STUFF

DOI Ok'd transmission lines on BLM land for 275MW solar PV project in S Cal. LS Power to build 175MW in '12.

UK had 2nd warmest year on record. Warmest was '06. Top 7 warmest in last ten years.

Venezuela says Exxon to get only $255M of $900M awarded for '07 seizure. Exxon sought $6B. Intl Chamber of Commerce ruled on the award. World Bank also to rule on it.

Disposal of wastewater from fracking operations halted after 4.0 quake in NE Ohio.

Oil washing up on Nigeria coast. Shell says it couldn't be from their spill. Last week they said they had it contained offshore. Meanwhile, fuel prices in Nigeria doubled overnight with lifting of govt subsidies on fuel.

HOKU may have power shut off at their $400M polysilicon plant under construction in Idaho. They owe $1.9M for Nov power bill. Sept 30 they reported $3.2M cash and equivalents and $242M current liabilities. And they have taken $280M in prepayments from PV cell and panel makers including HSOL. HOKU's CFO resigned last week. Their stock's market cap is $31M. You might consider shorting the stock tomorrow. Will their Chinese conglomerate parent bail them out or let them go bankrupt, possibly sticking those prepayers with the plant?

NG  now under $3/MBTU. 1st time this low in winter in over a decade. Most shale gas unprofitable to produce at this price level. But producers are locked into contracts requiring them to keep drilling. Rigs have been shut down recently, though, and moved to profitable oil sites.

Plans this year to shutter 3 large refineries in PA (>1/2 refining capac in NE) - likely to affect availability and prices of oil products in the region. Product will have to come from Gulf coast, adding to costs and logistic probs.

China manufacturing down 2 months in a row, but signs of stabilizing.

For 1st time, top export of US, in dollars, is now fuel.

China court says Conoco-Phillips' offshore oil leak caused $78M damage to fishermen.

Bangladesh taking bids for 1st LNG terminal. They produce ~630BCF NG a year. Proven reserves ~1.4TCF. That looks to me like 2 years worth. What am I missing here?

Turkey and Azerbaijan agreed on new NG pipeline to span Turkey East to West. And Turkey approved Gazprom's NG pipeline through Turkey's waters.

Afghan cabinet cleared contract with China National Petroleum for development of oil blocks. Go figure.

Corn and grain futures surging on poor weather in S Am.

U of Iowa study found Brazil ethanol plants' emissions 7x higher than thought.

Oil refining spokesman says EPA's renewable fuel requirements for '12 of blending 1.25B more gallons than in '11 is "not achievable, nor cost effective or environmentally realistic".

Onward and upward, pards.