Ukraine's European Revolution?

[Razgovory]

Oddly enough I'm quite unsatisfied with Obama on this, and think the Republican claims that Obama's weakness in the Syrian emboldened Putin has some currency.

[Archy]

Sometimes I wonder why small countries even bother with an army.  Surely the only thing protecting them from invasion is an international opinion in any case, so why waste the money?

Contribution to the common good I figure.

I like the way Luxembourg does it: no armed forces of its own, but Luxembourgeois serve in the Belgian military.  Of course, on the down side, it's the Belgian military.

It has an army of it's own 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg_Army

[Viking]

Puff, remind me who owns the fracking technology.  I'm feeling like putting a bet down that Europe will change its mind real soon.

Virtually everybody, it's mostly 80+ years old so there isn't a company to invest in that "owns" the technology. But for fracking specifically you'd want to invest in companies with cementing and oilfield chemical arms. So, Schlumberger, Baker-Hughes and Halliburton are ideal candidates. Basically the entire service sector, so you might want to add Weatherford and Baker-Jardine to your investment portfolio.

Bascially Fracking uses the same drilling techniques as regular oil, same cementing as regular oil, same perforation and completion as regular oil. The only difference is the fracking chemicals (which are mostly water and sand in any case) and the multiple cement pumping trucks they hook up in series to get the pressure head they need.

In summation, no point in investing in fracking, just invest in regular oil and oilfield companies.

[Admiral Yi]

Hmmm.  I thought at one point you said that whereas the concept was as old as the hills, some smaller company had come up with a new, spiffy, proprietary method. No?

[Viking]

Sometimes I wonder why small countries even bother with an army.  Surely the only thing protecting them from invasion is an international opinion in any case, so why waste the money?

Contribution to the common good I figure.

I like the way Luxembourg does it: no armed forces of its own, but Luxembourgeois serve in the Belgian military.  Of course, on the down side, it's the Belgian military.

It has an army of it's own 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg_Army

and 19 Awacs aircraft.

[MadImmortalMan]

Puff, remind me who owns the fracking technology.  I'm feeling like putting a bet down that Europe will change its mind real soon.

I doubt it. It's too politically volatile there. I do think the push to replace Russian Gas with North American will accelerate. I've heard as much mentioned recently by a few important people recently, including the CEOs of Total and Freeport and also the French President.

[crazy canuck]

Looks like the bet our Provincial government is putting on LNG plants is going to pay off

[Viking]

Hmmm.  I thought at one point you said that whereas the concept was as old as the hills, some smaller company had come up with a new, spiffy, proprietary method. No?

Not proprietary, the change was the appreciation that the old methods could be used on new formations (shale) and produce significant gas. As for the proprietary bits, that would be the specific chemicals added to keep the fracking sand from sinking to the bottom right away. Those patents are owned by companies like Halliburton, Schlumberger and Baker. No fancy investment opportunities. If you want to make a killing though, invest in the companies that own the production rights, but you'd be playing geological dice.

[MadImmortalMan]

Looks like the bet our Provincial government is putting on LNG plants is going to pay off

I certainly hope so.   

[Viking]

Puff, remind me who owns the fracking technology.  I'm feeling like putting a bet down that Europe will change its mind real soon.

I doubt it. It's too politically volatile there. I do think the push to replace Russian Gas with North American will accelerate. I've heard as much mentioned recently by a few important people recently, including the CEOs of Total and Freeport and also the French President.

In germany yes, but It's already starting in britain.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26032285

I suppose poland and ukraine will follow up soon.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Puff, remind me who owns the fracking technology.  I'm feeling like putting a bet down that Europe will change its mind real soon.

I doubt it. It's too politically volatile there. I do think the push to replace Russian Gas with North American will accelerate. I've heard as much mentioned recently by a few important people recently, including the CEOs of Total and Freeport and also the French President.

there are rumblings to start up fracking in several parts of Europe, but no real push yet. I imagine the push will become bigger as the petrochemical industry starts relocating to the US due to cheap energy.

[Sheilbh]

-Call for an emergency OAS meeting to discuss the situation (I think it was technically Panama who called for it but don't doubt that the US was pushing for it).  The fact that Maduro and his far left buddies in other Latin American countries were opposed to the session is probably enough proof that it was the right thing to do.

There's going to be a meeting. Venezuela's cut relations with Panama and denounced the OAS as a 'dying organisation'.

They've also tried to mediate but that was very aggressively rejected.

In germany yes, but It's already starting in britain.

Ish. We're a densely populated country with so strong a NIMBY tendency that we don't even build enough houses to match population growth. Fracking's pretty controversial here and I don't think there's actually many areas being explored as opposed to have a license. Also, unlike coal or heavy industry, it's pretty evenly spread through the country so you get Tory MPs talking about the need to frack in Lancashire but going absolutely insane about fracking in the South

Generally I'm all for it, but I don't think the government's proposed split of revenue with local government's good enough. This could help revitalise huge areas though

[Viking]

As for the EU, the EU gas directive instucts all EU consumers of gas to get diverse suppliers of gas. This is why they often pay through the nose for norwegian gas which is more expensive than algerian or russian gas. The ability to produce locally would satisfy that directive easily. I know nimbyism is really bad, but... the thing with nimbyism with regards to gas and oil production is that it usualy subsides once people see that it has little or no impact on the surface and once the locals see the money and employment it brings in. You just have to get over the hurdle of starting the industry.

[Sheilbh]

The same's true with nuclear. Which is why a lot of the new UK nuclear power plants are going to built on the sites of old ones. Those local communities are actually pretty positive about having the plant in their area.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

As for the EU, the EU gas directive instucts all EU consumers of gas to get diverse suppliers of gas. This is why they often pay through the nose for norwegian gas which is more expensive than algerian or russian gas. The ability to produce locally would satisfy that directive easily. I know nimbyism is really bad, but... the thing with nimbyism with regards to gas and oil production is that it usualy subsides once people see that it has little or no impact on the surface and once the locals see the money and employment it brings in. You just have to get over the hurdle of starting the industry.

You should read up on the local reaction to the Barnett Shale drilling and fracking.  Constant complaints about fracking-related earthquakes, chemicals in tap water, and noise and dust pollution from heavy truck traffic near the wellheads.  And this is in petro-friendly Texas.  I can only imagine what negative things Euroweenies will connect to fracking when it starts there.