Supply chain & commodity disruptions [USA]

[Seadog]

While we're on the topic of driving in a SHTF scenario, most people don't know that you can take an old truck with a gas engine and make it run off firewood:





They're called "gasifiers" and they can be used to power vehicles and also generators. FEMA has a gasifier write up for those interested:

https://www.driveonwood.com/static/media/uploads/pdf/fema_plans.pdf

This always really interested me, however given that one of the (partial)combustion products is super toxic CO, I've always been hesitant.

The other useful tidbit is that many engines can run off ethanol (drinking alcohol), so in a pinch you could distill your own fuel.

I know some cars say that you shouldn't use higher than E15 or E85 or whatever, so same thing with wood gas, I wonder how it would work in a newer car with all the sensors. As far as your rudimentary carbureted, magneto driven, IC engine goes however, I can't imagine it not working as long as you get a decent mixture in there and a spark. You'd almost certainly (At least with Ethanol) suffer performace issues since the energy density is less, but in SHTF, going 60 vs going 6 is >>> Going 60 efficiently vs going 60 dirty

 

[SpyofMoses]

Lone Star Dedicated to cease operations

“At this point, I am just getting rid of a headache,” Magarin told FreightWaves. “I don’t like what’s coming down the pike. The company is still profitable but the margins are getting thinner and thinner. Interest rates are going up, the price of parts has tripled and the cost of new equipment is outrageous.”

 

[budoslavic]

Update (1125ET):

The Biden administration is absolutely furious with the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies, including Russia, for agreeing to slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day.

CNN's Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju tweeted that President Biden responded to the OPEC+ cut announcement by saying he's "concerned" and called it "unnecessary."



Biden's top national security and economic advisors expressed their disappointment in the OPEC+ production cuts via a statement:

The President is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. At a time when maintaining a global supply of energy is of paramount importance, this decision will have the most negative impact on low'er- and middle-income countries that are already reeling from elevated energy prices.

The President's work here at home, and with allies around the world, has helped to bring dowm U.S. gas prices: since the beginning of the summer, gas prices are down $1.20 - and the most common price at gas stations today is $3.29/gallon. At the President’s direction, the Department of Energy will deliver another 10 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the market next month, continuing the historic releases the President ordered in March.

The President will continue to direct SPR releases as appropriate to protect American consumers and promote energy security, and he is directing the Secretar)' of Energy to explore any additional responsible actions to continue increasing domestic production in the immediate term. The President is also calling on U.S. energy companies to keep bringing pump prices down by closing the historically large gap between wholesale and retail gas prices — so that American consumers are paying less at the pump.

In light of today’s action, the Biden Administration will also consult with Congress on additional tools and authorities to reduce OPEC's control over energy prices.

Finally, today’s announcement is a reminder of why it is so critical that the United States reduce its reliance on foreign sources of fossil fuels. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. is nowr poised to make the most significant investment ever in accelerating the clean energy transition while increasing energy security, by increasing our reliance on American-made and American-produced clean energy and energy technologies.

... and what tools might those be?



Can it be more of this?

It also appears OPEC+ has made its views entirely clear to the White House as well...



Maybe it was the Democrats who were 'short-sighted'...



Rep. Steve Scalise, the second-ranking House Republican, tweeted the epic fail of the Biden admin.

OPEC+ could be on the verge of one of the largest production cuts in two years, a move White House officials would undoubtedly have a 'panic attack' as they attempt to dissuade the 23 crude-producing countries and its allies, such as Russia, from making the cuts.

OPEC+ is considering cutting 2 million barrels a day, and on the smaller side, a reduction of 1-1.5 million barrels a day, delegates said. Such a move would be a blow to Washington as the Biden administration has scrambled to unleash record amounts of crude from the strategic petroleum reserve to tame soaring crude prices this summer.

"Higher oil prices, if driven by sizeable production cuts, would likely irritate the Biden administration ahead of US midterm elections," Citi strategists wrote in a note.

Citi strategists appear correct: CNN obtained some of the draft talking points circulated by the White House to the Treasury Department this week and called the prospect of a production cut a "total disaster" and "hostile act."

"There could be further political reactions from the US, including additional releases of strategic stocks," the strategists added. They said the Biden administration could also push forward with an anti-trust bill targeting OPEC.

But that's not all. According to Bloomberg, White House officials are discussing possible export bans on gasoline, diesel, and other refined petroleum with the Energy Department.

People familiar with discussions said administration officials are discussing export bans of refined products with top oil industry leaders as the risk of an OPEC+ reduction could catapult fuel pump prices higher ahead of the midterm elections in November.

And given the resurgence in crude and wholesale gasoline prices, regular pump prices are set to soar again...

Top oil execs and industry experts have blasted the proposed export ban, saying it could backfire and result in even higher gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel prices, while throwing energy markets into turmoil in Europe ahead of winter.

In a letter to the Energy Department, Exxon's CEO Darren Woods wrote last week that "continuing current Gulf Coast exports is essential to efficiently rebalance markets—particularly with diverted Russian supplies."

"Reducing global supply by limiting US exports to build region-specific inventory will only aggravate the global supply shortfall," Woods said.

On Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute warned any attempt to ban exports will disrupt not just global markets but harm US national security and geopolitical standing. API continued:

Banning or limiting the export of refined products would likely decrease inventory levels, reduce domestic refining capacity, put upward pressure on consumer fuel prices, and alienate US allies during a time of war. For these reasons, we urge the Biden administration to take this option off the table and focus instead on working with us on policies that will strengthen US energy security and protect consumers.

API outlined the major points from a July study via the American Council for Capital Formation about the economic impacts of a potential export ban of refined products:

1. An export ban could result in the shuttering of an estimated 1.3 million barrels per day of US refining capacity (7% of US total) due to trapped refinery production in the Gulf Coast. The loss of this capacity would likely strand a surplus of crude oil in the Central United States, halting important upstream energy production.

2. An export ban could result in higher product prices for US fuel consumers, with more than two-thirds likely to experience price increases of more than 15 cents per gallon for gasoline and 45 cents per gallon for distillates.

3. An export ban could cause a net loss to US GDP of more than $44 billion in 2023.

4. An export ban could eliminate 85,000 jobs this year and 35,000 job losses during 2023.

"There simply is not sufficient pipeline connectivity or the range of economic shipping alternatives that would be required to transport significantly more fuel to the East Coast from refineries in the Gulf, API continued, adding, "Banning exports of fuel from the United States will not eliminate this challenge or make it easier and more affordable to supply American-refined fuel to the East Coast. Instead, by cutting into global fuel supplies, it would likely raise the cost of fuel imported into the East Coast from the global market."

Biden Blasts "Short-Sighted" OPEC+ Cut, Blames US Energy Firms For Surging Pump Prices | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

 

[Helmsman]

Biden Blasts "Short-Sighted" OPEC+ Cut, Blames US Energy Firms For Surging Pump Prices | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

The East coast has absolutely shot itself in the foot by destroying refining capacity, banning new pipelines, and demolishing existing storage facilities. This winter is shaping up to be rough but the energy sector is looking better for jobs. As long as the price stays up they’ll keep drilling.

 

[grenade001]

I rented a room in a house from a guy who grew up in Soviet Estonia. In the 70s him and some friends went half way across Russia to buy a Lada and bring it back, to supposedly make a years wage on it each since the free movement of goods was not so much. Butter was their currency to bribe guards, get fuel out side of rations, and pay off police they could not out run in their 60 HP new car.

I guess iphones and fancy shoes are nice, but if(when?) hard times ever hit the west again, people will quickly find out the value of a pound of butter, a liter of gasoline, the old standbys alcohol and tobacco, as well as your job as an instagram influencer.

That story is more of a supply chain issue, which was a feature during Soviet times. There was scope to produce adequate volumes of product, though with minimal thought to the logistics of production.

One of the downsides of heavily centralised economic planning. The Soviets had well developed systems of record keeping, which was more or less a box-ticking exercise. There were never clear real-time communication channels that provided any opportunity to change tactics as conditioned varied.

Strategy is miles easier to develop in the offices where you aren't at the coal face. Developing a coherent and viable logistics operation required more of a higher order skillset. Operations planning improves with a greater volume of information input which over time refines the overall strategy.

You are 100% right though and your post stands on its own merits.

 

[Cynllo]

On the OPEC cuts, a lot of libs are angry about this and say it's Saudi and UAE trying to throw the US back to Trump. Those two countries have a lot of power to deliver pain to Biden's handler's. It's unlikely they are trying to sabotage a relation with the US entirely. Both countries have humiliated him by not taking his calls, suggesting there are serious issues. Also Joe has been further humiliated by this cut, after going to Saudi with his begging bowl.

Dems are saying that this is election interference, after they wanted Saudi to boost production to fortify the election in their favour.

 

[Cynllo]

They really don't like this. I wonder if the destruction of Nord Stream has given the Arabs reservations.



A trio of Democratic lawmakers wants to pull all U.S. troops out of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an alliance of oil-producing countries announced it was slashing production, a move which is expected to drive up U.S. gas prices.

Democratic Reps. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, a former State Department official in the Obama administration; Sean Casten of Illinois; and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania announced Wednesday night they were introducing a bill to remove all U.S. forces and military equipment from the two oil-rich nations.

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE's drastic cut in oil production, despite President Biden's overtures to both countries in recent months, is a hostile act against the United States and a clear signal that they have chosen to side with Russia in its war against Ukraine," the lawmakers said in a statement.

The OPEC decision has raised fears in the United States that gas prices will tick up again, with GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan predicting a roughly 15 to 30 cent per gallon increase.

The bill from the House Democrats, dubbed the "Strained Partnership Act," would require removing all U.S. forces and equipment from Saudi Arabia and the UAE within 90 days of its passage. The missile defense systems would be relocated to elsewhere in the Middle East "with the priority mission of protecting United States Armed Forces," according to the bill text.
"It is time for the United States to resume acting like the superpower in our relationship with our client states in the Gulf," the three lawmakers said in their statement. "They have made a choice and should live with the consequences. Our troops and military equipment are needed elsewhere."

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE have now answered our overtures with a slap in the face that will hurt American consumers and undermine our national interests."
In addition to the House bill, several Senate Democrats have also called for a reevaluation of U.S.-Saudi ties in the wake of the OPEC move, including the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, saying it's "time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance."

Oil Dispute Prompts Call to Remove US Troops from Saudi Arabia, UAE

A trio of Democratic lawmakers wants to pull all U.S. troops out of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an alliance of oil-producing countries announced it was slashing production, a move which is expected to drive up U.S. gas prices.

www.military.com

 

[Elipe]

They really don't like this. I wonder if the destruction of Nord Stream has given the Arabs reservations.



A trio of Democratic lawmakers wants to pull all U.S. troops out of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an alliance of oil-producing countries announced it was slashing production, a move which is expected to drive up U.S. gas prices.

Democratic Reps. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, a former State Department official in the Obama administration; Sean Casten of Illinois; and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania announced Wednesday night they were introducing a bill to remove all U.S. forces and military equipment from the two oil-rich nations.

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE's drastic cut in oil production, despite President Biden's overtures to both countries in recent months, is a hostile act against the United States and a clear signal that they have chosen to side with Russia in its war against Ukraine," the lawmakers said in a statement.

The OPEC decision has raised fears in the United States that gas prices will tick up again, with GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan predicting a roughly 15 to 30 cent per gallon increase.

The bill from the House Democrats, dubbed the "Strained Partnership Act," would require removing all U.S. forces and equipment from Saudi Arabia and the UAE within 90 days of its passage. The missile defense systems would be relocated to elsewhere in the Middle East "with the priority mission of protecting United States Armed Forces," according to the bill text.
"It is time for the United States to resume acting like the superpower in our relationship with our client states in the Gulf," the three lawmakers said in their statement. "They have made a choice and should live with the consequences. Our troops and military equipment are needed elsewhere."

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE have now answered our overtures with a slap in the face that will hurt American consumers and undermine our national interests."
In addition to the House bill, several Senate Democrats have also called for a reevaluation of U.S.-Saudi ties in the wake of the OPEC move, including the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, saying it's "time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance."

Oil Dispute Prompts Call to Remove US Troops from Saudi Arabia, UAE

A trio of Democratic lawmakers wants to pull all U.S. troops out of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an alliance of oil-producing countries announced it was slashing production, a move which is expected to drive up U.S. gas prices.

www.military.com

These Saudi princes should consider themselves lucky. Usually, the heads of states straight up get assassinated or color revolted when they stop giving oil to the US.

 

[MRBR1908]

Frigging hilarious, so we know who the ultimate boogie man is, Russia trumps Iran hate by our government....because you know those troops are there for a reason - American force projection of course.

 

[Easy_C]

These Saudi princes should consider themselves lucky. Usually, the heads of states straight up get assassinated or color revolted when they stop giving oil to the US.

I’m going “completely off topic” here but MBS was staying in the hotel suite directly above the one involved in the Mandalay Bay shooting

 

[get2choppaaa]

They really don't like this. I wonder if the destruction of Nord Stream has given the Arabs reservations.



A trio of Democratic lawmakers wants to pull all U.S. troops out of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an alliance of oil-producing countries announced it was slashing production, a move which is expected to drive up U.S. gas prices.

Democratic Reps. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, a former State Department official in the Obama administration; Sean Casten of Illinois; and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania announced Wednesday night they were introducing a bill to remove all U.S. forces and military equipment from the two oil-rich nations.

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE's drastic cut in oil production, despite President Biden's overtures to both countries in recent months, is a hostile act against the United States and a clear signal that they have chosen to side with Russia in its war against Ukraine," the lawmakers said in a statement.

The OPEC decision has raised fears in the United States that gas prices will tick up again, with GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan predicting a roughly 15 to 30 cent per gallon increase.

The bill from the House Democrats, dubbed the "Strained Partnership Act," would require removing all U.S. forces and equipment from Saudi Arabia and the UAE within 90 days of its passage. The missile defense systems would be relocated to elsewhere in the Middle East "with the priority mission of protecting United States Armed Forces," according to the bill text.
"It is time for the United States to resume acting like the superpower in our relationship with our client states in the Gulf," the three lawmakers said in their statement. "They have made a choice and should live with the consequences. Our troops and military equipment are needed elsewhere."

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE have now answered our overtures with a slap in the face that will hurt American consumers and undermine our national interests."
In addition to the House bill, several Senate Democrats have also called for a reevaluation of U.S.-Saudi ties in the wake of the OPEC move, including the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, saying it's "time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance."

Oil Dispute Prompts Call to Remove US Troops from Saudi Arabia, UAE

A trio of Democratic lawmakers wants to pull all U.S. troops out of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an alliance of oil-producing countries announced it was slashing production, a move which is expected to drive up U.S. gas prices.

www.military.com

Good.

Lets stop giving Saudi equipment, and let's let Iran and their proxies in Yemen cause them issues.

 

[budoslavic]

 

[get2choppaaa]

PCT 4: Two killed when Tesla catches fire after crashing into tree

Constable Mark Herman said his accident investigators are confident no one was in the driver's seat when the car hit a tree.

www.khou.com

My wife worked a wreck, when she was still a paramedic, involving a Tesla. If I remember correctly it took nearly 40 hours of observation for the lithium battery to burn out as the Firefighters could not retard the fire.

After that i knew I was never getting in an EV.

 

[budoslavic]

According to the guy in the video, this is how long it takes to charge up the new 2023 GMC Hummer EV at home.

 

[budoslavic]

Rivian Recalls Nearly All Vehicles Due To 'Loss Of Steering' Threat​

Electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive is recalling nearly all of its vehicles delivered to customers for a structural defect that could cause drivers to lose steering control.

Bloomberg said Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe sent a letter to customers about the recall. He explained a fastener "may not have been sufficiently torqued" and, in "rare circumstances," could loosen fully.

WSJ explained more about the "fastener connecting the upper control arm and steering knuckle may have been improperly installed ... and could lead to a loss of steering control."

The recall includes 13,000 vehicles already delivered to customers (or nearly all vehicles the California-based Rivian has produced). The issue has been detected in only seven vehicles, and the voluntary recall is "important to minimize the potential risks," Scaringe said. There have been no reports of injuries resulting from the issue.

"The safety of our customers will always be our top priority, and we are committed to fixing this issue on any affected vehicles as quickly as possible," a Rivian spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson added: "We will make any necessary adjustments free of charge at one of our service centers."

A person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg the cost related to the recall isn't "material."

WSJ noted the recall is the third since vehicle production began in late 2021. In May, the company recalled 500 vehicles after an issue was found that could cause the passenger airbags to fail. Then 200 vehicles were recalled in August after problems developed with seatbelt anchors.

Rivian has also had supply chain snarls that have lowered production volumes. Earlier this year, the company raised prices on preorders, upsetting some customers.

Shares of the company have stumbled over the past eleven months, down 56% from last November's $78 IPO price.

Rivian Recalls Nearly All Vehicles Due To 'Loss Of Steering' Threat | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

 

[traelo]

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/07/business/mississippi-river-closures-grounded-barges-drought-climate/index.html

Mississippi River is too shallow and ships and barges are getting stuck.

 

[dicknixon72]

The HUMMER video is a bit stupid because no one will charge such a high-capacity vehicle at home with a 120V charger regularly. That's like being surprised a Ram TRX gets 9MPG.

The Rivian thing is because that's another startup company with teething problems in assembly, not because its an EV. Mainstream manufacturers recall groups of vehicles all the time because of the potential of improperly-installed parts on a handful of VINs.

EVs have problems - the fire suppression thing is a serious concern - but let's be factual, not reactionary to these OMG LOOK AT THIS issues like the left would be.

 

[Samseau]

Biden Blasts "Short-Sighted" OPEC+ Cut, Blames US Energy Firms For Surging Pump Prices | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

It's very simple why OPEC is cutting production. They aren't making a profit. The dollar isn't what it used to be. $100 a barrel is like $60 a barrel back in 2008. The Sauds aren't going to operate at a loss. The Sauds have consistently said all year, in 2022, that demand was low and drilling more oil was counterproductive. This makes sense, as refineries are the true bottleneck right now. American refineries at operating at peak capacity and cannot process more oil, whereas Russian refineries have massively reduced demand due to sanctions. Ergo, there is no where for the oil to go, even at inflated prices, which barely cover operating costs.

The cuts have little to do with geopolitics, however, the giant overreaction from the (((Dems))) ensures it will be a geopolitical affair, because now the Sauds are thinking, "These fools want us to operate at a loss? They can go to ****!" And then they join the BRICS.

 

[budoslavic]

 

[budoslavic]