Neighbors concerned about runoff from construction site

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. - A developer in Sumner County is instructed to make changes by the state after a neighbor filed a complaint about the runoff from its construction site.

Eric Rion has lived at his house at the end of The Hollows Court in Hendersonville for 23 years. Aside from the 2010 flooding, he has not seen water flow down his property and street as bad as it has been recently.

He blamed the development in Somerset Downs located right on top of the hill from his backyard for causing the muddy runoff.

"We got mud and debris flowing all the way across the yard down the street everywhere. My yard stays wet and muddy every time it rains and when it dries, I got a dust bowl," Rion pointed out to NewsChannel 5.

Rion said it is not uncommon for water to flow across his property when it rains hard but he said how the development is structured only exacerbated the problem. For several months, he said water from the construction site would funnel to the side where his backyard sits.

"It is topping every silk fence they have. They've got a rock check dam which basically is doing nothing that's holding other stuff in place, it's a disaster right now," Rion added.

Video shot by his neighbor Monday night showed muddy water flowing into his backyard. Pictures showed how it flooded the streets.

He is frustrated and concerned about erosion and sediment being brought in to his property.

"I don't want this to be in a year or two years when this is finished and we still have this water flowing across the yard the way it is. The second main issue is that there is no settling up here so any silt or contaminants coming off on this site is going to be settling on this yard," he said.

Director of Planning and Stormwater Josh Suddath told NewsChannel 5 that the drainage issue is related to the development, and that what was installed to temporarily control the water was not adequate.

Last month, an inspector with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Water Resources visited the site after Rion's complaint.

The inspection found several violations, including no proper stormwater pollution prevention and erosion prevention plans and permits set in place. Plus, lack of inspections and the buffer not being maintained on site.

A spokesperson said the state met with the developer and the county last week and have requested remediation activities be completed to address the sediment issues at the site. The state the developer is complying with all TDEC requests thus far.

The spokesperson pointed out that the regulatory responsibility focuses specifically on water quality and not water quantity which is handled by local officials.

Suddath said TDEC created a five-step corrective action plan for the developer to complete in 30 days.

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/neighbors-concerned-about-runoff-from-construction-site

SandPoint Resources Forms With Equity Commitment From Carnelian

SandPoint Resources LLC said Oct. 16 it partnered with Houston-based investment firm Carnelian Energy Capital Management LP to acquire and develop upstream oil and gas assets.

As part of its partnership, SandPoint closed an equity commitment from Carnelian for an undisclosed amount. The company plans to use the funds in “select onshore North American basins,” according to the company release.

SandPoint is a San Antonio, Texas-based independent oil and gas company formed in 2018 by a management team with a deep history in the acquisition and development of oil and gas assets in South Texas.

The company’s cofounders Erik Hanson, Matt Koehler, Robert Welch, Brandon Williams and Brian Arriaga have experience operating in conventional and unconventional Texas-based oil and gas plays from their previous employers that include Abaco Operating LLC, BlackBrush Oil & Gas LP, Silverback Exploration LLC and Lewis Energy Group LP.

Daniel Goodman, partner of Carnelian, said the SandPoint team’s “deep roots and technical experience in South Texas provide a compelling competitive advantage in sourcing and operating assets.”

Hanson, who leads SandPoint as CEO, is a second-generation independent exploration geologist with more than 35 years of experience in the generation, exploration, and development of oil and gas properties in the Texas Gulf Coast and Permian Basin, according to the company’s website.

Prior to cofounding SandPoint, Hanson spent 20 years as the cofounder and CEO of Abaco Operating, where he led the team in several new field discoveries in the Frio, Vicksburg, Wilcox and Eagle Ford formations in South Texas and Gulf Coast region.

Koehler, SandPoint’s vice president of exploration, and Welch, vice president of engineering for SandPoint, were previously with BlackBush Oil & Gas, an exploration and development company with a 360,000 gross-acre position throughout South Texas in the Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk.

SandPoint’s vice president of operations, Williams, previously served as operations manager for Silverback Exploration, an EnCap Investments LP-backed E&P whose predecessor developed a Delaware Basin position that sold in 2016 for $855 million.

Lastly, Arriaga, vice president of finance for SandPoint, was a member of Lewis Energy Group’s finance team prior to cofounding SandPoint. Lewis is a natural gas operator in South Texas that also has international operations in Colombia and Mexico.

Hanson said in a statement: “We have spent our careers acquiring and developing oil and gas assets in the Eagle Ford trend and in conventional South Texas basins and we believe that Carnelian’s unique and nimble partnership model will help us take advantage of the exciting opportunities we see in these dynamic areas.”

Carnelian has $1 billion of cumulative equity commitments focused on lower-to-middle market investments in the North American upstream, midstream and oilfield services sectors, according to the release.

https://www.oilandgasinvestor.com/sandpoint-resources-forms-equity-commitment-carnelian-1719091#p=full

WoodMac: Asia-Pacific oil and gas industry set for rebound

The Asia-Pacific’s oil and gas industry looks set to rebound over the next 12 months as rising demand, stronger commodity prices, and an uptick in merger and acquisition activity bring greater confidence to the region, according to a recent report from Wood Mackenzie.

Rising Asian LNG demand, the return of China’s national oil companies (NOC) to growth mode, and renewed interest in upstream investment, WoodMac says, are among the key factors influencing the this rebound, which is not just happening in the Asia-Pacific area but also worldwide.

Firstly, Asian LNG demand continues its robust rise, driven by Chinese coal-to-gas switch policies. Chinese LNG demand increased by a record 8 million tonnes in 2017 and is set to jump by another record 12 million tonnes in 2018. This makes up 50% of global LNG demand growth. Given China is only through its 5-year clean air policy, the China LNG demand growth story is far from finished.

While China grabs many of the headlines, LNG demand growth is a reality throughout Asia. In total, Asia-Pacific LNG demand is set to rise a further 60% to reach 337 million tonnes/year by 2030. By comparison, the rest of the global market is only 75 million tpy currently.

With such strong signals from the demand side, it is time for supply to respond. After a dearth of new greenfield LNG project sanctions in recent years, suppliers are now positioning to grow. LNG Canada’s final investment decision (FID) in October was the first major greenfield project to move ahead since 2015. WoodMac expects 2019 to be the largest year ever for FIDs for LNG projects with sanctions expected soon on plans in Russia, Qatar, Mozambique, and the US.

Nicholas Browne, WoodMac gas and LNG research director, said, “In the medium term, LNG producers in Southeast Asia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea will also be aiming to capture some of this growth through expansion and backfill of existing facilities.”

Worldwide, this year has already revealed a big step up in the scale of new upstream project investments across both oil and gas, and this trend has filtered through to Asia-Pacific as well.

While the number of sanctioned developments is much the same as in 2017 on a year-on-year basis, the key change is the size of fields getting the green light. The average project to hit FID in 2018 is more than twice the size of those in 2017, up from about 375 million boe last year to 850 million boe this year.

“Asia-Pacific matches the trend exactly, with a jump to an average of 287 million boe vs. 143 million boe in 2017. Key sanctions include SK320 and SK408 in Malaysia, Reliance's KG D6 satellite cluster in deepwater India, and CNOOC’s first operated deepwater gas project in China, Lingshui. Together these projects will require nearly $8 billion of investment,” said Angus Rodger, WoodMac upstream research director.

As the Lingshui sanction suggests, Chinese NOCs’ investment strategy also is becoming more dynamic to match rising domestic gas and LNG demand. WoodMac Senior Analyst Maxim Petrov said, “China’s national energy champions are starting to become more active. CNOOC and PetroChina are raising their domestic budgets and returning to the international stage. Investment at home is increasingly shifting to gas, driven by its strategic national importance and lower carbon intensity. The NOCs will aim to capitalize on China’s growing gas demand, with shale gas, LNG storage and pipeline infrastructure gaining prominence.”

But there also is a clear move towards high-impact exploration overseas and bilateral deal-making. “Expect the Chinese NOCs to continue focusing on large conventional oil fields in the Middle East and Latin America, but also target integrated gas opportunities in Russia, Qatar, and Asia-Pacific. Government-to-government relations and partnerships with the majors will be crucial in securing future growth opportunities,” Petrov said.

M&A activity

M&A activity also is seeing a resurgence in the region, with more than $6.8 billion worth of upstream assets changing hands in 2018—the highest level of activity since 2014. Australia accounts for much of this uptick, with Santos Ltd.’s $2.2-billion acquisition of Quadrant Energy, the pick of the deals down under.

“Deal activity in Australia has been led by local players looking to reshape their portfolios to focus on domestic gas demand and future LNG backfill options. We expect to see further liquidity down under, as north Asian buyers seek to secure resources and private equity funds prowl for overlooked opportunities," said WoodMac Upstream Research Director Andrew Harwood.

More recently, OMV AG’s $800-million entry into Malaysia suggests that the corporate landscape in Southeast Asia could also be set for an injection of fresh capital and ideas.

As NOCs in the region are increasingly burdened by maturing assets and growing domestic energy demand, the need for partners with technical and financial capacity to help maximize recovery will rise. Petronas, Pertamina, and PetroVietnam are all likely to be on the lookout for new partnerships in 2019, to support continued investment in both old and new field developments.

“The uptick in activity in Southeast Asia has been slower, but we are seeing the first signs of new entrants showing interest again, to fill the gap left by some of the larger IOCs that have exited or deemphasised the region. Look out for more deals in Malaysia and Indonesia, particularly after Indonesia’s general election in April 2019,” Harwood said.

“Although things are looking rosy in the region, it is worth noting that for some parts of Asia, the recovery may still lag other regions as politics and national objectives increasingly override commercial considerations,” Harwood said.

https://www.ogj.com/articles/2018/10/woodmac-asia-pacific-oil-and-gas-industry-set-for-rebound.html

New Industrial Director appointed at Oil & Gas Technology Centre

Russell Stevenson, who took up the role this month, will work closely with principal academic partners, the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University, industrial partners and other academic institutions, to establish the two centres, focused on decommissioning and subsea engineering.

The National Decommissioning Centre is being established with the University of Aberdeen and will work with industry to develop and deploy technology that delivers cost-effective decommissioning at the end of field life, and during oil and gas production operations, including ‘small piece’ decommissioning techniques.

In partnership with Robert Gordon University, the National Subsea Centre will draw upon the University’s academic talent, tailored research and expert facilitation, as well as testing and trials facilities, to tackle subsea engineering challenges including automation and communications.

Both Centres will connect R&D institutions and innovation centres across the UK, multiply the capability of universities and other organisations, and develop a world-class supply chain that delivers for the UK and internationally.

A chartered engineer, Russell joins the Oil & Gas Technology Centre following a 25-year career at Amec Foster Wheeler, which was recently acquired by Worley Parsons. He was most recently Operations Director, O&M, responsible for leading the operations and maintenance portfolio. Russell has an MBA and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

Russell Stevenson, Industrial Director at the Oil & Gas Technology Centre said:

“I am delighted to have joined the Oil & Gas Technology Centre and look forward to working with our academic partners and stakeholders to shape the future direction of these two exciting centres.

“By combining the talent, expertise and opportunities of both the academic and the industrial sectors we can achieve our goal of helping to maximise economic recovery from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) and anchor the supply chain in the North-East of Scotland.”

CEO of the Oil & Gas Technology Centre, Colette Cohen, said:

“With a strong academic background and highly relevant industry experience, Russell is a fantastic addition to the team. His appointment to this important role demonstrates our commitment to collaborating with our academic and industry partners to create two world-class R&D centres. We look forward to formally opening the National Decommissioning Centre later this year.”

http://www.oilandgastechnology.net/news/new-industrial-director-appointed-oil-gas-technology-centre

EPA proposes revisions in oil and gas operations’ emissions limits

The US Environmental Protection Agency proposed changes in regulations it issued in 2016 limiting emissions at oil and gas operations. Specifically, it is reconsidering fugitive emissions requirements, wellsite pneumatic pump standards, requirements for certification of closed vent systems, and the alternative means of emissions limitations provisions, EPA said in an Oct. 15 Federal Register notice.

EPA also proposed additional amendments to clarify and streamline the rule’s implementation. These include for well completions (location of a separator during flowback, screen-outs, and coil tubing cleanouts), onshore natural gas processing plants (definition of capital expenditure and monitoring), storage vessels (maximum average daily throughput), and general clarifications (certifying official and recordkeeping and reporting).

The proposed revisions also included technical corrections of inadvertent errors in the final rule, which was issued on June 3, 2016, EPA said. It established New Source Performance Standards for greenhouse gas emissions in the form of limits on methane and volatile organic compounds from oil and gas operations. Then-EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy received petitions for consideration of several provisions after the final rule came out.

EPA proposed several revisions to requirements for collection of fugitive emissions components at wellsites and at compressor stations. Monitoring frequencies would be annually for non-low production sites, every 2 years for low-production well sites, co-proposed semiannual and annual monitoring for compressor stations, and annually for compressor stations on Alaska’s North Slope.

The agency also proposed no longer requiring monitoring when all major production and processing equipment is removed, and a wellsite becomes a wellhead only installation.

EPA also proposed various amendments to other requirements in the fugitive emissions monitoring program. It proposed clarifying that a modification has occurred at a wellsite that is a separate tank battery when a well that sends production to the tank battery has been modified. Given the proposed changes to monitoring frequencies, the agency also is proposing to remove the existing low temperature waiver for compressor stations.

An American Petroleum Institute official welcomed the agency’s action. “EPA’s technical corrections to federal regulations are essential to ensure that the respective rules reflect current technologies and operations that are continuing to reduce methane emissions while ensuring alignment to the statutory authority of the agency,” API Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Senior Director Howard Feldman said.

“Methane emissions from US gas production are down significantly since 1990 while gas output has doubled over the same period,” Feldman said. “Industry initiative, not government mandates, is the driving force behind this success, and data confirms industry’s commitments and efforts are working.”

https://www.ogj.com/articles/2018/10/epa-proposes-revisions-in-oil-and-gas-operations-emissions-limits.html

Be prepared for construction delays in the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District

COUR D'ALENE, Idaho - The Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District is asking people who are planning an outing to the forest, to plan ahead and be prepared for construction delays.

Road construction will continue into the fall the the Ranger District is warning people that alternative routes may be unpaved, narrow and may prove challenging for vehicles towing large trailers.

The Ranger District say the Spruce Ridge Road #205 and Upper Coeur d’Alene Road #306 are expected to have up to three hour traffic delays, as well as possible night work, for repairs and brushing.

The Grizzly Ridge Road #260 and Brown Grizzly Road #409A from the Stull Saddle area to Riley Saddle Area will have roadside brushing activities.

Pothole and asphalt repairs are planned for the Coeur d’Alene Deception Creek Road #612 as a large number of potholes will be repaired from Fernan Saddle to Windy Ridge Saddle.

The road is narrow and traffic control signs will be used to assist traffic through the construction area while asphalt repair work occurs.

The Forest Service says repairing the roads is a high priority as it tries to meet the needs of increasing use from who want to enjoy the forests.

https://www.kxly.com/news/be-prepared-for-construction-delays-in-the-coeur-d-alene-river-ranger-district/805501495

‘Major incident’ disrupts operations at New Brunswick refinery

The refinery as a whole is safe, and the specific site of the incident is isolated and contained, Irving said in a news release.

The company said there are no concerns with air quality, and accordingly, the turnaround team was to be back on site for the night shift on the evening of Oct. 9.

Plans for when the refinery will resume full turnaround mode have yet to be released.

While local and national media reports have categorized the Oct. 8 incident as an explosion and subsequent fire, Irving has yet to publicly confirm the nature of the upset.

https://www.ogj.com/articles/2018/10/major-incident-disrupts-operations-at-new-brunswick-refinery.html

Russia eyes new imports of Turkmen gas

Russia hopes to resume pipeline imports of natural gas from Turkmenistan after slashing them in 2015 in a dispute over pricing.

According to Radio Free Europe, Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Aleksei Miller told an interviewer from a state-controlled television station in Ashgabat that he expects purchases to restart early next year.

Miller said details of a new purchase agreement remain to be negotiated.

He was part of a Russian delegation meeting in the Turkmen capital with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Russia imported 10 billion cu m (bcm)/year from Turkmenistan during 2010-14 but trimmed the amount to 4 bcm/year in 2015. It halted purchases of Turkmen gas in 2016, leaving China as the Caspian country’s main gas customer.

https://www.ogj.com/articles/2018/10/russia-eyes-new-imports-of-turkmen-gas.html

CEO: Oil, Gas Is Shell’s Core Business For The Foreseeable Future

Royal Dutch Shell is not ‘going soft’ on oil and gas, despite recent investments in cleaner energy and energy solutions—Shell’s core business is and will continue to be oil and gas for the foreseeable future, the supermajor’s chief executive Ben van Beurden said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Oil and Money conference in London, van Beurden pointed to recent headlines about Shell’s investments in hydrogen, moves into electric vehicles (EVs) charging infrastructure, or an acquisition into the UK power sector, adding this note of caution: “But even headlines that are true can be misleading. They might even make people think we have gone soft on the future of oil and gas. If they did think that, they would be wrong.”

Shell’s spending on new energy solutions may be huge by some standards, at US$1 billion to US$ 2 billion. But this is compared to total annual capital spending of around US$25 billion, the chief executive noted.

It is right to invest in new energies to stay with customers over the long term, but Shell also wants to stay with its customers “right now, next year and for all the years to come until this long-term future becomes reality.”

“We do plan to be at the forefront of change in our industry but we cannot and will not seek to dislocate ourselves from the people who buy our products,” van Beurden said.

“That means Shell’s core business is, and will be for the foreseeable future, very much in oil and gas, and particularly in natural gas. Oil is going to be needed by this world for a long time to come, and gas even more so. And yes, we have made a few big moves into gas,” Shell’s CEO said, arguing the benefits of the LNG market in which Shell is heavily investing.

Shell is also investing in North Sea oil and gas, with the redevelopment of the Penguins field and with the Fram field, van Beurden said.

Although Shell has been investing in renewable energy and cleaner-energy solutions, it has been keeping and will keep its focus on gas and oil. Earlier this year, Shell said that it would move away from oil “when this makes commercial sense.”

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/CEO-Oil-Gas-Is-Shells-Core-Business-For-The-Foreseeable-Future.html

EPA starts oil, gas wastewater management study amid complexities

The US Environmental Protection Agency is studying oil and gas wastewater management requirements and policies with the intention of producing a white paper early in 2019 that will help it determine if new federal regulations are necessary, officials said Oct. 9. They also acknowledged that it will be difficult.

“Dealing with wastewater from oil and gas extraction and turning it into useable water is not an easy matter, but it’s a critical issue we need to work through,” Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Lee D. Forsgren observed at a public meeting at EPA’s headquarters.

EPA’s exploration and production effluent guidelines apply onshore at the wellhead and at centralized wastewater treatment sites, noted Jesse Pritts, an engineer in EPA’s water office and the study’s leader. Control measures include establishing and enforcing limits, using best management practices, and determining effective wastewater management techniques, he said.

Stripper wells, coalbed methane production, and discharges for beneficial reuse are exempt, Pritts said. “We have no regulations for reuse of water in the oil field or its disposal in Class II underwater injection control wells,” he said.

EPA undertook the study because new wastewater management approaches are emerging, and possible uses for treated production waste are emerging, suggesting they could be used in parts of the US where fresh surface water is scarce, Pritts said. One goal is to understand if broad support exists for potentially allowing broader wastewater discharges, he said.

“Some states support additional discharge options to add water to the hydrological cycle and reduce demand for freshwater,” Pritts said. EPA contacted several officials who cited possible reduced regulatory enforcement costs if existing management options are substantial, he said. “They said they could use more data, and lack technical expertise which leads them to rely heavily on EPA.”

More revenue for states?

Officials in states where there is little surface water expressed interest in converting produced water from a well into a useable fluid that potentially could provide increased tax revenue, he added.

Oil and gas industry officials from companies and trade associations expressed their commitment to reusing extraction wastewater and interest in new options beyond reinjection underground, Pritts said. There also are parts of the US where the ability to recycle and reuse produced water declines as E&P activity decreases, he said.

“Some basins, such as the Permian, are limited because of insufficient injection well capacity. Even if EPA allowed more options, there are still state requirements which could constrain management options,” Pritts said.

Indian tribes were concerned about potential impacts on their economies and living conditions, while environmental and other nongovernment organizations raised questions about ingredients in chemical compounds used in E&P that are proprietary, he said.

Academia’s researchers said there also are knowledge gaps arising from produced water’s variability, Pritts said. “Desalinization costs more than reusing the produced water in the oil field or injecting it into disposal wells,” he said.

Conservation, not disposal

Representatives from national and state oil and gas groups described what they would like to see the study accomplish as the session continued into the afternoon. “We want regulation that reflects the importance of conserving water resources, rather than incentivizing their disposal,” American Exploration & Production Council Pres. Bruce Thompson said. “We believe that resource protection need not come at the expense of conservation—particularly given that water availability concerns are no longer confined to the ‘arid West.’”

Amy Emmert, American Petroleum Institute senior advisor, said, “At the federal level, produced water should be treated like any other category of industrial effluent. Science and technology-based effluent criteria should be established that allow discharges that are protective of environment. States should continue to be the primary implementation authority for produced water discharges similar to other industrial categories.”

Independent Petroleum Association of America Executive Vice-Pres. Lee O. Fuller said treated wastewater from oil and gas production could be a valuable addition to US water supplies. “States are the primary managers of water assets within their boundaries,” he said. “EPA has the opportunity to provide states the options they need to improve their water assets. IPAA believes that the federal regulators should provide the framework that the states need.”

Petroleum Association of Wyoming Vice-Pres. John Robitaille said produced water there is entirely consumed in the state’s arid environment, is crucial to many agricultural operations, and has created significant wildlife habitat.

Texas Alliance of Energy Producers Pres. John Tintera said the state already has a vibrant water recycling industry with strong state regulatory oversight. “Texas also has more resources to permit, inspect, and ensure compliance than federal agencies,” he said.

Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil Association Pres. David Clark also urged EPA to encourage flexibility between federal and state regulators, recognizing that many environmental solutions require regional solutions. “Pennsylvania has extensive regulations for both conventional and unconventional operators within a comprehensive framework of environmental laws,” he said. “Federal rulemaking is often a blunt instrument that should be exercised with restraint.”

https://www.ogj.com/articles/2018/10/epa-starts-oil-gas-wastewater-management-study-amid-complexities.html

Is Trump Eyeing A Coup In Venezuela?

The Trump administration and some others in the U.S. government have sent some not-so-subtle hints lately that they are open to a military invasion of Venezuela to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

“It’s a regime that frankly could be toppled very quickly by the military, if the military decides to do that,” President Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

The words seem to offer some encouragement for a coup, which may not come as a surprise because the New York Times published an investigation in early September that found that the Trump administration met secretly with Venezuelan military officers over the last year to discuss an overthrow of Maduro.

Venezuela is in tatters and there have been previous signs that Maduro’s grip is tenuous, including the renegade helicopter pilot earlier this year and the bizarre scene in which drones exploded during a military parade in August near Maduro.

In other words, the threat of a coup has been rising for some time.

But more recently, there have been louder murmurings in Washington and beyond. Bloomberg noted that Fernando Cutz, a former member of the National Security Council, said that a multilateral military invasion of Venezuela might be the best solution. Also, some prominent Venezuelan dissidents and former officials have supported regime change. Florida Senator Marco Rubio said there is a “very strong argument” for such a move. Then there were Trump’s comments in New York at the UN.

Some cautious, but notably receptive comments to an invasion or coup came from officials at the Organization of American States and in the Colombian government, Bloomberg pointed out. Also, Trump is expected to bring in some officials to his government that are notably hawkish in regards to Venezuela.

For now, the U.S. has only officially tried sanctions as a tool of pressure on Maduro. The latest round of sanctions came this week. “[W] ask the nations gathered here to join us in calling for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela,” Trump said at the UN General Assembly. “Today, we are announcing additional sanctions against the repressive regime, targeting Maduro’s inner circle and close advisors.”

The sanctions once again notably stop short of targeting Venezuela’s oil sector. There has been speculation about whether or not the Trump administration would go as far as to try to disrupt more of Venezuela’s oil supply, since it is already in a steep decline. Cutting off imports from Venezuela or barring the export of U.S. diluent to Venezuela would likely contribute to an acceleration of supply losses. That would surely put more pressure on the Maduro regime, but it would also deepen the existing misery in Venezuela.

But a coup or a military invasion is a whole different matter. The U.S. has a long and sordid history intervening in Latin America, playing a role in the overthrow of governments in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, among others. In fact, much of the legitimacy of Maduro’s Chavista government comes from the political narrative of opposing U.S. imperialism. Maduro’s regime is isolated at this point, due to the horrific humanitarian disaster and the brutal repression. But a U.S. invasion would be highly unwelcome in much of Latin America and could bolster support for Maduro, while potentially shifting the responsibility of Venezuela’s crisis from Maduro to Trump.

The Lima Group, a group of 17 Latin American countries formed in 2017 in order to form a collective response to the Venezuelan catastrophe, issued a declaration in August stating that “only Venezuelans can find a solution to the grave crisis affecting their country,” a diplomatic way of stating their opposition to outside military intervention.

Moreover, an invasion would not necessarily end the chaos. “You need to have a very strong group of people who can credibly take over, and it’s not clear that there’s a faction in the Venezuelan military or security services that wants that,” Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told Bloomberg. “So you’re talking about essentially going in and somehow replacing the entire structure of governance and hoping that somehow somebody is going to back you.”

If there is anything that we have learned from the U.S-led military adventures, it’s that they almost never result in the rosy forecasts that war planners put forth.

But, even absent an invasion or a coup, Venezuela’s oil production is heading south. Venezuela’s oil production fell to 1.235 million barrels per day (mb/d) in August, down another 36,000 bpd from a month earlier, according to OPEC’s secondary sources. The losses likely have continued at a similar pace in September, and at this rate, Venezuela’s production could fall below 1 mb/d by the end of the year or in early 2019. “We are entering a very crucial period for the oil market,” the IEA said in mid-September. “The situation in Venezuela could deteriorate even faster.”


https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/South-America/Is-Trump-Eyeing-A-Coup-In-Venezuela.html

Sheriff: Montello man arrested again for not completing construction work, taking money

MONTELLO, Wis. - A Montello man is once again in trouble for charging people for construction work and not completing the work, Columbia County sheriff’s officials said.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office received two complaints in September regarding a construction contractor not completing work on residences, according to a release.

Officials were told that the contractor asked for and received a down payment for the work to be done, totaling more than $8,000 from two victims.

The contractor never did any work for either of the victims but kept their money, deputies said.

The contractor was identified as 32-year-old Logan M. Myers, of Montello, according to the release. Myers was arrested on tentative charges of two counts of theft in a business setting and a felony bail jumping charge.

Officials said this is not the first complaint they have received about Myers. He was arrested in March for the same thing after sheriff’s deputies identified four other victims.

Sheriff’s officials said many of the victims were elderly and based on the investigation, officials believe more people have been ripped off by Myers.

Officials ask anyone who believes they were victimized by Myers to call Detective Sgt. Ben Oetzman at 608-742-4166.

https://www.channel3000.com/news/sheriff-montello-man-arrested-again-for-not-completing-construction-work-taking-money/802941043

Accident at Ellwood Steels Construction Site Claims Worker

NEW CASTLE, Pa. – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Lawrence County Coroner’s office are investigating the death of a worker in an industrial accident Wednesday morning at the construction site of Ellwood Steel Group’s new $60 million mill.

A worker with Diamond Steel Construction Co., North Lima, is dead after falling from a height of approximately 60 feet while working on the building.

A news release from the Lawrence County coroner’s office identified the victim as Gregory Bosela, 32, of Columbiana. According to the coroner, Bosela died from injuries sustained in a fall.

A fire engine truck and command unit from the New Castle fire department responded to a call at 8:07 a.m. from the site of the accident, 40 Furnace St., where Bosela was found unconscious on the ground inside the structure, Assistant Fire Chief Mike Kobbe said Wednesday afternoon.

Before the fall, the victim was working from a bucket truck drilling holes into a steel beam, OSHA spokeswoman Leni Fortson said.

Other workers at the site reported that he was working at the top of the structure, according to Kobbe.

“We don’t have any idea of what caused his fall or what led up to it,” he continued. “When we got there, the male was not breathing and had suffered grave injuries.”

Bosela was in traumatic arrest at the site, said Rich Johnson, Lawrence County deputy coroner.

Paramedics initiated emergency medical treatment until an ambulance from Noga Ambulance Service arrived and took over care and transported Bosela to UPMC Jameson Memorial Hospital, Kobbe said.

Bosela was pronounced dead in the hospital emergency department.

OSHA could not comment further because the investigation is ongoing, Fortson said. The agency has up to six months to complete its investigation and release its findings, she said.

Ellwood Quality Steels, a division of the Ellwood Group, Ellwood City, broke ground in April on the 110,000-square-foot building, which will house equipment used in two methods of remelting and purifying steel, vacuum arc remelting and electroslag remelting. The product will be used in aerospace and military applications.

https://businessjournaldaily.com/industrial-accident-claims-diamond-steel-employee/