Kristi Noem, John Thune, Mike Rounds, Dusty Johnson, and other right-wing propagandists have blamed higher gasoline prices on President Joe Biden’s January re-cancellation of the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. But every time we look at actual economic evidence, we see that the death of Keystone XL has “absolutely nothing to do with gas prices,” as the business case for the Canadian pipeline collapsed years ago.
John Tsitrian noticed the latest evidence to that effect in this Reuters report that says nearly half of the existing U.S. pipeline network is sitting empty due to oil-boom overbuilding and coronavirus demand slump:
Overall U.S. pipeline capacity utilization is at around 50%, compared with a range of 60% to 70% headed into early 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic hit, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
Pipelines overall are now half-full, as production, which surged to 13 million barrels per day in early 2020 to make the United States the top oil producer, has averaged just 11 million bpd in 2021.
Oil and gas shippers often find themselves building pipelines amid a production boom only to find there is too much capacity when downturns occur. Numerous pipelines were built in the Permian in Texas and New Mexico – the largest U.S. oilfield – to export locales while production surged between 2017 and 2020.
Some pipeline operators in areas like the Permian Basin have responded by cutting pre-pandemic shipping rates, as the U.S. oil industry has been slow to recover from the coronavirus outbreak [Stephanie Kelly, “About Half of U.S. Oil Pipeline Space Is Empty After Boom Time Building Spree,” Reuters, 2021.12.16].
And according to Tsitrian, those pipelines are likely to remain underused:
As to gasoline consumption going forward, S & P Global reports that the Energy Information Administration thinks we’re peaking right now. Production will probably increase for a few years, according to EIA which says that “gasoline will still remain the primary transportation fuel in the US through 2050, but its consumption is on the verge of peaking in either 2022 or 2023.”
It should come as no surprise that pipeline capacity is way underused these days, and we should expect to see the trend to continue. John Thune’s complaint about Keystone XL’s cancellation as a reason for higher energy prices is cheap political rhetoric [John Tsitrian, “Still Sobbing About Keystone XL Being Canceled? Consider This: Half of U.S. Oil Pipelines Are Unused Right Now,” South Dakota Standard, 2021.12.17].
Noem, Thune, and friends can’t blame a lack of pipeline capacity for high gasoline prices when we have lots of pipeline sitting empty right now.
Meanwhile, FEDEX accepted delivery this week of the first of its electric delivery trucks.
https://www.autoweek.com/news/green-cars/a38567822/fedex-brighdrop-ev600-electric-delivery-van/
Yet, don’t kid oneself, they likely care little about “emissions”. Rather they deeply care about reducing the costs of vehicle maintenance and fuel. Reducing emissions is marketing quackery to appear warmer and fuzzier.
You can be the first on your block to run out and buy a used diesel FEDEX truck. While you’re shopping for one also contemplate the near-worthless value of your current ICE car or pickup. The times, they are a-changing. The petroleum-congressional-industrial complex meets the ropes.
Rail cars carrying diluted bitumen could be loaded in Philip then be transported through Pierre, Huron and maybe Brookings then south through Sioux Falls to the depot at Cushing, Oklahoma. But, running a bomb train through white towns won’t fly when you can build a leaky pipeline through stolen treaty ground so it’s hard to imagine these projects going through cemeteries where people of European descent are buried. Besides, adding pipelines makes Vladimir Putin grumpy.
Again it’s just noise to keep the faithful sheeples up in arms. Everything a MAGA says is either an outright lie or stupid, sometimes both. It’s really to get the libs by acting stupid but unfortunately it’s no act.
South Dakota Q are always faithful republican who all drink from the same bowl.
DALLAS COUNTY
Dallas QAnon Cultists Are Drinking Toxic Chemicals from A Communal Bowl, Family Says
MICHAEL MURNEY DECEMBER 20, 2021 4:00AM
Dallas QAnon cultists are drinking from a communal vat containing toxic chemicals, family members say.
Dallas QAnon cultists are drinking from a communal vat containing toxic chemicals, family members say. Jacob Vaughn
The family of a Dallas’ QAnon cult member is sounding the alarm.
Multiple members of the Leek family confirmed that their relative, who left her husband and children behind in Delaware to follow a fringe QAnon cult leader to Dallas last month, has been drinking a chemical cocktail containing chlorine dioxide, an industrial disinfectant, among other substances.
Their relative has been drinking this cocktail alongside her fellow cult members and has been the one to mix it up and distribute it amongst the group as well, says family, who have declined to reveal the name of their relative in the group.
“She was proud to tell us that she was the one mixing it up and giving it to everybody,” a family member said.”
I can see Thune, Rounds and Dirty gathered around that bowl.
Something is missing from Dirty, Thune and Rounds, all the gloom and doom about supply issues and bare shelves is what. Looks like their bear shelves with an economy that is surging thanks to Biden and the Democrats fixing the supply chain. Let’s Go Biden indeed!! How is farm and ranch country doing? Let’s ask them, please someone. Anyone buying those big arse pickups? What about the gas for them?
jerry, three is NO WAY Sen Thune, Rounds, or Rep. Johnson would drink from that bowl. The very disappointing part is that they, knowing how wrong it is, are OK with others drinking from it, not discouraging others from drinking it, and aligning themselves with those drinking it.
My opinion of Thune has always been highest of the three SD national representatives. After ousting Daschel, Thune had to be the adult of the SD delegation, the one to ensure the dollars kept pouring into SD. If he had to face a true test of leadership, to be Senate majority leader, I think that would weigh on him, because he would take the party first (only) stance that position has become. Cut taxes when in power; obstruct when not. All the time knowing that none of that is right for the vast majority of America (or even SD). I would suspect there is only so much cackling about that behind closed doors that can sit well with any person.
Speaking of pipelines, Obrien County iowa supervisors grow a spine (finally and weigh in on eminent domain….. O’Brien County, Iowa — At their Tuesday morning meeting, the O’Brien County Board of Supervisors weighed in on the issue of eminent domain being used for carbon dioxide pipeline construction.
During their regular meeting Tuesday morning, Supervisor Dan Friedrichsen made a motion, which was seconded by newly-elected Supervisor Timothy Overmire, which authorized Board of Supervisors Chair Nancy McDowell to sign letters to the Iowa Utilities Board regarding the Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator Heartland Greenway carbon dioxide pipeline projects. The motion stated O’Brien County’s opposition to the granting of eminent domain to be used for these projects. The motion passed unanimously.
Won’t do much good, but they are now on record as opposing the taking’s bullspit. Good for them!
Qanon and the Alt Left are competing cults, like the Banditos and the Mongols MCCs. It is not shocking that all drink toxic chemicals.
No such thing as Alt Left, try again. I would like to see you come up to a couple of Banditos or a couple of Mongols and tell them they are a cult, that would be great entertainment for me.
Sorry grudznick, no false equivocations today. “Alt Left” doesn’t exist. Qanon and the followers are unique to your wing. Your wing uniquely put a madman in power and your wing uniquely holds lies to their hearts as an oath of fidelity to those who feed them the lies.
Qrudznick is Q, now it all makes sense… The bobs and weaves of nothingness, yep, Q indeed.