STUFF

US growth forecasts scaled back by our fabulous - gotta love 'm - economists to 1.7% for this year, 2.3% for next year. OPEC cut their demand forecast too.

DOA cut corn crop forecast 3% because of the excessive heat this summer. Predicting lowest yield in 6 years, but still 3rd largest in history. Corn use for eth also projected down 100M bushels. Corn prices projected up ~30 cents. I buy the $1/lb frozen corn packages myself. And have been indulging in popped corn lately.

EU to negotiate a treaty with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan to start plans to build NG pipeline. EU members get 80% of their oil, 60% of their NG from imports. And Total announced a major gas discovery in Caspian offshore Azerbaijan. Funny how it works, huh.

Explosion at French nuke waste site killed 1. Furnace blew up. No radiation reported yet.

At height of Fukushima crisis, Japan's PM had to consider evacuating Tokyo (30M folks). That's when they ordered the workers in to contain the leak. Greenpeace: the switch from nuke power will cost Japan $280B.

Entergy facing off VT in court today over the Yankee nuke closure battle. Yankee produces enough el to power almost the whole state. Bite off the nose to spite the face? What's the adage? Though Entergy has been lax there, to say the least. In me umble opine.

Huge loans from China Development Bank have been helping their solar comps to push American solars out of biz. Are we going to give up the fight now?

Iran wants to increase crude output 1mb/d by '13. Pumped 3.6m in Aug.

Big news today. Kurdish semi-autonomous region of Iraq halted all crude exports. 100-150kb/d. Iraq exported 2.19mb/d in Aug. Kurds wrangling with Baghdad. O yea, and last week's deal with "I want my life back" Hayward's comp. Iraq planning Jan auction of licenses and banned Hess for their sharing agreement with Kurds. And who liberated Iraq from Hussein? Iraq says it also needs $30B to build 5 refineries.

Oil tanker headed to Libya as Kadaffy forces killed 15 guards at an oil refinery.

Tropical storm Nate threat to GOM oil/gas rigs over.

China exports up 24% over last year in Aug, up from July's 20% rise. Imports up 30% yoy. Crude imports up 1.8% from July. Industrial production rose 13% yoy. Fixed asset investments up 25% 1st 8 months of '11 over '10. Overall, on track for 9% GDP growth this year.

An energy corsortium reported a large oil discovery off French Guina. Guinea?

Lebanon warned UN that Israel is encroaching on offshore oil/NG finds/reserves. What's that, 15 yard penalty and automatic first down?

Latest assessment of BP's GOM oil spill says well spewed ~57kb/d for total 5m bls. And ~100mcf/d of NG.

Russia can double its oil reserves with Arctic potential: Lukoil.

Sauds and Kuwait boosted oil production in Aug.

UK joined up with US laser nuke fusion project. NIF closer to producing E. Yep, as we were told in early '70's. It's right around the bend.

Keystone Biofuels (PA biodiesel producer) doubling the workforce (14 jobs), quadrupling its space, increasing production 10x. Uses soybean oil, used cooking oil, animal fats and other.

Australian oil comps dropping E10 from Queensland filling stations due to low demand and lack of supply.

And that, pards, is all I got on the trails.