[eric_b]

Interesting read.

Sounds like fuel supplies, especially diesel, are becoming scarce. South Africa is in the
southern hemisphere, and December for them is equivalent to our June. Growing season.
Farmers not being able to ship perishable items like peaches, grapes and other fruits...
not even being able to harvest them. Yikes. One of many PO disruptions predicted here
(at PO.com) now coming to pass.

In at least a couple of places in the article the phrase 'national emergency' was used.

Kinda scary.

[Dukat_Reloaded]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'p')erishable items like peaches, grapes and other fruits...

[sameu]

interesting
although the article never mentions what's causing this fuel crisis
I'd like to know the reasons of these shortages

[seldom_seen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')o diesel means no work

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seldom_seen', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')o diesel means no work

[dukey]

its a sad reality that while its business as usual here
and people have all the fuel they could ever wish, albiet at a slightly higher price

poor countries have economic melt downs

[Mesuge]

Wasn't South Africa hailed as the poster child of Hirschariana aka example of success story in massive coal<>gas liquids powering post PO economies..?

[FireJack]

WHY THE HELL IS TUBGIRL DUKATS AVATAR!!!!!!! HACKER ALERT!!!!

[chris-h]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FireJack', 'W')HY THE HELL IS TUBGIRL DUKATS AVATAR!!!!!!! HACKER ALERT!!!!

[waegari]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', '
')
Sounds to me like a very short term local disruption, not a disaster as so many seem to think. I read the links posted, a refinery is shut down for upgrading and an unexpected disruption for another plant is the cause, not a lack of financial resources or raw material.

[elroy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Falconoffury', 'I')nteresting article, but I would advise that you do not use "SA" as an abbreviation for "South Africa" because it is commonly used on these message boards to abbreviate Saudi Arabia.

[joe]

It seems, that they closed not just one, but all refineries.

Could be just a missmanagement...

"The petroleum industry says it underestimated the time needed to get refineries running again after shutting them down to prepare for the production of the cleaner fuels that will replace leaded fuel next month."

from:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200512140474.html

[ubercynicmeister]

Guys: this was due to happen since the World Bank stepped in after Apartheid and crippled South Africa's railways, upon which their entire transport system was based.

You see, South Africa had locally-repairable Steam locomotives, upon which they had done some considerable research to make them 3 times (yes, 300%) more efficient. But that can't do! If you';re the World Bank, then steam traction is totally inappropriate, because General Motors cannot sell you diesels. And let's face it, when the World Bank "gives" you money, it always comes with strings attached.

Also: railways are far, FAR too efficent. Let's force the South Africans to wreck their railways and use road transport, instead. After all, rail travel is 6.5 to 9 times more efficient than road travel, so, well, the South Africans would not only HAVE to import trucks, they'll have to import the fuel for 'em too.

So we see another African Nation getting forcibly hooked on Oil. No bloody wonder "them thar dreadful foreigners" hate America.

[Shadizar]

One thing I haven't heard yet is what the cause of this refined product shortage is.

Is the price of oil too high for the government to pay? Have their refineries gone into disrepair? I am genuinely asking, as I haven't been able to find an answer...

Another thing I find interesting about this situation is how South Africa has been touted by some as a success story in coal to oil production. Some posters on this forum have pointed to South Africa as an example of the success of coal to oil.

How successful is it? If a country with extensive experience in coal to oil conversion can be so crippled due to a fuel crisis what does it say about other countries that will face similar problems in the future?

Some people believe coal to oil concersion is the answer to our (US and world) problems, but I don't think they realize the kind of infrastructure it takes to make coal to oil conversion feasable. It can help, but not if you aren't planning for a decline in production (which the US government at least is not) and are not planning to scale.

-Shadizar

[Leanan]

The official explanation is that the refineries were shut down to convert them to make cleaner fuel. (They were required to do this, to meet a 2006 deadline.) It took longer than they thought to complete the work and get back online.

But I wonder if the shortage of light, sweet crude is part of it. Perhaps South Africa's refineries were used to buying the relatively cheap but polluting heavy, sour stuff, and weren't expecting the tight supply of less polluting crude.

They are dealing with the problem by importing refined products.

[SchroedingersCat]

Misdirection is a powerful weapon against the masses. While all eyes are focused on the middle east and what may be coming up for Iran, the US seems to be quietly insinuating itself into some less visible oil rich areas:

U.S. takes terror fight to Africa's 'Wild West'

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '&')quot;African oil is of national strategic interest to us, and it will increase and become more important as we go forward,'' Walter Kansteiner, former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said as early as 2002. A report by the National Energy Policy Development Group anticipates that by 2015, West Africa will provide a quarter of the oil imported by the United States.

Nigeria is the fifth-largest source of U.S. oil imports. Algeria has at least 9 billion barrels of reserves, and Mauritania has begun offshore pumping that could make it Africa's No. 4 oil supplier by 2007.

[elroy]

Ofcourse, it's no coincidence the US claims terrorists are where the oil is.

[gg3]

Easier target too. It's not like Nigeria is about to develop the atomic bomb.

[Aqua]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 78,00.html

I think that the American government has sub contracted the Iranian military action problem to the Israelis. Given the fact that Iran has announced today that they are going ahead with nuclear research and the statement yesterday that any intervention will be met with severe consequences I for one do not see a red herring.
I wonder what the “severe consequences” might be for the west bar military/terrorist strikes, anyone else thinking oil embargo? What would be the consequences for the West of a 4million odd barrel reduction in supply at a time when supply is so tight.

The Iranian problem is one that is worth watching closely over the next coming months as it has the potential of being the wildcard of 2006

[bobcousins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('elroy', 'O')f course, it's no coincidence the US claims terrorists are where the oil is.