Saturday, December 27, 2014

December 26, 2014

Some U.S. moviegoers say they are standing up to North Korean “cyber-terrorism” by going to see Sony’s “The Interview,” a comedy that makes light of assassinating real-life leader Kim Jong-un. But the furor over a retaliatory hack of Sony has the look of just the latest U.S. hysteria, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar explains.By Paul R. Pillar

https://consortiumnews.com/2014/12/26/terrorism-hysteria-over-sony-hack/

Friday, December 26, 2014

TVA shifts focus on Oak Ridge nuclear reactor

http://www.knoxnews.com/business/tva-shifts-focus-on-oak-ridge-nuclear-reactor_78705489

Public Support for Nuclear Energy has Surged to a Clear Majority

http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news/7127655/public-support-for-nuclear-energy-has-surged-to-a-clear-majority

What Convinces Anti-Nuclear Activists to Take a Second Look?

For the next several weeks, the Forum on Energy will be featuring content from the recent 7^th annual U.S.-Japan Roundtable conference.

http://forumonenergy.com/2014/12/15/what-convinces-anti-nuclear-activists-to-take-a-second-look/

Preliminary Evaluation of Removing Used Nuclear Fuel from Shutdown Sites

Preliminary Evaluation of Removing Used Nuclear Fuel from Shutdown Sites http://www.osti.gov/scitech/biblio/1107493

E.P.A. Wrestles With Role of Nuclear Plants in Carbon Emission Rules by Mathew Wald

E.P.A. Wrestles With Role of Nuclear Plants in Carbon Emission Rules

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/business/energy-environment/epa-wrestles-with-role-of-nuclear-plants-in-carbon-emission-rules-.html?_r=0

Interview: Paul Bracken on American nuclear forces in the 21st century

http://thebulletin.org/interview-paul-bracken-american-nuclear-forces-21st-century7855

Units 3 & 4 of Qinshan No.2 plant obtained Operation License

Arnaud Lefevre-Baril Chief Executive Officer at Dynatom International GmbH

National Nuclear Safety Administration issued notice on issuing operation license for units 3 & 4 of Qinshan No.2 nuclear power plant. Thus far, the licensing work for units 3 &4 has been completely finished.

Units 3& 4 reached full power operation on November, 2010 and December, 2011 separately.

Source：http://www.hdzx2010.ibicn.com/news/d1193368.html

Russia in Talks With China Over Fast Neutron Nuclear Reactors Construction

http://sputniknews.com/asia/20141226/1016268829.html

A Snapshot of Germany's Electricity Mix: Solar Capacity Reigns, but Coal Generation Sustains

http://theenergycollective.com/stephenlacey/2175906/snapshot-germanys-electricity-mix-solar-capacity-reigns-coal-generation-sustain?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Not Yucca Mountain, But DOE And Nevada Agree to Keep Talking About Oak Ridge Waste

http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2014/12/24/not-yucca-mountain_2c00_-but-doe-and-nevada-agree-to-keep-talking-about-oak-ridge-waste-122402.aspx#.VJzfDEAMtc

Obama taps new chief nuclear regulator

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-taps-new-chief-nuclear-regulator/article/2557802?custom_click=rss

12 Top Power Stories of 2014

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1325051&_mc=RSS_EET_EDT

Japan could restart 9 nuclear reactors in 2015, 10 in 2016 and 12 in 2017

http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/12/japan-could-restart-9-nuclear-reactors.html

China could start about 12 nuclear reactors by the end of 2015 and 20 over the next 30 monhts

http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/12/china-could-start-about-12-nuclear.html

The Dangerous Economics of Shale Oil

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-24/dangerous-economics-shale-oil

Make No Mistake, The Oil Slump Is Going To Hurt The US Too

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-24/make-no-mistake-oil-slump-going-hurt-us-too

Fukushima Children Thyroid Cancer Rate Continues To Rise

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-24/fukushima-children-thyroid-cancer-rate-continues-rise

Saudi Arabia Ready For $20, $30, $40 Oil

http://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Saudi-Arabia-Ready-For-20-30-40-Oil.html

Fukushima Update 12/25/14

Fukushima Update 12/25/14 –

Four more Fukushima children may have thyroid cancer… Japan’s nuclear watchdog considers evacuation planning for F. Daiichi… The restart of two Sendai Station units is further delayed… Japco plans to send a team of 100 decommissioning experts to F. Daiichi… The Industry Ministry recommends financial revisions for decommissioning older nukes… Tokyo will modify the “feed in tariff” for electricity generated by renewables.

http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html

Guzzling in the Gulf The Monarchies Face a Threat From Within

Guzzling in the Gulf
The Monarchies Face a Threat From Within
By Jim Krane

The Gulf monarchies have developed a growing taste for their chief export, one that could undermine both of their long-held roles: as global suppliers and as stable polities in an otherwise fractious Middle East.http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142692/jim-krane/guzzling-in-the-gulf?cid=nlc-foreign_affairs_this_week-122514-guzzling_in_the_gulf_5-122514&sp_mid=47702821&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2

Leaving the West Behind Germany Looks East

Leaving the West Behind
Germany Looks East
By Hans Kundnani 

The Ukraine crisis has reopened old questions about Germany’s relationship to the rest of the West, as Germany drifts away from the United States and gravitates toward Russia and China.http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142492/hans-kundnani%E2%80%A8/leaving-the-west-behind?cid=nlc-foreign_affairs_this_week-122514-leaving_the_west_behind_5-122514&sp_mid=47702821&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

US Power Sector Needs $2.1 Trillion in Investment by 2035, Says EIA

http://theenergycollective.com/jeffstjohn/2175031/us-power-sector-needs-21-trillion-investment-2035-says-eia?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Winter Fury, Meet Nuclear Reliability

http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2014/12/winter-fury-meet-nuclear-reliability.html

Vermont Yankee prepares for shutdown

Vermont Yankee prepares for shutdown
http://www.timesargus.com/article/20141223/NEWS03/712239905

Assessing India’s Nuclear Capabilities

Nuclear: Carbon Free, but Not Free of Unease - NYTimes.com

Data Breaches Infographic - Business Insider

Warning of Post-Sony Cyber Attacks on U.S. Grid Underscored by Penetration of South Korean Nuclear Plants’ Computers

http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/2014/12/22/warning-of-post-sony-cyber-attacks-on-u-s-grid-underscored-by-penetration-of-south-korean-nuclear-plants-computers/

South Korea President Park Geun-hye Calls Leak Of Nuclear Plant Data A 'Grave Situation'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/22/south-korea-nuclear-plant-operator-computers-hacked_n_6370138.html

Stephen G. Burns Becomes Agency’s 16 th Chairman

Stephen G Burns Becomes Agency’s 16th Chairman

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2014/14-091.pdf

The Detroit Power Outage: A Lesson for Cities about Microgrids

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/12/the-detroit-power-outage-a-lesson-for-cities-about-microgrids?cmpid=SolarNL-Tuesday-December23-2014

Energy News Roundup: Petrobras Corruption Reaches Highest Levels, Venezuelan Economy Shutters & BMW Taking On Tesla?

http://breakingenergy.com/2014/12/22/energy-news-roundup-petrobras-corruption-reaches-highest-levels-venezuelan-economy-shutters-bmw-taking-on-tesla/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=d8f7054378-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-d8f7054378-407304281

How Dangerous is LNG?

http://breakingenergy.com/2014/12/22/how-dangerous-is-lng/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=d8f7054378-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-d8f7054378-407304281

Oil Prices, Midterms Hand U.S. Negotiators New Opportunity in Iran Talks

http://breakingenergy.com/2014/12/22/oil-prices-midterms-hand-u-s-negotiators-new-opportunity-in-iran-talks/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=d8f7054378-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-d8f7054378-407304281

Energy Quote of the Day: ‘Optimism, Dragged Down by Reality, Resulting in Mixed Success’

http://breakingenergy.com/2014/12/22/energy-quote-of-the-day-optimism-dragged-down-by-reality-resulting-in-mixed-success/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=d8f7054378-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-d8f7054378-407304281

Energy Department Announces Achievement of Major Cleanup Milestone at Savannah River Site

http://breakingenergy.com/2014/12/22/energy-department-announces-achievement-of-major-cleanup-milestone-at-savannah-river-site/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=d8f7054378-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-d8f7054378-407304281

Energy News Roundup: Lack of US Energy Policy Revealed, PA Shale Driller Penalized and Alstom Pleads Guilty to Bribery

http://breakingenergy.com/2014/12/23/energy-news-roundup-lack-of-us-energy-policy-revealed-pa-shale-driller-penalized-and-alstom-pleads-guilty-to-bribery/?utm_source=Breaking+Energy&utm_campaign=d8f7054378-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f852427a4b-d8f7054378-407304281

EPA Issues Final Federal Requirements for Coal Ash Disposal

http://www.powermag.com/epa-issues-final-federal-requirements-for-coal-ash-disposal/

PennEnergy's Daily Petroleum Update 12/23

Today's Headlines
Comstock quits Tuscaloosa play on falling oil prices Company officials said they also will shut down four rigs drilling for oil in the Eagle Ford shale formation in Texas, but will continue natural gas operations there. …more>>

Hopes, fears, doubts surround Cuba's oil and gas future A Cuban oil boom is unlikely anytime soon because of low oil prices and far better drilling opportunities elsewhere. …more>>

Senegal offshore exploration drilling program completed for Cairn Cairn and its Joint Venture partners have completed operations on the SNE-1 well in Senegal and plans are now underway to appraise the discovery next year. …more>>

Natural gas futures drop in December Natural gas futures fell on the New York Mercantile Exchange by 6 cents to stop at $3.642 per million British thermal units. …more>>


Hawaii Gas wants to increase liquefied natural gas shipments into state In an effort to reduce Hawaii's dependence on oil and lower energy costs, Hawaii Gas wants to increase its shipments of natural gas into the state. …more>>

US oil and gas rig count down 18 to 1,875 Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Arkansas gained three rigs, Kansas and New Mexico each rose by two and Alaska and Pennsylvania were up one apiece. …more>>

State approves controversial oil and gas drilling permit in St. Tammany The department posted a notice on its website saying it had approved the permit for a vertical well about 2 ½ miles deep. …more>>

Bright future ahead for UK offshore, says government adviser Former Wood Group chairman Sir Ian Wood believes that the fortunes of the UK North Sea industry will improve by 2016. …more>>

PennEnergy's Daily Power Update 12/23


Energy News & Insights
Nuclear power plant predicts $1.24B decommissioning cost The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant has made formal its prediction that decommissioning the reactor will cost $1.24 billion. …more>>

12 workers freed from collapsed tunnel in Vietnam The workers were trapped when a section of the tunnel collapsed as they were placing concrete on its ceiling. …more>>

EPA expected to treat coal ash waste like garbage Industry experts widely expect the first federal standards for the waste generated from coal burned for electricity to treat the ash like household garbage, rather than a hazardous material. …more>>

Unit 1 at Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant reconnected to the power grid Operators reconnected Unit 1 to the regional electric grid after repairing a small water leak inside the containment structure. …more>>


Duke Energy buys North Carolina solar power plant Duke Energy Renewables announced Dec. 19 it purchased a 20-megawatt solar project located in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, to add to its current 60 mw of solar capacity in the state. …more>>

Power sector employment declines, except for renewable electricity generators The electric power generation sector lost more than 5,800 jobs from January 2011 through June 2014. …more>>

Natural gas fired power replacing coal in US A new analysis conducted by the Breakthrough Institute found between 2007 and 2013, natural gas-generated energy replaced a large percentage of coal-fired plants. …more>>

Austin Energy focuses on solar power The Austin City Council approved the business's new energy plan and the company reinstated its residential solar energy credit for consumers. …more>>

North Korea Is Experiencing a Full Internet Blackout

http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2014/12/north-korea-experiencing-full-internet-blackout/101883/

Suspected hacker releases more information on nuclear reactors

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20141223001031&ntn=0

Seoul Asks FBI for Help in Finding Hacker

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/12/23/2014122301031.html

Monday, December 22, 2014

NEI: Through the Decades: History of US Nuclear Energy Facilities Responding to Extreme Natural Challenges

Oil & Gas Financial Weekly 12/22

OGFJ Weekly provides quick access to current and archived content made most popular by our readers over the past seven days. OGFJ Weekly content is compiled from the archives of OGFJ.com, Oil & Gas Financial Journal, and OGFJ newsletters. See what content caught readers' eyes recently--perhaps there's something you missed!

Oil price downturn hits upstream M&A markets Upstream deal markets slowed significantly during the period from October 17 to November 16 both in the US and internationally as oil prices fell to a four-year low in the mid-$70s.Here, PLS takes a look at select deals from the period. Share:
Innovation from smaller service firms Innovators are found in many companies, but they often pursue ideas in smaller firms where they have more freedom to experiment. In this special report, OGFJ takes a look at a few innovations from the oilfield services industry. Share:

Wrapping Up: Developments at DOE affecting LNG exports in 2014
In 2014, the DOE issued several notable regulatory opinions affecting the export of domestic natural gas, including the publication of new environmental studies and economic reports that will impact LNG project developers and would-be exporters in 2015. The year 2014 also brought the sharpening of environmental issues facing LNG export projects seeking approval from the FERC, which will continue to be reviewed and refined next year.
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Eastern gas basis: pipeline pain or gain?
The Marcellus shale gas revolution has ramped up production so quickly that pipelines have been unable to keep up. The lack of takeaway capacity in the Marcellus has caused basis points there to be oversupplied and basis points less than 300 miles away to be supply constrained during cold winter months.
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Energy insurance trends
The cost of oil and gas insurance claims continues to rise. To date in 2014, the energy sector experienced the largest loss of the year based on a fire at a Siberian refinery complex in June, reported to be approximately US800M.
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Industry Briefs
Want a quick round-up of recent news in the oil and gas space? Many last week did---and this is where they found it.
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Venture Global to develop LNG export facility in Louisiana
Venture Global LNG is developing a liquefied natural gas export facility, the Calcasieu Pass Project, in southwestern Louisiana. The export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana will be 203 acres along the Calcasieu Ship Channel where it meets the Gulf of Mexico.
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Analysts forecast 400-500 drop for US rig count Domestic rig activity is forecast to drop sharply in the coming months unless “something unexpectedly positive happens with oil prices,” noted Cowen & Co. analysts in a recent industry update. Share:
Drones in oil and gas UAS manufacturers are focusing on commercial applications of unmanned aircraft in the petroleum industry. Share:

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire