Since 2008 I have seen countless articles proclaiming the end of capitalism. What’s this gobbledygook on the end of capitalism about? It’s not the first time that I invoked my childhood memories to make a wider point in an argument.…
The late 1970s saw the rise of various green political movements in Europe. Today they are a fundamental feature of any European parliament. Ever since they were known as those who would fight for Mother Nature and on the side…
When I was in my stormy Teenage years the world was a messy place and someone, somehow had to bring some semblance of order into it (frankly, who wasn’t an idealist at this age?). At least, that’s what I thought. …
Some days ago on my way to the subway, I saw a man donning a shirt saying “You will get what you are given”. I could not help it, but the current stalemate in the LNG industry immediately jumped to…
The diesel engine is the backbone of our transport economy. It is a reliable fuel that can easily be handled, put in a barrel or in a tank where it will sit patiently until you need it, it always works…
Many African countries are oil producers but they are also beset by frequent power outages. At the same time, they flare Natural Gas in huge volumes. Infrastructure to bring that gas to power plants and then further distribute electricity is…
Few movies have left deeper marks on me than the tale of Mad Max. The lone warrior roaming the wasteland of a post-apocalyptic civilization – or at least what passes for it in the trilogy. But as much as I…
In 2005 I joined a Natural Gas trading company and that was also my jump from the legal to the gassy business. The notion of Natural Gas was, of course, no stranger to me. As a child, I learned that…
Remember in the movie Jurassic Park how the character played by Jeff Goldblum said the chaos theory explained why the dinosaurs were running amok? It was the park’s staff’s grossly incompetent planning. In any event, as Jeff’s character tried to…
Natural Gas in Europe is a misery right now. Those selling the stuff say gas prices are not high enough and consequently they cannot make a living. Those buying it for use say that the price levels are far too…
European railway has had a history of steady decline – apart from a couple of superstar routes. But the European railway network is also historically super developed. That might be a boon for LNG distribution. One of the big drawbacks…
For the speck of human history I have personally witnessed, it was an uncomfortable truth (and an unshakeable one) that the so-called developed world depended for its energy needs on some countries that may wish them no good. September 11…
About two years ago I was speaking at an event in London. I was asked on my opinion about the infamous Nabucco pipeline and if I believed if it would ever be built. I had just left EconGas, an OMV…
An offhand remark on my last post made me think a little more about how significant methane (let’s really do away with Natural Gas and use the correct word instead) will become over the next decades and what will end…
While the world was having a beauty sleep, an earth-moving event sent ripples through the Barents Sea – and made the infantile dreams of the classical energy monopolist in Europe (trust me – they are still an abundant species but…
Those going for LNG as a fuel were always on the exotic side of life in Europe. Not only were they grappling with infrastructure problems, but they also had to assume a much higher cost of purchasing new gear. EURO…
With the end of the Cold War, Fukuyama famously predicted the end of history. It was one of the bigger blunders in the predicting business as things not only have not gotten less exciting – it even got significantly more…
It’s a thorny question. And not one with a clear-cut answer possible. But I have been exposed to both and will jump into the snakepit for you. LNG or Emulsion Fuels? Those who have gone through my LinkedIn profile (and…
LNG regasification has been a no-business for pretty much all of its history. The terminal owners/operators are pretty happy with this state of affairs as their life has been really simple. Don’t move and take in guaranteed returns – that…
Methane Hydrates are known to the world as burning ice. It is an oddity to the energy industry and easily shrugged off but they are more imminent than many executives like to think. The LNG projects under construction today will…
Many would-be buyers are not very nimble when it comes to securing volumes of LNG. No surprise here, as many are behaving like the BORG from Star Trek. We are the BORG – resistance is futile. But is that a…