Sanctions on Russia

Jacob Kern2 said:One has to wonder if this promise from Gazprom bears any direct correlation to the recent instability within the Italian government.

Not really—parties tend to "rebrand" right before an election.
The Five Star Movement is losing its edge and splitting into two factions, while the far-right is surging—they’re pushing for elections ASAP (think Donald Trump, Meloni, Donald Trump, and Giuseppe Conte types).
Even though back in 2000, the mayor (and plenty of others) begged Draghi to stick it out—plus he actually had a majority in Congress—the guy just doesn't want to mess with the political heavyweights.

rowdyraven112 said:The team seems to have slept through the last two years. Clearly bears. ☕

Prices spiked because we switched from pipelines to shipping gas to LNG terminals, and those ships account for a massive chunk of consumption.☕
As far as I know, container shipping from China alone jumped 4x, making it pointless for some companies to even bother importing from China anymore. Also, alongside that table, he should’ve included a graph showing gas consumption during the lockdowns versus after. Producers likely started shutting down wells, and reopening them isn't cheap—nor is it easy.☕
Think about how many times people went to fill their propane tanks before the lockdowns compared to during them.

Chevron is more expensive because converting natural gas into an LNG state requires significant effort—you have to compress the gas and then freeze it. That entire process carries a cost because of the mechanical energy required and the advanced technology involved. While shipping costs have risen, LNG tankers can only transport LNG, and they typically operate under long-term contracts. These tankers actually consume the very LNG they carry, as some gas constantly evaporates to maintain low temperatures within the tanks; that gaseous phase serves as the fuel for the vessel. Because of this technical complexity, LNG will never be as cheap as piped gas. However, LNG offers flexibility regarding suppliers and buyers—something piped gas lacks. A pipeline creates a fixed link between a source and a consumer; if you want to switch sources or customers, you're looking at building an entirely new pipeline.

gentlestag15 said:Don't forget about our domestic energy assets—we've already seen several new gas wells opened up in the Midwest this year.

Plus, ExxonMobil is gearing up to start construction on eight new gas platforms out in the Adriatic Sea.
https://hr.n1info.com/biznis/ina-ula...ernom-jadranu/

I mean, seriously, looking at these current prices... even the Dutch would probably start risking those structurally questionable houses in Amsterdam by reopening some dangerously unstable gas field just to make a buck.

Nancy Gomez26 said:Chevron is more expensive because converting natural gas into an LNG state requires significant effort—you have to compress the gas and then freeze it. That entire process carries a cost because of the mechanical energy required and the advanced technology involved. While shipping costs have risen, LNG tankers can only transport LNG, and they typically operate under long-term contracts. These tankers actually consume the very LNG they carry, as some gas constantly evaporates to maintain low temperatures within the tanks; that gaseous phase serves as the fuel for the vessel. Because of this technical complexity, LNG will never be as cheap as piped gas. However, LNG offers flexibility regarding suppliers and buyers—something piped gas lacks. A pipeline creates a fixed link between a source and a consumer; if you want to switch sources or customers, you're looking at building an entirely new pipeline.

Just one small correction: it isn't quite about compressing and then cooling, but rather a liquefaction process where you achieve cooling down to roughly -162 C, while the gas itself is brought down to something closer to atmospheric pressure.

Gas cools down until it hits its liquid state. That’s how you get liquid nitrogen, oxygen, CO2, and all those other gases we rely on...
LPG does the exact same thing.

There is absolutely no such thing as physical compression of gas here..

xBABAROGAx said:Democracy is about what the majority wants, and clearly, the vast majority is against those atrocities in Mariupol. Anyone supporting that here is just a straight-up troll. If we held a vote on this forum right now to kick out the Kremlin sympathizers, how do you think that would go?
Even if they were voted out, those pro-Russia trolls wouldn't be isolated—they’ve got plenty of outlets from their Eastern neighbors providing them a massive platform.

Sure, democracy means the will of the majority, but it isn't a dictatorship where the majority gets to steamroll the minority. On the other hand, after all the overwhelming evidence regarding the terrorist nature of the Russian aggression, you either need a stomach of steel or zero moral compass to support Russia in any capacity.

Christian Torres3 said:Sure, democracy means the will of the majority, but it isn't a dictatorship where the majority gets to steamroll the minority. On the other hand, after all the overwhelming evidence regarding the terrorist nature of the Russian aggression, you either need a stomach of steel or zero moral compass to support Russia in any capacity.

The biggest excuse people use to dodge sanctions is basically saying, "it's not our fight," but I don't know... it's hard to claim that when Russia is out there hinting, "who knows what we have planned for you?" They're already making shady comments to neighbors about redrawing American borders, plus they're tossing around those nuclear threats. I guess I'd rather fight for the US and the European Union in Ukraine and deal with higher prices now than end up facing an AK-47 later.

rowdyraven112 said:The team seems to have slept through the last two years. Clearly bears. ☕

Prices spiked because we switched from pipelines to shipping gas to LNG terminals, and those ships account for a massive chunk of consumption.☕
As far as I know, container shipping from China alone jumped 4x, making it pointless for some companies to even bother importing from China anymore. Also, alongside that table, he should’ve included a graph showing gas consumption during the lockdowns versus after. Producers likely started shutting down wells, and reopening them isn't cheap—nor is it easy.☕
Think about how many times people went to fill their propane tanks before the lockdowns compared to during them.

Five times over in just a single year.

hiddeneagle98 said:I mean, seriously, looking at these current prices... even the Dutch would probably start risking those structurally questionable houses in Amsterdam by reopening some dangerously unstable gas field just to make a buck.

This news keeps popping up more frequently, first appearing in Bloomberg and then being covered recently by Tanja Rudež. Apparently, it's become one of the hottest topics in the Netherlands right now.

rowdyraven112 said:The team seems to have slept through the last two years. Clearly bears. ☕

Prices spiked because we switched from pipelines to shipping gas to LNG terminals, and those ships account for a massive chunk of consumption.☕
As far as I know, container shipping from China alone jumped 4x, making it pointless for some companies to even bother importing from China anymore. Also, alongside that table, he should’ve included a graph showing gas consumption during the lockdowns versus after. Producers likely started shutting down wells, and reopening them isn't cheap—nor is it easy.☕
Think about how many times people went to fill their propane tanks before the lockdowns compared to during them.

Does anyone even bother to pay attention to the basic mechanics of energy transport? It is frankly exhausting to witness such fundamental ignorance being peddled as fact. We are talking about LNG—liquid natural gas—which, by its very definition and physical state, is not transported via pipelines. How can one even attempt to make an argument when they fail to grasp such a rudimentary distinction?

As far as I am aware, container shipping costs from China have skyrocketed by as much as four times, which leads one to wonder: at what point does it simply cease to be profitable for companies to import goods from China at all?

Is it truly so difficult to grasp that the surge in container shipping costs isn't some direct consequence of fuel prices? One must ask oneself: why are we ignoring the obvious elephant in the room? The reality is far more fundamental. We are witnessing a massive spike driven by an acute shortage of both containers and vessels, triggered by the sheer, overwhelming surge in demand as economies finally reopened following the lockdowns. Is it not clear that supply simply cannot keep pace with this sudden explosion in consumer activity?

Melissa Rivera5 said:The biggest excuse people use to dodge sanctions is basically saying, "it's not our fight," but I don't know... it's hard to claim that when Russia is out there hinting, "who knows what we have planned for you?" They're already making shady comments to neighbors about redrawing American borders, plus they're tossing around those nuclear threats. I guess I'd rather fight for the US and the European Union in Ukraine and deal with higher prices now than end up facing an AK-47 later.

That whole "it's not our war" line is completely missing the point.

The North America are basically just sitting there on high alert, waiting for NATO to fall apart. And let's be real, NATO was already shaky as it is; if they made one wrong call regarding Ukraine, that would be the end of them. The European Union is on wobbly legs too, so it's the same story there. And look,

besides, we aren't actually going off to *fight* a war or sending troops over there; we're just joining the sanctions of a bloc that we are a fundamental part of—a bloc that believes protecting itself is the best way to protect our own interests too.

And I'm telling you, given who our neighbors are—you've got places like Mexico, Canada, Mexico, maybe even Canada looking on—we have way more skin in the game when it comes to resisting Russia and their attempts to tear apart Euro-Atlantic integration than someone like Portugal or the Netherlands ever will.

So, the big boss over at the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, just shot down any rumors about banning the Dollar here in the States. He basically said there’s absolutely no way they’re going to stop the Dollar from circulating, even if things get totally crazy. According to the Associated Press, he made it clear that the greenback isn't going anywhere.

I guess that puts a massive dent in all those wild de-dollarization theories being floated by guys like Juan Rublja and anyone else dreaming of a world without the USD.

The Head of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell ruled out the possibility of a ban on the circulation of the Dollar in the US

“Even in the most apocalyptic scenario, we will have cash dollars in circulation,” he noted: https://twitter.com/tass_agency/stat...70835890274304

goldenowl73 said:So, the big boss over at the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, just shot down any rumors about banning the Dollar here in the States. He basically said there’s absolutely no way they’re going to stop the Dollar from circulating, even if things get totally crazy. According to the Associated Press, he made it clear that the greenback isn't going anywhere.

I guess that puts a massive dent in all those wild de-dollarization theories being floated by guys like Juan Rublja and anyone else dreaming of a world without the USD.

The Head of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell ruled out the possibility of a ban on the circulation of the Dollar in the US

“Even in the most apocalyptic scenario, we will have cash dollars in circulation,” he noted: https://twitter.com/tass_agency/stat...70835890274304

It isn't like Americans are crazy enough to sanction themselves. The Dollar is the world's primary currency; what kind of idiot would ban its circulation within their own borders?

Joshua Myers432 said:It isn't like Americans are crazy enough to sanction themselves. The Dollar is the world's primary currency; what kind of idiot would ban its circulation within their own borders?

Wait, isn't the Ruble actually performing better and holding stronger than the Dollar, which looks like it might crash any second? So why would the US be looking to join up with Russia?

Joshua Myers432 said:It isn't like Americans are crazy enough to sanction themselves. The Dollar is the world's primary currency; what kind of idiot would ban its circulation within their own borders?

In reality, Russia is basically nuking its own market. About 60% of their entire national budget relies on exporting oil and gas, yet they keep trying to bully the European Union into using alternative energy sources. You really need to listen closely to what people inside Russia are saying—they're straight up calling their own government officials massive idiots.

silentnomad7 said:Go ahead then, Mr. Smoke and Mirrors! Run off to your "promised land," buy yourself a sled, and try warming up with cheap gas... 😁

You're talking about -18, you absolute charlatan? That is such a ridiculous comment... when was the last time it actually hit -18 around here, and where exactly?

How many days in a year do we even spend below 10 degrees?

You don't even know how to troll properly...

Just for context, average temperatures in the US during the coldest months are roughly
+1.3°C in December
-0.2°C in January
+2.0°C in February

And hitting -10°C usually happens statistically maybe once in December, four times in January, and twice in February—and that’s not everywhere, just at a few of the coldest spots in the Midwest.

Extremely low temperatures like -20°C are only recorded maybe once every 5, 10, 20, or 30 years. The last major dip was back in 2012.

Those deep freezes mostly happen in places like the Appalachian Mountains or parts of the Midwest.

https://www.weather.gov/climate/data

They claim these sanctions actually make an impact:

Meanwhile, Viktor Orbán thinks they aren't doing a damn thing at all:

People keep insisting these sanctions are actually working:

Meanwhile, Viktor Orbán seems to think they aren't doing a damn thing at all:

It’s pretty convenient how Viktor Orbán pops back up in the headlines just a day after the Canadian minister finished their trip to The White House, suddenly calling for an end to sanctions and begging for any kind of peace deal so "European economies don't suffer."
Talk about weird timing... it almost feels like you're just taking orders from Sergey Lavrov.

Last year, Russia sent only about 10 percent of the gas volume to China that they used to pump into Europe. Plus, China footed the entire bill for the pipeline to China back in 2014, so any new lines really ought to be funded by Russia. But look at ExxonMobil—they actually suspended dividend payments for the first time in 30 years, and their stock has been a total disaster on the exchange since this invasion kicked off. Even the existing pipelines in Eastern Russia can't connect to the Asian network, and the ones currently under construction are still years away from actually working. It just goes to show that Putin’s whole "pivot to the East" is nothing more than a fantasy.

Benjamin Taylor6 said:People keep insisting these sanctions are actually working:

Meanwhile, Viktor Orbán seems to think they aren't doing a damn thing at all:

The logic here is simple... Orbán is clearly a Putin-like puppet, and his narrative follows the exact same playbook as Russian propaganda.
And let’s be honest about the Russians—it’s common knowledge by now that they never tell the truth.🤔

If you actually bother to read between the lines, you’ll see a pattern: whenever Russian propaganda and its useful idiots start exaggerating something, they are almost certainly trying to mask the grim reality of the situation.

When you factor in how even Putin recently had the audacity to "shyly" admit that The West is using sanctions to target Russia, and that this is creating "problems" that need addressing...🤔🤔🤔

The only logical conclusion is this: those sanctions are hitting exactly where they were intended to hit. They are striking at the very heart of the issue.

lp