Chambered

And I was talking about American companies selling out? Just read this one today:

SKF will purchase Lincoln Holdings Enterprises Inc. from Harbour Group, a privately owned operating company based in St Louis, Mo.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- SKF has agreed to acquire U.S.-based lubrication systems provider Lincoln Holdings Enterprises Inc. for $1 billion on a cash and debt-free basis. SKF will purchase the business from Harbour Group, a privately owned operating company based in St Louis, Mo.

Lincoln Industrial is a leading supplier of lubrication systems, tools and equipment, with a consistent record of strong financial performance. The company has roughly 2,000 employees and in 2010 the company is expected to generate sales approaching $400 million with an operating profit margin of around 24 percent.

The transaction is subject to relevant regulatory approvals.

The acquisition includes all Lincoln, Alemite and Reelcraft entities and brands. According to SKF, Lincoln Industrial is highly complementary to SKF’s existing lubrication systems business with limited overlap when it comes to geographical sales coverage, technology and manufacturing footprint, particularly in North America and Asia.

In addition, Lincoln Industrial provides SKF with improved access to the lubrication tools and equipment aftermarket in North America. SKF said it expects to achieve significant synergies from the combination through improved sales opportunities and greater efficiencies.

Tom Johnstone, president and CEO of SKF, commented, "Lubrication systems is a very important business for SKF and also one of our technology platforms. Combined with our other platforms it enables us to help our customers reduce friction and energy consumption. SKF has been building its lubrication systems business over a number of years and our team has done a great job in developing this as an important part of the SKF Group. The acquisition of Lincoln Industrial combined with our existing business will significantly improve our ability to further support our customers with even better solutions and give us a better geographical coverage. We have been following the development of Lincoln Industrial over a number of years and I am very pleased that the Lincoln team will soon be joining the SKF Group."

Lincoln Industrial’s three main product lines are automated lubrication systems, hose reels and grease guns, with a focus on grease-based systems. Sales are mainly generated from automated lubrication systems and related products. Major end-markets include industrial, energy, off-highway, mining, agriculture and steel.

“We are very pleased that SKF has acquired Lincoln Industrial and look forward to fully supporting the further development of the Group,” said Bart Aitken, president and CEO of Lincoln. “Lincoln Industrial has developed very well over a number of years with very strong growth and financial performance. The combination of Lincoln Industrial with the current SKF lubrication systems business and customer base will provide significant growth and value creation opportunities.” Aftermarketnews.com

rgs

My father paid back every loan he got under the various farm loan programs. Every cent plus interest.

I personally know of only one local farmer who defaulted on his loan, and he lost his farm unlike many who defaulted on their mortgages they couldn't afford and should never have been allowed to take out, but that's another story.

Sxrxrnr

Nah, I was referring to the same eco-nuts that force us to drill for oil in deep, deep waters because we are not permitted to replenish our oil requirements from "protected areas" like Alaska where we don't want to disrupt the breeding habits of a bunch of Caribou, nor other offshore sources where it is far safer to drill. Yea, these are the same folks that force us to send 700,000,000,000 dollars each and every year to other countries around the world for their oil, so as you can keep gasoline in your automobile, heat and light your home, run the factory or business where you are employed.

How do these eco-nuts do this is your next question I suppose!

It is because these fools have decided thru their complete lack of understanding of science and technology that American Industry is to inept to safely provide the vast majority of our infrastructure energy requirements using the technology that we invented 60 years ago and has proven itself in countries all around the world safely, but we've had nuts like Jimmy Carter, the entire Leftist movement in this country, Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon (Oh, I'm sorry that you've forgotten "China Syndrome" and the junk science that they served up to the great scientific unwashed of this country) have fear mongered this country back to the stone age, where other countries like France, Japan, India, China,,,,,,,must I go on,,,,,have committed to become energy independent and use their moneys to improve the lives of their populations instead of those of countries that likely hate them and us.

And let us not forget the 10's of thousands of Americans who suffer an early death (how many 9/11's would this add up to each year) or severe quality of life issues because of mining, transporting, burning coal and non natural gas petroleum products in our transportation infrastructure each and every year. I again eagerly await evidence of this epidemic of early deaths caused by the 20 percent of our electrical generating sources that are from nuclear energy.

And again I remind you that the USA has a super abundance of natural gas that would power our motor vehicles for hundreds of years, especially if we ceased wasting it in our electrical power generating systems and blowing it up the smoke stacks of our homes (our homes again be provided all its energy needs by electrical generated by nuclear and hydro-electric sources.

Of course some morons would have you believe that solar, wind and recycled French fry oil will address all these problems. I suggest that if these same peoples can explain to me the scientific explanation for the 24 hour cycle of night and day or the cause of the 4 seasons of the year in Chicago, than perhaps I would give a bit of credence to the possibility of that these folks are not complete dunces, but lacking evidence to the contrary, I cannot offer much hope that they are not.

I would of course trust that you owning a Corvette, that you do not belong to this group that insist upon driving America to a 2nd rate power in the world. Imagine just what this 700,000,000,000 dollars a year could do for us if we could keep it here.

65 vette dude

Really?......Explain how they FORCED oil execs to drill in the gulf. Did they hold a gun to their heads? The oil companies did it on their own, and lied to the American people about how safe it was. Remember...."a spill like the Exxon Valdez could never happen with today's technology, and back-up safeguards." Nothing but BS, and lies.....Deep Horizon was 9 times a larger spill than the Exxon Valdez. What happened in the Gulf, was a perfect example why there should never be drilling in ANWAR, unless there is a national emergency......and oil company profits does NOT constitute a national emergency. ANWAR oil has been there for thousands of years, and it will still be there thousands of years from now. By the way, if we started drilling today in ANWAR, it would be at least 10 years before for any of it would be available at your local gas pump. Also, oil companies have stated time and time again that if drilling was allowed, it would NOT lead to lower gas prices..... of course they haven't stated how much profits it would add to their bottom line. Regardless..... the eco-nuts were right about drilling in the gulf, and the oil companies were proven dead wrong.

Chambered

So your point is what? You are pissed that there was a major mishap in the gulf - a fluke equipment failure by BP? Hey - I am too! How quickly would the tragedy have been remedied if it had happened in 500-feet of water, or would it even have happened? WHY has the government mandated drilling in such deep waters? So people wouldn't have to SEE the oil rigs? Well, we need oil & cars run on it, trucks run on it, plastics are made from it, etc. Oil is good - I say UP WITH OIL! I'm not a religious man, but I'll just say that GOD put oil in the ground for us to use! Just like GOD made Huth & Ben Pearson pipe benders so man could build exhaust systems!

Maybe it would make better sense to drill on land? Google 2 things & read about them: Green River Formation (largest oil discovery on Earth), & the Baaken Formation. Right here in the good old US of A - Baaken is partially under Canada as well. (Man, we're gonna need more refineries, more tanker trucks & truck drivers to move the fuel, more fuel distributors, more pumping stations, more tooling companies to build the equipment, more repair companies to fix the stuff that breaks, etc.). Sounds like heading toward energy independence to me!

Obama's plan to reduce our dependence on foreign oil: http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/05/...il-dependence/ WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Double fuel mileage requirements? Build smaller cars & smaller engines? Head toward alternative fuels? Wrong on ALL counts! NOT the solution! Oil is the cheapest & best way to power an engine - DEAL WITH IT! We have it here - let's go get it.

Stewart Allison

Spoken like a true petrol head LOL love it ! Stewy

Sxrxrnr

What's incredible that the eco-nuts and leftist's never have an answers or solutions. It's as if some higher power (angels, munckins, elves?) will magically produce all fuels required to run our economy, heat your home, power your autos until technology is developed to the point that their silly solar cells and windmills are efficient enough and economically viable to be a true alternative. At the current rate of progress, it's unlikely in this century or any future one,,,at least far enough off so that is not an issue to any of us or our children.

So tell us all just how you all are going to do this. None of the normal soapbox junk about big oil, big corporations (likely for whom most of you and yours depend on for your livelihoods and the products and services that differentiate our country and its standard of living from other lesser advanced countries of the world), read Mexico, India, Indonesia, most all of Africa,,,,,,

Let's here some ideas and some facts. We've thrown out ideas, Nuclear/breeder reactors, natural gas, oil shale, drill baby drill, coal, hydro and even underground hot spots (geo thermal) in the Earth's crust.

We are sitting here with bated breath to hear your ideas, just how you are going to heat/light your home, fuel your Corvette, power your plasma tv (oh crap again produced by a corporation), feed your family (takes energy to sow, fertilize, grow, harvest, process, ship these foodstuffs,,,or do you really believe that they are created out of pixie dust in the aisles of Safeway?).

Oh yes you suggest that we continue to destroy the environments of all the other countries from whom we import our energy, but heaven forbid not ours. And of course we completely destroy our balance of trade by shipping hundreds of billions of dollars to these countries so that many of them can turn these billions of dollars back on us with threats of all kinds to our quality of life, the men in our military, and the complete destruction of our balance of payments and national debt.

Yea your tiny little fingers in the dike plays well in San Francisco, Berkley and Boston with the rent a mobs and know nothings, but offers nothing at all to a solution to our energy requirements for now and the next 50 years.

Let's here some ideas and please don't tell us about the Fish Carburetor that big oil bought and buried so that our cars are unable to get 100 miles from a single gallon of gasoline, thereby protecting their massive profits.

http://www.mikebrownsolutions.com/fish3.htm

Oh, yes I might also suggest that if oil companies, insurance companies, big Pharma, corporations in general are making so much money, why not start one of your own, or at least take all of your 401 K and IRA monies and buy stock in a few of them. Sounds like the golden road to riches, how can you miss, massive profits with zero risk?

So once again, let's hear your ideas or those from whom believe as you.

I thought not!

AZDoug

You miss the point.

The point is, is that you are not supposed to have personal IC transportation, you should walk or bike, you shouldn't eat meat, you should eat grains and look like a starving Somalian, based on UN height/weight guidelines, you shouldn't heat or cool your home, you should just deal with nature, or better yet, live in 300 SF living quarters in high density building, you shouldn't have kids, as they are a burden on the environment.

Take away the oil, the nuclear, the natural gas, and the above paragraph explains how you can and should live.

EDIT: the above only applies to YOU, not those who would not have us drill or burn uranium, they get a pass to use gasoline and electricity because they are environmentalists. The old hypocrisy thing, ya know?

Doug

Audiophobe

Not Fair!
This is not a Left or a Right failure. This is an American failure!
Every president since oil dependence/independence has really become an issue has dropped the ball. Name one that has really addressed and driven the issue of increasing domestic production, developing alternative energy sources, and encouraging R&D? Reagan? Clinton? Bush(s)? Don't even say Obama!
It's just been easier to include ideas into their debates, speeches and State of the Union addresses and then table them when they are in power. And we are also at fault for not pushing them once they win.
It kills me that we are feeding the monster. Every time you fill your tank or turn your heat on you are financing the enemy. Even our moderate oil producing "friends" from the Mid East teach hate of America right from nursery school and covertly aid terrorism. Or, there is our "pal" nut job from Venesuela who now also wants to develop a nuclear program for "energy" just like our Iranian friend.
No, this is not a matter or Republican or Democratic failure or leftist or red neck. The guys I voted for and there opponents have never taken this problem head on.

Chambered

Didn't the US form a whole new energy department to head us toward energy independence? (I can't remember what it is called, & of course now it has swollen to a massive size & WHAT does it even do? It's original purpose lost in the wake of years of inaction........

When we put all our eggs in one basket (OPEC), this is what can happen overnight: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis

Interesting in this read how Henry Kissinger stated a coming program for the US to become energy independent. Obviously, that never happened. We are still at the mercy of the middle east oil producers. WHY haven't we (our powerful politicians) done something about this in 40 years? All they use now are "alternative fuels" talking points. Just a bunch of "green" politically-correct chatter to generate brownie points.

AZDoug

Too many powerful NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard).

The Malibu/Beverly Hills crowd won't allow drilling off the CA coast, the FL people don't want it off theirs, The Sierra Clubbers don't want it anywhere. So, we exhaust domestic fields and buy more and more from over seas, which is what the Enviro goal is, they don't want us using oil at all, or at least if we do, we should pay $8/gal like the Euros do.

I thought it was hilarious that some of the politicians that were promoting alternative energy like wind and solar suddenly decided wind farms off cape cod, or Nantucket , were not such a good idea because it would spoil their sailing experience.

Doug

Raptor119

But you don't understand liberal Tree Huggers. They can't do what they preach unless its mandated by law that all must comply, not just them. Wouldn't want them to miss out on something. Thus we get Obamacare and ethanol/fuel mix and a host of other screaming liberal agenda items shoved down our throats by our "representatives".

Because the only way they can fund these abortion ideas is with YOUR tax dollars and subsidies.

Mike Culpepper

Okay, I figured I'd weigh in again and get this thread locked toot-sweet.

I think it is safe to say that I would be considered an "eco-nut" by the vast majority of those who post here, but here's my two cents:

Nuclear power: I'm all in favor of it, but what are you going to do with the waste? My father was a nuclear engineer so I've a pretty good idea of what it's all about, and waste disposal was his biggest concern. Burying it in the earth was not a satisfactory solution in his opinion. We can't recycle it because for some stupid reason we signed a treaty that said we couldn't. Obviously, nobody else seems to have signed the same treaty, or has just ignored it for many years. Why Bush couldn't have chosen to break this treaty instead of the ones he did break is beyond me. Even with recycling, you still have extremely radioactive waste that has to be disposed of. So what do you do with it? By the way, Jimmy Carter was also a nuclear engineer and is a pretty bright guy, so I'm sure he is well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power. More so than most of us, I'm sure.
As far as using electricity to heat your home, let me say this: I live in the mid Atlantic region, where it actually gets cold in the winter. Electric heat flat sucks. It's obscenely expensive, and your house (and you) never ever feels warm. I can only imagine what it would be like for the northeast or the upper midwest where it really gets cold and stays cold for months. Not everyone lives where its warm, you know.

Natural gas: My understanding is that at current rates of consumption, we have about 150 years worth in the US. If we use it for everything, we'll run out in less than 40 years. Then what?

What's left? Domestic oil.
ANWAR: the USGS says there are between 5.7 and 16.7 billion barrels of technically recoverable crude there. Sounds like a lot, right? Well we use 3.65 billion barrels per year right now, so if our consumption remains the same, there is anywhere from less than two years to less than 5 years worth of oil there. And it's still 10-15 years away if we started drilling tomorrow.
The Baaken Formation: The USGS say the Baaken Formation has even less oil than ANWAR - 3 to 4.3 billion barrels. So, 10 to 14 months worth of oil there.
The Green River Formation: Okay this is a little more complex. Green River is not oil at all, but oil shale. You know; rock. Technically, it is a sedimentary rock that contains solid bituminous materials known as kerogen. You can't just drill a hole and pump it out of the ground. It has to be mined, like coal and it's found anywhere from 550 to over 2500 feet below the surface. Some of you don't seem to be too fond of coal mining.

I suspect that mining oil shale would have effects upon those who mined it similar to coal.
I can only imagine the devastating effect this would have on the environment where the deposit is located (Colorado, Utah and Wyoming) based upon how coal is mined in West Virginia. They basically blast the tops off the mountains and push the debris into the valleys, destroying the forests, poisoning streams and rivers and turning large swaths of the state into a moonscape where nothing lives. The sites are readily viewable with Google Earth. And you would do this to an area larger than the entire state of West Virginia? Oh, well, can't see it from your house, right?

After the rock has been mined it has to be crushed, then it has to be heated - a lot - to release the kerogen. Then the kerogen has to be refined before it goes to the refinery, where it is refined even more. Somewhere along the line the waste shale has to be disposed of as well. I bet this makes the production of corn based ethanol look positively thrifty in comparison from an energy input/energy output point of view.
One more thing, this whole operation uses a tremendous amount of water which is not terribly plentiful in that part of the country. Where is it going to come from? People are already fighting over water rights in the west.

So, how much is in the Green River Formation? Well, it's not "the largest oil discovery on earth" because it simply isn't oil; its more like coal. But that distinction aside how much "oil" is in there? According to the oil industry, about 750 billion barrels which is less than three times the size of Saudi Arabia's known reserves. At current rates of US consumption, that would last us less than 100 years. Then what?

Add them all up and you've got about 150 years of "oil" and gas in the US tops. As long as we never use more than we're using today.

Then what?

With regards to the recent gulf spill, BP deliberately and knowingly took shortcuts to save money. They knew the risk they were running and what could go wrong, yet still chose to take that chance, knowing that in the event of a blowout, they could do nothing. This is what bit them in the *** not the depth of the water or even that they were drilling offshore. But I find it incredible to think that some think it's okay to undertake these technically demanding operations without any backup should something go awry. Because something always goes awry. Can you imagine what Three Mile Island would have been like if current day BP had been running the show?

With regards to E-85, which was the original point of all this: When/if it happens, I will make the necessary modifications to my Chevelle and my Corvette and keep on driving them. Hell, the gas tank in the Corvette started leaking yesterday, so I gotta replace it anyway now. Might as well buy a stainless steel one.

rgs

Both the 150 year old farm house my father was born in, and the new house he built 10 years ago when he moved off the farm, are both heated with electricity. The key is proper insulation and installation. Their new house has heat traces in the floors. It is extremely comfortable and their electric bill never get over $200 in the coldest months here in Iowa. Last year, we went fron November to March without a single day above freezing.

Chambered

Mike, I don't know where you are getting your info about the Baaken & the Green River Formations, but the estimated oil reserves in the Green River is in the trillions of barrels. And I can tell you also (from an inside source) that the bacteria readings in BOTH of these read the same. This means they are connected, since different deposits NEVER have the same readings. The actual amount of recoverable oil is inestimable it is so great. This should serve as a HUUUUGE positive for us, but as we are discussing here, we refuse to utilize any of it. The shale oil IS more difficult to recover, but we are doing it right now on a small scale (for export), & it does not require turning the ground into a crater. From what I understand, they semi horizontal drill, & use steam to separate the oil from the shale. So not only can it be done, it is being done! The "inside" guy I spoke with said it is all much larger than the public is led to believe.

AZDoug

Couple points:

Yes, nuclear waste should be recycled, and if you do so, and use breeder reactors, you would have a lot less waste.

The Nevada depository or a similar one is a geologically stable formations are fine for long term disposal, problem is, nobody wants the waste transported across their state, or to have the depository in their area (see NIMBY, in a post above).

Anybody that says the Nevada site is unsuitable for the next 10 million years, is lying to you because they just want nuclear power to go away, because they don't like it, or understand it. Some of these people think microwave ovens are in the same league with Savannah River.

Thorium reactors would be a much better way to go. Google it, i don't want to explain it.

Estimated US gas reserves are closer to 500 years (proven reserves, plus pretty good idea gas is there unproven reserves) at current rates of consumption.

All these 5 year oil fields add up, as you say, add them up and you have 150 years of oil.

Shale oil is best retorted in situ, not dug up for processing and disposed of in fill area.

What then after 150 years? I really don't care, it isn't my problem, you might as well worry about the sun turning into a red giant is 3 billion years and incinerating the earth (which WILL happen).

The real problem is population growth, both domestic and world wide, and increased third world living standards and demands. If populations had been kept the same as in 1950, we would have a thousand years of oil left.

Doug

ziptie

Would it be considered common courtesy to let others discuss what they want to discuss, and for you to find a thread you're interested in to participate in, rather than you dictating what is an is not appropriate.


Just curious

SledgeHammer 2.0

I say as long as it is kept civil, discuss away.

Mike Culpepper

RGS,
My house was built 40 years ago and is horribly insulated - R-7 in the exterior walls. But we heat with gas and I don't think (wife pays the bills) that our monthly gas bill in the winter has ever topped $150. We also use gas for the clothes dryer and water heater. Maryland's politicians in their "wisdom" deregulated our electric utilities a few years ago - I guess 'cause it worked so well in California, and our electric rates have doubled as a result. I'll stick with gas for now.

Chambered:
I got my info from the United States Geological Survey.
According to the USGS, total amount of oil in the Green River Formation is 2.82 trillion barrels, but total recoverable oil is much less. 750 billion barrels according to the USGS.
If there was enough recoverable oil there that we could tell the middle east and Venezuela and the rest to go pound sand forever, I'd be all in favor of recovering it. I just don't believe there is that much there. As technology advances, that may change.

Doug,
It's not simply the geological stability of the waste disposal site. You also have security issues, transport issues. Its no wonder people don't want it in their backyard, I don't think I would either.
Again, most of my knowledge of nuclear power came from my father who was sorta "in the business". He was a weapons designer for the US Navy.
I'll look into thorium reactors. That's not something I'm familiar with.
Where are you getting your figures for US gas reserves? According to the US Energy Information Agency, in 2008 we had reserves of 764,001 billion cubic feet. Also according to the same agency, in 2009 total US natural gas consumption was 22,740 billion cubic feet. At this rate (unless my math is wrong) we will run out of natural gas in 33.6 years.
We don't have 30 proven 5 year undeveloped oil fields in the US.
Retorting shale oil in situ creates a whole host of other risks. Contamination of ground water, fracturing of the rock formations. There is some concern that in an area of fault lines this could lead to earthquakes. I don't know much about it or even if the area in question has any fault lines, but being as its along the Rockies, it wouldn't surprise me.

Shouldn't you care about what happens in the future? Your grandchildren might still be around. Certainly your great grand kids.

I totally agree with you about population. That's the real problem, but you can't tell people they cannot have children.
I dunno, maybe you don't have kids. I don't.

AZDoug

I don't have any kids.

You can only prolong the inevitable, anyway, what diff does it make if oil runs out in 150 years or 300 years or 500 years?

Do you feel more secure with radioactive waste leaking from Hanford,and waste being stored at dozens of places around the country vs stored underground several thousand feet below the surface in a stable, dry area?

The waste exists, it needs to be consolidated, i would be more worried for your kids about all those lower security storage places vs any oil running out. Transport is easy, it can be very easily solidified (think cement) and transported that way, if something does occur, solids are easily contained. Fear (overblown) of the bogeyman radiation is our problem, and people that stick their heads in the sand hoping the problem will magically go away.

My natural gas info comes from friends that are geologists, drillers and people in the petro refining industry, including Chem Eng University professors (I am a ChE by education), and includes huge new gas fields that have been found in the US southeast fairly recently, and estimates of unproven reserves that aren't counted in the official figures. Forbes Magazine had an article on this in the last couple years about the faux gas shortage, they figured the same way i did that a 500 year supply exists. Remember, according to the DOE, back in 1974, the US was going to run out of oil by the 1990's....

I would be more concerned about metal resources running out, our new technological age required vast quantities of silver, gold and rare earth lanthanides that are getting scarcer much quicker that petroleum.

I predict that in 50-75 years, we will be mining the current landfills for metals that are considered waste now and have been over the past century.

In 200 years, the inhabitants of the earth will be mining the ruins of what were once great cities for metal, in essentially an iron age culture, as all the easily mined stuff will have been long gone, and without metal, you can't have a civilization.

Doug