices falls upon world imports, and you have got to at least suspect that this whole fuel $ituation is an utter and absolute con job?"

The fuel prices in Europe are, it is said, far, far higher than here in the United States, and yet, the Brits are sitting (nearly) atop some of the largest fuel reserves in the world! It is also worthy to note that Mexico also has huge oil deposits, as does the United States, yet to listen to the oil moguls bitch, we are practically running on empty?

Others claim (at the same time), that this "Well Orchestrated Oil Rape" is due in large part to the world oil producers who are sticking it to us on a daily basis! And of course, the giant U.S. Oil Cartels are claiming that they are as much a victim as is the domestic U.S. consumer? (Sure they are????)

Now what happens to our economy when the trucking industry is brought to a stand still, along with the almost (estimated) 90% of all products that move across our roads and highways on 18 wheelers? Also, when you or your aged parents are freezing to death for lack of heating fuels, should we experience a really severe winter, who then will shoulder the blame? ?Certainly not the oil-soaked bums wintering in the South of France, or in the tropics!"

Of course, it is only my opinion, but the old saying that goes ?The Rich Get Richer, The Poor Just Get Poorer?, may soon have to be revamped to read: ?The Rich Get Super Rich, While The Poor And The Working Class Merely Cease to Exist!!?

?LES MISERABLES REVISITED, PERHAPS!?

?But what the Hell! If we can not afford bread or heat, we can always eat cake and warm ourselves in Hell!!?

VERITAS

[Seascamp]

One thing to keep in mind is that the vast majority of the North Sea rigs are owned and controlled by the British or Norwegian Governments. British National Oil Co. (BNOC) runs the Brit side and Statoil runs the Norwegian side. Operating Companies can be seen running the rigs or having a concession here or there but the respective Governments control the flow and destination of all things going on. I wouldn?t necessarily consider the North Sea being controlled by private enterprise or by the prevailing energy market, not by a long shot. I worked on Statsfijord A, B and C on the Norwegian side and Thistle A on the Brit side and all were very much government projects, and regardless what the hard hat decal indicated, there was no doubt who called the shots and who was creating the tons of bureaucratic boilerplate paperwork that stuck like flypaper on all things and things.

One remarkable thing was that the Norwegian Government taxed worker bee overtime pay at 100% and there was a 36-hour workweek, max. Zo, at the end of shift the clang of dropping tools and thumping of beating boots on the deck was nearly deafening. Alas, an exercise in slicing off ones nose to spite ones face, eh. Am I surprised about maintenance problems and accidents in the North Sea? The easy answer equals nope, not a bit.

Scamp

[HARDCORE]

Thanks for the information Scamp!

VERITAS

[SuperScout]

Our import percentages are much higher than 10%. Try the range of 45-55%, depending upon time of year. The FUBAR being witnessed inNorth Sea oil fields is yet another example of how poorly a controlled economy functions, and who really get hurt by their ineptitude.

And lest we all hurt our backs, bending over to pick up rocks to throw at OPEC, let us remind ourselves that we have been conned by our own home-grown tree-hugging lunatics who have prevented the construction of any new refineries in 30+ years. Zo, as Scamp would say, even if the Saudis GAVE us 5 million barrels more of oil, we couldn't refine it to add to the "shortage" of gasoline, ergo, the higher than last year prices. I doubt that the liberals can understand that this is a manifestation of the Law of Unintended Consequences.