Welcome to the 'New Somerset and Dorset Railway'

The original Somerset and Dorset Railway closed very controversially in 1966. It is time that decision, made in a very different world, was reversed. We now have many councillors, MPs, businesses and individuals living along the line supporting us. Even the Ministry of Transport supports our general aim. The New S&D was formed in 2009 with the aim of rebuilding as much of the route as possible, at the very least the main line from Bath (Britain's only World Heritage City) to Bournemouth (our premier seaside resort); as well as the branches to Wells, Glastonbury and Wimborne. We will achieve this through a mix of lobbying, trackbed purchase and restoration of sections of the route as they become economically viable. With Climate Change, road congestion, capacity constraints on the railways and now Peak Oil firmly on the agenda we are pushing against an open door. We already own Midford just south of Bath, and are restoring Spetisbury under license from DCC, but this is just the start. There are other established groups restoring stations and line at Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone, and the fabulous narrow gauge line near Templevcombe, the Gartell Railway.

There are now FIVE sites being actively restored on the S&D and this blog will follow what goes on at all of them!
Midford - Midsomer Norton - Gartell - Shillingstone - Spetisbury


Our Aim:

Our aim is to use a mix of lobbying, strategic track-bed purchase, fundraising and encouragement and support of groups already preserving sections of the route, as well as working with local and national government, local people, countryside groups and railway enthusiasts (of all types!) To restore sections of the route as they become viable.
Whilst the New S&D will primarily be a modern passenger and freight railway offering state of the art trains and services, we will also restore the infrastructure to the highest standards and encourage steam working and steam specials over all sections of the route, as well as work very closely with existing heritage lines established on the route.

This blog contains my personal views. Anything said here does not necessarily represent the aims or views of any of the groups currently restoring, preserving or operating trains over the Somerset and Dorset Railway!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Cheap Oil is Gone, and That's Good News


The following is from a US investment newsletter. Once Peak Oil is taken seriously by the investment community you know it is a serious issue!


Over the next year or two, you will likely find yourself paying a LOT more at the gas pump. Big changes are taking place in the oil industry. With increased global demand and declining supply, easy oil is not so easy anymore.

Everything is about to get more expensive. From gasoline to anti-freeze, life jackets to golf balls, and eye glasses to fertilizer. There are very few things in the modern world that aren't made from oil, made by machines dependant on oil, or shipped by vehicles powered by oil.

The implications, at first glance, appear to be the opposite of good news. In fact, it's enough to strike panic in the hearts and wallets of the average consumer.

And that's exactly why the International Energy Agency just released its annual World Energy Outlook, clearly rejecting the possibility that crude output is now in terminal decline. Their attitude seems to be, what you don't know won't hurt you. For now that is.

The truth however, is beginning to surface, and from an investor's perspective, the truth can mean money in the bank. Right now, the IEA's claim that oil production will be ramped up from its current level of 85 million barrels per day to 105 million barrel per day by 2030 is receiving harsh criticism.

The Guardian reports, "The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit."

This comes from a whistleblower inside the International Energy Agency who states the fear of triggering panic buying has caused them to intentionally underplay the inevitable shortage.

Kjell Aleklett, professor of physics at the Uppsala University in Sweden, and co-author of a new report 'The Peak of the Oil Age', states "oil production is more likely to be 75m barrels a day by 2030 than the 'unrealistic' 105m used by the IEA."

According to Professor Aleklett's research, they are making a dangerous and unjustified assumption. One that is dependent upon the oil industry's ability to ramp up production to levels never before achieved.Are you beginning to see the opportunity here?

Whistleblowers and scientists are not the only ones disputing the IEA's report. The folks who pump oil aren't buying its rosy scenario either.

Total SA, the French oil giant, that is making its move into the Alberta oil sands, doesn't accept the IEA's optimistic claims. The company runs on the belief that oil production won't surpass 95 million barrels.

Former chief executive officer of Canada's Talisman Energy, Jim Buckee, agrees the IEA prediction is nonsense.

Sadad al Husseini, energy consultant and the former exploration and production chief of the world's largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, recently said, "Oil supplies have reached a capacity plateau and will not meet a growth in demand over the next decade."

The Globe and Mail recently joined the debate stating, "New [oil] fields, generally smaller, are less productive than old ones - note the virtual freefall in production rates from the North Sea fields, which reached peak output in 2000. Another reason [for the decline] is development pace, or lack thereof. The yet-to-be-developed reserves in the WEO report cover 1,874 fields of various sizes that would have to come into production in the next 20 years.

"That works out to almost eight new fields being brought to production each month. A realistic target? Only time will tell. Even if the oil exists, the next question becomes one of money, and where it will come from in order to keep this pace of development on target.

When you add in professor Aleklett's conclusion that production will shrink to 75 million barrels per day by 2030 — almost one-third less than the IEA's figure and 10 million barrels less than current production, it's easy to see why investors need to take notice.Shrinking supply and ever-growing global demand are creating the perfect storm for oil prices.

The current price of crude could be the bargain of the century. Understand this and every increase at the pump will give you reason to smile.

Source




No comments: