Britain as vulnerable to energy price shocks as Uganda

Mean Mr Mustard · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard** » 02 Jun 2011, 08:55

Britain is at "high risk" of energy price shocks in the short term, with a dependence on imports making it just as vulnerable as Uganda, according to new research.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... ganda.html

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 02 Jun 2011, 11:57

high fuel prices at the pump ... leave the UK vulnerable to disruption of their energy supply

It's our taxes, giving high pump prices, that insulate us from crude price rises, making us less vulnerable than countries that do not tax oil consumption.

Comparing Britain with Uganda is certainly a case of apples and pears.

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 02 Jun 2011, 12:03

Another positive (because of Biff's point ref taxes) is that the UK uses the least oil per head of any western nation. (about 10 per person per year)

Got some way to catch the bangladeshis though they are less than 1 if I remember correctly!

energy-village · Post by **energy-village** » 02 Jun 2011, 15:17

Totally_Baffled wrote:Another positive (because of Biff's point ref taxes) is that the UK uses the least oil per head of any western nation. (about 10 per person per year)

Got some way to catch the bangladeshis though they are less than 1 if I remember correctly!

This looks very interesting ... 10 what though?

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 02 Jun 2011, 15:43

energy-village wrote:
Totally_Baffled wrote:Another positive (because of Biff's point ref taxes) is that the UK uses the least oil per head of any western nation. (about 10 per person per year)

Got some way to catch the bangladeshis though they are less than 1 if I remember correctly!
This looks very interesting ... 10 what though?

Barrels - oops sorry!

The yanks use over 27 per person per year!

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 04 Jun 2011, 23:19

Yes JMG is often on about how much better "the Europeans" (i.e. including us) are at getting a good quality of life out of far less energy. It's nice to see him write that, but otoh it does mean that many of the changes he suggests have already happened here so what should we do next?..

Ludwig · Post by **Ludwig** » 05 Jun 2011, 00:32

RenewableCandy wrote:Yes JMG is often on about how much better "the Europeans" (i.e. including us) are at getting a good quality of life out of far less energy. It's nice to see him write that, but otoh it does mean that many of the changes he suggests have already happened here so what should we do next?..

I don't think we really have much to be proud of. We still use more energy per capita than most countries on earth. Patting ourselves on the back because we're not as bad as America is like claiming to be a saint because you're not the Yorkshire Ripper.

Ludwig · Post by **Ludwig** » 05 Jun 2011, 00:34

Mean Mr Mustard wrote:Britain is at "high risk" of energy price shocks in the short term, with a dependence on imports making it just as vulnerable as Uganda, according to new research.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... ganda.html

Hence a fast crash is a very real threat. All it takes is for the economy to really go to hell, and it's bye bye oil overnight - no fluffy "less oil each year" scenario.

Totally_Baffled · Post by **Totally_Baffled** » 05 Jun 2011, 07:27

Well if the UK is comparible to Uganda because of a reliance on imports, it must look even worse for France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, in fact most of Europe - who don't have a north sea resource .....

Mean Mr Mustard · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard** » 05 Jun 2011, 07:47

- just like we won't in a few more years...

ziggy12345 · Post by **ziggy12345** » 05 Jun 2011, 08:27

Totally_Baffled wrote:Well if the UK is comparible to Uganda because of a reliance on imports, it must look even worse for France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, in fact most of Europe - who don't have a north sea resource .....

I dont see why people harp on about the UK having north sea oil. Its owned by the companies that operate the blocks and when produced is sold to anybody on the open market. The only benefit we get is the tax receipts. The only way we could secure the oil is to nationalise it.

Its a bit different for gas as its not very transportable.

The effects to people in the UK of an energy supply shortage would be considerably more than the average Ugandan so we are in fact more at risk.

What is even more surprising is somebody has paid these morons to come up with the bleeding obvious and publish this bollocks.

tymeric · Post by **tymeric** » 05 Jun 2011, 08:39

Britain is at "high risk" of energy price shocks in the short term, with a dependence on imports making it just as vulnerable as Uganda, according to new research.

As much as I believe in Peak oil, or actually Peaked oil, Uganda is not as badly off as the author implies.In fact, they are probably better off:-)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-0 ... locks.html

Tullow Oil Plc (TLW) and its two partners Total SA (FP) and China National Offshore Oil Corp. will each pump oil from a separate block, Tullow’s Ugandan unit said.

The oil from the three blocks owned by the partnership will be fed into a single refinery for processing, Elly Karuhanga, the president of Tullow’s Ugandan unit said in an interview yesterday.

“Since we have three blocks each company will be assigned a block from which to produce the oil,” he said without giving details.

Tullow is an equal partner with Total and CNOOC to which it sold shares in its Ugandan interests in March. The company is expected to start pumping crude and gas from the Lake Albert Basin in 2012. Uganda has an estimated 2.5 billion barrels of oil, with about 1 billion barrels in proven reserves, according to Tullow.

Meanwhile, whether you believe it to be right or wrong, Osbourne's latest North Sea tax hike is putting further development of marginal fields around the UK at risk, bringing about the demise of UK oil and gas sooner rather than later.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/24c23fd2-8720 ... abdc0.html

lurker · Post by **lurker** » 05 Jun 2011, 10:45

Or on the other hand you could see not developing the fields now as a good policy as it gives the Uk some reserves if when the Oil price spikes

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 05 Jun 2011, 10:54

Totally_Baffled wrote:
energy-village wrote:
Totally_Baffled wrote:Another positive (because of Biff's point ref taxes) is that the UK uses the least oil per head of any western nation. (about 10 per person per year)

Got some way to catch the bangladeshis though they are less than 1 if I remember correctly!
This looks very interesting ... 10 what though?
Barrels - oops sorry!

The yanks use over 27 per person per year![/quote]

That's a bit off TB unless your counting NG oil equivalents in your figures.
In 2007 The USA consumed 20.73 mb/d with a population of 300 million for an oil use of 25.22 barrels per person. In 2010 it was down to 18.69 mb/d and the population had grown to 309 million for a per capita use of 22.0 mbd.
Nothing to brag about of course but not 27 by any means. Also note that 2007 appears to be the USA peak oil year both in total and per capita numbers and it would take a strong recovery and or a drop in oil prices for America to return to 2007 consumption or pass it.

ujoni08 · Post by **ujoni08** » 05 Jun 2011, 10:57

More here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/0 ... rra_Leone_

Jon

PowerSwitch

Britain as vulnerable to energy price shocks as Uganda

Britain as vulnerable to energy price shocks as Uganda

Re: Britain as vulnerable to energy price shocks as Uganda

energy security