by Armageddon » Fri 06 Jun 2008, 13:30:45
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Forney2008', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DantesPeak', 'H')ere's more info on the Iranian tanker storage situation I mentioned before, which makes more sense now with the comments from Israel:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')orld News Connection
June 5, 2008
Iran Increases Tankers Fleet In Persian Gulf
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran , OPEC's second-largest oil producer, increased the number of tankers idling in the Persian Gulf to at least 14, indicating it may be storing more crude, ship-tracking data show. Iran has at least 14 very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, floating near Khark Island, a loading facility. In April, there were 10, holding at least 20 million barrels of oil, people familiar with the situation said at the time. Shipbrokers also reported that Iran hired three more tankers , which have been near Khark Island for at least two weeks.
The use of vessels for storage has been a "component of the rise" in rental rates, Mathieu Philippe, a tanker broker at Barry Rogliano Salles in Dubai said by phone on Tuesday. Rates have also been bolstered by record crude output by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and reduced demand for single-hull tankers that increase the risk of oil spills, he said. The 14 supertankers are capable of storing as much as 28 million barrels of oil, equal to about 12 days of Iran's total output. The three tankers hired by National Iranian Tanker Company can store another 5 million barrels between them. Iran will start cutting the amount of crude stored on tankers this month, Energy Intelligence reported on its Web site May 29, citing Hojatollah Ghanimifard, executive director of international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company.
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I cannot understand why Israel would attack Iran for us by proxy. Do they not realize that if an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities occurs and the strait of homuz is blocked for any decent length of time, then the world will despise Israel like never before. $200 a barrel will seem very cheap if the strait gets blocked. I am wondering though if Bush's neo-cons and Israel see the U.S economy on the precipice and feel that buy having an attack on Iran, which causes oil prices to spike, could be a good excuse for this economic recession/depression we are soon to experience. It would cloud American's belief on the true reason for the occurring or soon to be deep recession. It might even help John McCain by having Americans believe that we cannot possibly change leadership ideologies midstream during a new war.