• 22 Posts
  • 59 Comments
Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: June 7th, 2023

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  • I kinda like pet-chem if we’re going to do more upgrading - and sure enough we’re seeing activity in the space.

    Refineries produce gasoline (for old cars), diesel (for old trucks), and oils (there’s alternatives). Refineries are for antiquated tech that were trying to phase out IMO.

    Upgrading light ends (methane, ethane, propane, etc) are what I’d be investing in if I was looking at fossil fuels investment. We have LOTS of gas plants sweetening and fractionating that stuff so the product streams are there and the emissions intensity of that end is WAY better than liquids.

    Dow is building a huge ethane cracker to produce polyethylene. IPL has the Heartland petrochemical complex that’s going to be soaking up immense amounts of propane to produce polypropylene pellets. I haven’t checked what Nova is up to lately, but I can promise you they’re looking to grow in the space.

    I don’t love polymers, but we COULD recycle it if we were smart and unlike combustion where everything ends up in the atmosphere, a landfill full of plastic is actually carbon sequestration when you think about it.

    Methane (natural gas) is worth approximately nothing at the moment, but coastal LNG exports will help China et al. ween off coal while they continue to build out renewables and Europe needs LNG for similar reasons and timescales.

    Source - random internet person


  • I think that the scale of investment involved in oil sands development necessitates MUCH longer range planning than relatively short political cycles.

    There’s may be something to be said maximizing CAPEX when the commodity pricing sucks. Spending pullback from the more boom/bust centric conventional/frac operators reduces competition for trades and key manufacturers.

    I think the differentiator at the moment is the lack of predictability. Normally your financial models only have to factor in modest price uncertainty. Right now the tariffs change so quickly that who knows what things will cost. I don’t have a clue how you price a project in this environment. I pitty project managers.

    Steel plate and pipe is easy to source domestically - especially when the US buyers aren’t tying up Evraz capacity. Big inch valves would start to get tricky I think - but it’s been over a decade since I was working in that space. Coatings are Dupont and 3M for buried assets - so lots of risk exposure there.

    Personally, if I operated any major facilities (fractionation/refineries) I’d be looking at what turnaround/maintenance work I could be pulling forward right now. When oil’s booming, you don’t want to shut down your money machine to do repairs.





  • I have a Remarkable Paper Pro. I use it for notes, organization, reading books, etc. I love it.

    The new Supernote is also a compelling option.

    The ePaper display means I rarely have to worry about battery and the pen feeling is MILES better than any LCD I’ve ever tried.

    My files all sync to my laptop and my phone, and it is way more comfortable to write on than a double screen device because I can have my ‘pad’ in letter orientation and my hand doesn’t run into the screen which can happen on the double screen devices.

    It’s also fantastic for taking notes in meetings because I don’t have a laptop between me and the others and I don’t get distracted by notifications. It’s also light enough to disappear into my bag next to my laptop.



  • I mean, I’d give you a hug, take you to my local pub which just so happens to be queer owned and does fundraising for amazing causes and introduce you to my friends and community. Hell, I have a spare bedroom if you want a place to crash while you get set up.

    You aren’t your government any more than the turds running my province (Alberta) are me. You’ll most likely be met with sympathy for the challenges you face in making such a big move and admiration for having the conviction and courage to do so.

    Like any country, there’ll be jerks, but as a rule of thumb, we’re pretty friendly.

    Heck, if you want a vacation, shoot me a message and come visit and use that spare room I mentioned. Do you hike or bike? I’m in Calgary which is super close to epic mountain fun and incredible scenery. We’ve also got three cats who demand attention, and a guide-dog in training who is a goofy/genius puppy, so there’s lots of pet-therapy available too.






  • I’m in my 40s. The standard vaccination protocol when I was a kid was only two shots. The recommended course now includes a second round of two boosters later in childhood if I’m not mistaken.

    I’ve booked an appointment with my local community health vaccination clinic to discuss getting some boosters. I get to sit down with a vaccine specialist and discuss the pros as well as any potential for side effects (would have to be worse than GETTING MEASLES to talk me out of it).

    If anyone in Alberta isn’t clear on how to check their vaccination status, how to connect with their community health network, or is looking for information, please feel free to reach out. I’m not an expert, but I can help you connect with qualified health resources.


  • I’m okay as long as I don’t doom scroll too much.

    I’m Canadian and middle aged. I was braced for a rough Trump 2.0, but the last month has truly exceeded expectations for suck. Our country is under economic attack by our biggest trading partner. Human rights and trying to help and support each other are suddenly considered bad things. Our window to address climate change is snapping shut as our leaders around the world move in the wrong direction. I’m feeling really good about my decision to not have kids at least.

    On the plus side, my sick cat is responding to treatment, and my partner and I have just set up a nursery - we’re going to start fostering wee kiddos whose families are going through rough spots. I’ve got some financial flexibility so I’m treating myself to a stack of coffee gift cards each week that I hand out to folks who look like they could use it. Sorta makes my day to be able to make sure someone unhoused gets a warm drink and some food.