Crude had already been pressured back into double-digitdom by the likely delay to an oil embargo on Iran by the EU, while natural gas has plundered lower and lower on moderate weather outlooks, and both rampant storage surpluses and supply. But enough from me, let’s hit the treats.  

–10 significant oil and gas discoveries in 2011.

–Great posts on the costs and benefits of the Keystone pipeline.

–File under nasty: 11 things with more germs than toilet seats.

–Germany installed more solar panels in December than the US did all year.

 –Natural gas price drop won’t derail shale drilling, while shale bubble inflates on record land prices.

–Nine more awesome miniatures.

–US consumers spent a record amount on gasoline in 2011.

–Infographic: Apple (the company) vs. Apples (the fruit).

–India targets 33 Gigawatts of solar power by 2022.

–To avoid a rising sea level, Maldives President may move entire nation to Australia.

–Doctors urge fracking moratorium.

–Which are better: electric cars or natural gas vehicles?

–100 healthy remedies that are freely available in your home.

–Naked oil. (excellent piece by a Director at the Int’l Petroleum Exchange).

–Interactive map of the US showing GHG emissions for 2010 for large facilities.

–US routes as a subway map. (h/t Jeff Sullivan)

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the Week goes to this winter. The lack of frigid conditions may be killing heating demand for natural gas, but it sure makes it a more pleasant environment to live in! 

The Burnt Burrito Award of the Week goes to the euro, which has sold off to a level not seen since September 2010 on continued concerns about the Euro region debt crisis.

May you have a shenanigan-filled weekend!

It’s the one where the Millennium Falcon is being inextricably pulled towards the Death Star by a tractor beam…except in naturalgasworld™, natty is the Millennium Falcon and the Death Star is below the $3 mark. With me so far? Good, good. The analogies, however, do not end there. There is a number of themes which flow through natural gas like the force…and here are but a few.

Jabba the Hut = storage. Just like Jabba, storage is bulging, overbearing, and inflated (currently at a 398 Bcf surplus to last year’s level), and is set to exit the withdrawal season where it started – at a record level.

Lando Calrissian = weather. Just like the rogue that is Lando, the weather is not something you can count on. This has been exemplified by this winter period, where November and December were the warmest in over 30 years. That said, we cannot write off  the fact that the weather could flip to the cold side before we reach spring.

The Force = Forward pricing. It is a metaphysical, binding, and ubiquitous power, manifested through the emotions of both the light and dark side (h/t wookieepedia). (Translation: It is also a projection of where the current market believes futures prices are of fair value).

C3P0 & R2D2 = Electronic trading. Despite NYMEX having floor trading (Jawas?), the lion’s share of trading takes place on electronic platforms. So if you are trading, in this case…these are the droids you are looking for.

Yep, goats in a tree. Happy Friday, and welcome to another random assortment of educational and odd. Confusion reigns in relation to the European debt crisis as Greece threw a spanner (=ratchet) in the works after last week’s bailout plan had been agreed upon. This week’s bout of economic data has been decidedly mixed – good enough to inspire hope that slow economic growth will continue, but weak enough to provoke wariness and apprehension. Crude oil continues to gauge itself off general market sentiment – swaying like a reed with the news flow - while natural gas sold off after last weekend’s Northeastern snowstorm, only to see bargain-hunting coming back into the market late in the week. Before the weekend respite, let’s hit up the bites:  

–The six natural resources most drained by our 7 billion population.

–Shale gas reserves could reignite the US economy.

–Kardashianomics.

–Study shows the internet accounts for 2% of global energy.

–Google-funded project confirms vast potential for geothermal energy in the US.

–40% of 2-4 year olds can use a smartphone or iPad.

–One of the most effective ways to reduce electricity use is a guilt trip.

–How solar can save Gulf oil exports.

–10 cool underground hotels.

–Carbon Fear and Loathing in Riyadh.

–US government announces desert ’solar energy zones’.

–Infographic about the downside of bottled water. (h/t @EnergyMrktIntel)

–5 myths about energy in America.

–Halloween arrest mugshots.

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the week goes to European leaders and their powers of persuasion to get G-Pap (Greece prime minister George Papandreou) to recant on his call for a referendum vote to approve the EU bailout package.

The Burnt Burrito Award of the week goes to G-Pap for making the call in the first place.

May your Guy Fawkes weekend be full of sparklers!

Happy Halloween weekend, as we make it to the end of another week. General markets have surprisingly been shy of both scares and bears, as the cup of positive sentiment overfloweth after European leaders managed to defer their problems carve out a last minute agreement to halve the value of Greek debt and inflate the Euro bailout fund to €1 trillion (whoop! whoop! let’s party!). The crude complex has rallied like a banshee on hope, hope, and hope², while natural gas has seen a stronger December contract roll onto the board and run higher as the first bout of winter (hark, snow for NY) hits the US. Enjoy the weekend, enjoy the frights; but for now..burrito bites: 

–US LNG export terminal gets its first major customer.

–Do gasoline based cars use more electricity than electric vehicles?

–Giant Lego man washes up on Florida beach (h/t Eric Bickel)

–Sustainable energy not such a remote concept after all.

–Quiz time!: Oil. (tip: write down your answers, not a,b,c or d)

–Nerdy doodle, Part 1: the euro bailout plan sketched by an advisor in the talks.

–The positive impact of the Marcellus shale on the Pennsylvania economy.

–Nerdy doodle: Part 2: Math-geek Tip.

–World power swings back to America. (really?)

–24 Awesome pet Halloween costumes.

–GE: solar panels to become as easy to install as a new roof.

–API says shale gas a ‘major contributor’ in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

–Freaky…concealing Zombie Boy’s tattoos.

–Energy corridors and the Turkish Zeybek Dance. (h/t EnergyMrktIntel)

–Bizarre pumpkin carvings.

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the Week goes to Jordan Martin for making an absolutely genius energy-related superhero outfit for last week’s competition on the burrito, and posting a picture of it in the comments of the post.

The Burnt Burrito Award of the Week goes to last-ditch plans which yield headlines but lack substance, in an effort to dodge harsh realities and defer the problem for another few months (yes, Euro leaders, I’m talking to you!).    

Have a frightfully good weekend!

Where have you been?! Your dinner's on the table!

Wowee, mid-October already. Despite Halloween and the prospect of scares ahead, general markets have mustered a kangaroo-like jump higher. Crude has rallied well into double-digits in percentage terms since the lows of last week - as have equities - as economic data and hopes of containment for the Euro debt crisis (am sounding like a broken record, I know) improve. Natural gas, meanwhile, has plumbed the depths of the lows of the year, but is now seeing some support from the onset of winter temperatures on the horizon. Lots to digest – let’s hit the bitefest:    

–Production at shale plays keeps rising despite falling rig counts. 

–Fibonacci and solar panels. 

–Runner cuts 6 miles of marathon by taking the bus. (h/t B K Swan) 

–Are transmission lines holding back America? 

–Quiztime! Quote from Steve Jobs or The Matrix? 

 –How the food that your throw out is linked to global warming. 

–Luck and skill in poker. 

–Making fuel out of thin air. 

–Seattle superhero Phoenix Jones arrested.   

–Oil traders unravel the mystery of Cushing. 

–Ten terrifying treats for Halloween. 

–Renewables are here to stay. 

–Lawmaker wants Florida to reinstate dwarf tossing. (h/t J Correll) 

–Smart grids, smart meters, smart software. (h/t @EnergyMrktIntel) 

–Scarily good (and weirdly fascinating)…348 pictures of people frightened at a Halloween attraction. 

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the Week goes to hope that the underlying reason for the rally in risk assets is not misplaced. Go-go gadget Euro-debt-rescue-and-economic-recovery. 

The Burnt Burrito Award of the Week goes to the backlash against Steve Jobs for all the coverage he has received. The praise is justified; if in any doubt, take 15 minutes to watch this speech and appreciate his greatness. And for those who prefer infographics, here are 15 things you may not have known about him. 

Have a fab weekend!