Subject:	Re: Iraq may shut down oil production
Date:	1999/09/29
Author:	Paul Milne <fedinfo@halifax.com>
	Posting History

rodney_victor <rodney_victorNOroSPAM@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:0b2fea80.e881702d@usw-ex0102-012.remarq.com... > Iraq decides to wait and see on Y2K oil disruption > By Nadim Ladki > > BAGHDAD, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Iraq's oil industry is not > prepared to deal with the millennium bug and may well be > forced to shut down production and exports at the turn of > the year, a reliable industry source in Baghdad said on > Wednesday. > > The source told Reuters that Iraqi oil officials were aware > of the year 2000 computer problem but had decided to avoid > the multi-million dollar cost of dealing with it. > > Asked what the oil ministry was doing to counter the Y2K > changeover, the source said: "They are doing nothing." > There was no immediate comment from the oil ministry. > > "There is awareness of Y2K but consultancy is very > expensive. The alternative is to lose production over the > millennium," the source said. > He said Iraqi crude pumping stations and export facilities > were likely to be hit by the problem and that engineers > would have to deal with disruptions adhoc. > > Iraq is now OPEC's third largest exporter, delivering an > average of 2.4 million barrels a day to world markets over > the last month. > > "Any processing controllers by micro-processors such as > distribution control systems or process logic controller > (PLC) in computers manufactured prior to 1996 -- like the > ones the Iraqis have -- will be unsafe to run any chemical > or petro- chemical processes during the 2000 transition," > the source added. > > "That means most of Iraq's refinery, fertilising plants and > gas plants will have to make a decision on shutting down > the process or risking the effects of Y2K on their systems." > > Process pneumatic systems in some refineries would not be > affected, he added. > > Iraq's oil industry, like all sectors of the economy, has > been hit hard by U.N. sanctions imposed shortly after Iraqi > troops invaded Kuwait in 1990. > > Iraq is allowed under a deal with the United Nations to > export oil worth $5.26 billion every six months to buy food > and medicine and other essentials including spare parts to > its oil industry. > > Oil experts have marvelled for the past several years that > Iraq has been able to lift its production and oil exports > levels despite little funds for maintenance. > > Iraq has continually produced and shipped more oil than > experts hired by the United Nations have expected. > > It is expected to surpass the ceiling of $5.26 billion for > the first time under the current six-month phase of the > oil-for-food deal, thanks mainly to the spectacular > recovery of oil prices this year and increased production. > REUTERS  1155 290999 GMT > >   C'mon Pollies. Stretch those big brains of yours. Imagine what happens when the world's third largest exporter of Oil goes pear shaped.   Nah. You can't imagine that. You don't even recognize that places like Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela are in the same boat. Not to mention Iran, Nigeria, etc etc.   Nah. Nothing wicked this way comes. The only wicked things to you are those who prepare  and warn others to do so.   Do you think it is ONLY their oil facilities that they are not working on? LOL LOL LOL   -- Paul Milne "If you live within 5 miles of a 7-11, you're toast" > > > * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network * > The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free! >

-- a (a@a.a), September 30, 1999

Answers

Polly want an SUV? They all go on sale in January -

-- You Can't (Handle@The.Truth), September 30, 1999.

Over the past 8 years we have bombed the shit out of Iraq, giving special attention to their oil facilites. Why should they try to fix any of it when the repair only lasts a week before the US destroys it from the air?

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), September 30, 1999.

Hey Pollys......what happens when rich Arabs get pissed at us? usually a war....Hmmmm...

Live within 5 mins of a 7-11 in Tel Aviv and you may well be toast...lieterally...

-- John Galt (jgaltfla@hotmail.com), September 30, 1999.

Forrest, If your contention is true how is it the Iraq's are ahead of schedule on their latest $5 BILLION 6 month UN oil for food deal. Iraqi crude production and sales have steadily escalated and is now up over 2.4 million barrels a day. We are NOT focusing on their oil infrastructure.

Here's my question. HOw many days of production/sales will the Iraqis lose with this fix on failure strategy? a day? a week? a month? Thats what we should be focusing on.

-- Downstreamer (downstream@bigfoot.com), September 30, 1999.

OH YEA. FIX ON FAILURE IS A GREAT IDEA !!!

Why don't we just go ahead and hard wire all of the circuit breakers NOW and see what smokes?

FOF is a bad idea when the system that fails has serious safety related functions.

Take out all of the safety redundancy in a complex and potentially dangerous process and then stand next to it yourself. Yea right. That four foot diameter pipe carrying contaminated volatiles to the flare just rolled over you and you are now dead.

FIX THAT ON FAILURE!!!

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), October 01, 1999.

ALL OF THE FIX ON FAILURE SUPPORTERS --- THE CHEERLEADERS FOR FIX ON FAILURE NEED TO REMEMBER SOMETHING:

These trains, chemical plants, refineries, nuclear power plants, etc. are staffed by flesh and blood people. Not robots.

Flesh and blood runs for cover. Flesh and blood will tell the fix on failure crowd to stick it were the sun don't shine.

You ever heard the expression, "You die and some other hairy legs will be drinkin your beer and huggin the ole lady"?

FIX ON FAILURE-- You've got to be kidding. Right?

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), October 01, 1999.

Anyone got a link on this? I can't find it by searching Reuters...

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), October 01, 1999.