Will COVID-19 Increase Oil Demand? [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 86]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On May 8, 2020
  • 0 Comments
In 2003, China saw a preview of COVID-19 in the form of another coronavirus called SARS.  SARS struck Hong Kong and sent a wave of change across China.  Yet most Americans were oblivious to its existence.  At the time, though, I was traveling weekly in Asia.  I remember people talking about how they were going […]
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Standby Compensation for Force Majeure? [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 85]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On April 30, 2020
  • 0 Comments
“Time, no money,” are words commonly spoken by project owners when negotiating force majeure relief in construction and services contracts.  It means that while a contractor can receive schedule extensions (more days to complete the work), no additional compensation will be paid due to force majeure.  In response, a contractor may seek to shift the […]
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Should the Energy Industry Care About Judge Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Nomination? [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 71]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On July 23, 2018
  • 0 Comments
  • energy kavanaugh
The energy industry has increasingly found itself in the crossfires of American politics—with Democrats rallying around renewables and Republicans generally supporting fossil fuels.  The 2016 Democratic Party Platform even proposes ending consumption of fossil fuels entirely by 2050: This polarization of energy policy grew during President Obama’s administration.  In 2009, President Obama sought to pass […]
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Shale vs. Deepwater Exploration Part II: The Risks [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 62]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On January 17, 2018
  • 0 Comments
  • shale versus deepwater risk
Last week’s issue on Shale vs. Deepwater Returns [Issue 61] featured the below figure from Hess Corporation: Several readers questioned to what extent the figure’s economics reflected different risks, including the chance of success (during exploration) and political risk.  This week’s issue elaborates on such risks based on my own experiences.  At Oxy and several […]
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France Passes Law Banning Fossil Fuels [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 59]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On December 25, 2017
  • 0 Comments
  • france ban climate
Toreador Resources Corporation was one of the first companies to exploit international shale in the late 2000s.  Hydraulic fracturing was working in the United States, and similar shale formations exist around the world.  One of the largest sits in the middle of France, just east of Paris.  The EIA estimates that France has among the […]
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Energy Terrorists [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 49]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On June 25, 2017
  • 0 Comments
  • Energy Terrorist
October 2016 – Coordinated attacks on five pipelines in four states accessed emergency shut-off valves and stopped the flow of 15% of daily American oil supply.   February 2017 – Gunman opened fire on a natural gas pipeline in Florida.  He was shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies. February 2017 – Drive-by shooting of a pipeline […]
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Do Climate Accords Matter? [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 46]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On June 2, 2017
  • 0 Comments
Talking heads have been complaining about (or alternatively, celebrating) President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.  Lost in their arguing is a simple question.  Can climate accords make (much of) a difference? We live in a global economy in which goods can be manufactured and sold nearly anywhere in the world.  Energy expenditures amount […]
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How to Influence International Energy Policy (Reimagine Energy Policy: Part 4 of 4) [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 36]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On October 10, 2016
  • 0 Comments
Before his nation discovered petroleum, its president idled the power plants whenever he traveled abroad.  The people were left in the dark, suffering from their leader’s absence.  A boy once asked about the blackouts, and the president’s retort—“This is my house, and I can turn off the lights if I want”—reveals the mindset of entrenched leaders.  […]
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International Shale Gas & Climate Change (Reimagine Energy Policy: Part 3 of 4) [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 35]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On October 3, 2016
  • 0 Comments
“The U.S. leads the world in reducing carbon emissions for the most recent 5- and 10-year periods. Over the past 5 years U.S. carbon dioxide emissions have fallen by 270 million tons.” – Forbes Spinning windmills and glistening solar panels—that’s what we envision when we read about CO2 reduction. Shale gas does not usually come to mind. […]
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Genius Grants for Energy Innovation (Reimagine Energy Policy: Part 1 of 4) [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 33]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On September 14, 2016
  • 0 Comments
Energy policy used to be an area where Democrats and Republicans found common ground. That’s not true anymore. The parties’ energy platforms are polarized by climate change. Democrats call for America to be “be running entirely on clean energy by mid-century,” proposing carbon taxes to reach that goal. Republicans “oppose any carbon tax,” arguing that […]
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