Transparently Green

Like Kermit sings out, “It's not easy being GREEN”. Like Congress sings out under cover of immunity, “It's not easy being TRANSPARENT”. See, truancy is hard to hide. WAAAAELL LAA DE FRICKIN' DA as “Day One” of Bill Walker's reign as the 11^th governor of Alaska and already we are seeing “Transparency” at work the same time “Big Oil” is seeing “GREEN”. No not “environmentally” speaking, but time to raid the “Green-House”, a.k.a. our loot! See, even though I refused to sign that “Confidentiality” agreement in efforts to see the “Parnell Secret Plan” for a natural gas pipeline, I still received the briefing. Look, there ain't nothing secret about it except with the confusion factor and if anything should be kept a “Big Secret”, how in hell is this going to be pulled off? It ain't, it's still a fantasy and indeed a “Pipe Dreamer's Wet Dream”! Yes, Parnell was the “Pie-Eyed Pied Pipe Dreamer” thinking that he could pull this off. That's what Parnell wanted to keep under cover, the fact that this project has breached the core of feasibility and reached the stage of imbecile meltdown. Yes indeed, it is a monster of a project and if you thought tearing down the Berlin Wall was a feat, that ain't nothing in comparison to this plan to bring the “Stranded Gas” north of the 65 parallel to an Asian Wal-market. I mean, humongous engineering problems have yet to be addressed, so is anybody really serious about such a $65-Billion dollar endeavor, as the returns on such an investment don't add up – unless there is a stool pigeon. That's a whole lot of money. But some outside experts with funny names say it can be built for $51,733,968,345.89! Wow pretty accurate assessment, to the penny! What, that's exactly what remains locked away from the legislatures in the “Permanent Fund Reserve”? That's suspicious, as with this project Alaska stands to be an owner - unlike the Trans-Alaska-Pipeline - so we must put up at least $13-Billion in cash, along with $18-Billion in Alaska Railroad bonds secured by that same amount in the “Reserve”, because those ARR bonds are junk. And therein one must be suspicious, this “ownership risk”, as if that were a good thing, how come it didn't work with the 800-mile oil pipeline? Why not our participation was based on stingy greed, as that “pipeline” was known even in the Hall's of Congress as a “Cash Cow”. Get the point, as when a project may be “iffy” economically, “Big Oil” doesn't like to take the risk on its own. And I counted the word “Risk” over 300 times in this “Confidential” briefing. In order for this project to get the “Green Light”, that 300 must be reduced to “ZERO”, good luck. Now with Uncle Sam putting in another $18-Billion in loan guarantees secured by, yes the “Reserve”, well “Frickin' da” again, as this means the risk by “Big Oil” has almost evaporated! What a deal, we build it with our money and they use it to “un-strand” the gas they contaminated and make huge profits - these “Big Oil” braincells are good! And guess who is paying for all the up-front free lunches for this project, yes a gift to Transvestite-Canada in the tune of another $billion$, of our money! So when you see Sarah at a brawl, thank her - but if she is upset, approach with caution! Look, the way Trans-Canada has changed focus in the tune of a $350k bonus, it appears as though this outfit is cross-dressing! That's the main reason the “Confidentiality & Secrecy” so far behind this project – it stinks for Alaska! And according to the “Secret Documents”, Alaska will see about $1-Billion each year in profits, after paying the out-of-site salaries for those government servants engaged in this project. Look, no employee of this state should be allowed over $500k as a salary, and should be ashamed of himself for accepting such a handout! No public employee servant is worth that much loot. But I guess keeping things secret has its price tag – called bribing! So when it is said and done with this project, it means pay-back for Alaskans comes in the year...we will never see a full return! And here is wherein this “Confidentiality” crap proves we should never entertain such “Secrets” in a state that has a Constitution that supposedly restricts this kind of administrative follies with respect to “Transparency”. The “Stranded Gas” is contaminated with CO2 and H2S, from years and years of recycling down-hole in efforts to produce more oil. Remember, this is “Big Oil” country, not a gas field of interest by any stretch of the imagination. So that CO2 and deadly H2S must be removed, as CO2 is a “Green-House” global warming gas and H2S kills on contact. And this takes a whole lot of effort and extra energy, so it creates even more “GH” gas. Now the captured gas with the CO2 & H2S will be compressed and sent back into the formation, to keep the oil production up to standards – remember, we are dealing with oil companies. And the natural gas “Reserve” will continue to creep upwards in the percentage of contaminates, as it doesn't disappear and nobody has a magic wand to get rid of it - even though in this “Confidential” and “Sworn to Secrecy” briefing, the word “magic” appears quite often? So the gas puking topside with continued oil development will be ever increasing with these constituents, C02 and H2S. Right now, on a normal day in Prudhoe Bay, 7-billion units of gas are separated from the oil and recovered, re-compressed and sent back into the dwindling formation, called enhanced recovery. It follows the squeeze play, with ceiling gas and basement water working together to promote the recovery of the “valuable resource”, the “Black Gold”. Of course the additional water causes the H2S bugs to thrive. Now when this “Supernova Project” becomes a reality, 3.5-billion units will be subtracted from the recovery efforts and sent to ASIA, to non-FTA nations that have no labor laws and don't give a rat's ass about environmental pollution. Hey, we didn't give a rat's ass either in the beginning, so we must give them a break – and that will come in the gas purchase contracts, with cheap natural gas by the boatloads – cheaper then what it costs in the lower-48! Remember, we Alaskans are paying for this heap of pipe. Now of those 3.5-billion units earmarked as “Exports”, the “point 5” equates to 500-million units of CO2? In comparison, the entire state of Alaska would use about 350-million units of “cleaned” natural gas to heat our homes, boil water and allow powering up “Big Screen” TVs. Yes, we are talking boatloads also of CO2, sequestered and returned to the formation, as you can't sell pollution. Wherein the solution to dilution is pollution, as over time this CO2 content will get to a point wherein it is no longer economically feasible to extract – that comes about in the 20^th year of operation this project. Then what, as there will still be about half the natural gas still stranded? So there comes a point in time of diminishing returns, based on the economics of scale and limitation of processing equipment. And in the end, this project will cause the greatest law suit ever of record to be filed in the U.S. District Courts – as “Stranded” will then take on a nasty disposition. Honestly kids graduating from college “Juris Prudence Doctorate” will make a career on this litigation, as unless the technologies can economically recoup that high CO2 & H2S content gas and treat it for consumer use, we will be screwed. And I can hear it now, the attorneys for the defendants saying, “well you should not have kept it a secret” as a defense, that those working under Parnell were derelict in their conviction to uphold the Alaska Constitution. In the end, Alaska will get screwed as we have learned the hard way over 35-years in the making, it is tough litigating against “Big Oil”. And this “Secret” deal will most likely have an indemnification clause, allowing “Big Oil” to be held harmless any action or inaction that may stem from this project and the “unknowns”. The reason we should not be in bed with “Big Oil” on this expensive and “iffy” project. Bottom-line, the only feasible project that would benefit “All” Alaskans and utilize “OUR” gas is too build efficient electrical generating plants and a state-wide redundant electrical distribution grid, as our homes and businesses are already “wired” - we just need more “low-cost” electricity, who cares where it comes from. One thing that did come out of Parnell's secrecy, the fact that there exists a beneficial 15% gain in efficiency, when gas turbines work against the Arctic's cold air environment. So why are we not looking at that, for future energy needs? Even though a project designed to construct new power plants located in Prudhoe Bay would be expensive, it could burn the contaminated gas as is, with offsets for reducing our reliance on coal and liquid hydrocarbon fuels and thus fall into the “Carbon Credits” scenario. So this is where we need to focus our attention, not with “Exporting” our resources. At the same time, a small scale LNG facility could be demonstrated to provide a “clean” liquid fuel source for the villages, through a coast based transport infrastructure. Look, from Prudhoe Bay, we have access to many coastal villages, and with the ice disappearing...Sure we could do it, as we have over $53-billion at our disposal, for projects that benefit Alaskans over “Big Oil”. Yes, we have realized over 35-years wherein that “Reserve” was secure, now though it appears to be vulnerable. If that be the case, which appears to be what is behind Parnell's “Secret”, let's use it to our advantage, to power Alaska and say the hell with those wanting to “Export” - as that is just a secret way to “Export” the inheritance that should be reserved for our future generations to come. This “Big Bang” project envisioned by Palin and carried on by Parnell, it is NOT the answer for anything that follows common sense – and maybe that is why such “Secrecy” has been our worst nightmare. This project should be stopped in its tracks, and maybe Walker will see what was behind Parnell's dream, which amounts to NOTHING gained accept favoritism to outside interests! Remember, it's “OUR” gas, “OUR” land and eminent domain rules. And get this, the amount of natural gas taken “Only” for in-state use, it is meaningless – so would not affect oil production. To think we need an “Export” project, it is just WRONG! It is time to say NO to Palin & Parnell's “Pipe Dream”! It is time to say NO MORE! Hopefully Bill Walker sees the light and does what is best for “All” Alaskans.....