http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/113/nation/Y2K_hint__Keep_oil_tank_full+.shtml

Y2K hint: Keep oil tank full

By Tom Doggett, Reuters, 04/23/99

ASHINGTON - Homeowners should take the precaution of filling their heating oil tanks for the upcoming winter before New Year's Day 2000 just in case computer problems disrupt petroleum supplies, a US government energy official said yesterday.

The nation's oil and natural gas companies have taken steps to make sure their computers don't shut down because of potential confusion over the last two ''00'' digits in 2000 being read as the year 1900.

Robert Kripowicz, deputy assistant for fossil energy at the Department of Energy, told a Senate committee that his department was cautiously optimistic that there will not be disruptions in the nation's oil supplies because of the so-called millennium bug, but he said households and businesses ought to have a backup fuel plan just in case.

''While we see no cause for panic or alarm at this point, consumers who are dependent on oil should always be prudent in planning for their heating requirements, and should not wait until the last minute to fill their home heating oil tanks,'' he said.

''Similarly, power generators and large industrial consumers may want to purchase some additional [petroleum] inventory well in advance of the year-end as a contingency or hedge against prices,'' Kripowicz added.

However, a Coast Guard official testifying at the Senate hearing said the public should be cautioned not to hoard petroleum products or fill tanks a day or two before New Year's Day, because that could disrupt energy supplies.

''We understand that that act alone, repeated nationwide, could lead to shortages,'' said Rear Admiral George Naccara. He said the Coast Guard was assessing the computer readiness of 50 key international ports.

The American Petroleum Institute said a survey of 1,000 oil and natural gas companies showed that 94 percent of them will have their computers upgraded by Sept. 30.

''The oil and gas industry is working intensively to prepare for the Year 2000 and feels it will be ready to supply our customers at that time,'' the petroleum institute's president, Red Cavaney, told the committee.

Kripowicz said that American oil companies were addressing their computer problems but that it was unclear how well foreign oil companies were prepared.

''A failure of any of these systems could affect the oil industry's ability to operate,'' he warned.

If there are disruptions in US oil supplies, Kripowicz said the energy department is prepared to sell oil from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve in order to ''calm the market.''

This story ran on page A14 of the Boston Globe on 04/23/99. ) Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 23, 1999

Answers

The oil corporations have definitely got something cooking, and I doubt whether most people are going to like the taste of it. I cannot at this point specify the details of exactly what they are planning, or how they are planning on pulling it off, but my gut feeling tells me that they are making some maneuvers which will ultimately assist the elite powers in achieving world domination. Control of oil seems to have a lot to do with our military involvement in Kosovo and Iraq, and I know it will ultimately be used, in combination with control over the financial industry, to force the people of the world to submit to NWO facism. I suspect that within the next year, a combination of Y2K events (real or not) within the financial sector, along with the carefully engineered rationing of oil to only those industries and organizations involved in advancing the NWO agenda (i.e. Military), will be used to lead the mass populace into a state of depression. Our illusion of prosperity will be shattered, and we will be rendered powerless slaves to the NWO.

-- @ (@@@.@), April 23, 1999.

on the other hand, the simple fact that the NATO forces are burning up thousands of gallons of aviation fuel every day, plus fuel required for their ground efforts generally accounts for the rise in prices. When you consider that both Saudi Arabia and Venezuela are not going to be done with their y2k remediation in time there is more than sufficient cause to be concerned about oil shortages without any need to resort to conspiracy theories.

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 24, 1999.

Arlin,

Then why are the oil corporations forcing OPEC nations to reduce their output?

-- @ (@@@.@), April 24, 1999.

to raise prices, of course...they've been trying to get the opec countries to do this for several years, but due to various rivalries have not succeeded until now...that most likely wont last very long though - especially with y2k on the horizon and several of the OPEC nations knowing that they are looking at potentially serious problems in their refineries...bet they do their best to get as much money ahead as possible prior to the roll over.

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 24, 1999.

Arlin,

"bet they do their best to get as much money ahead as possible prior to the roll over."

Absolutely! And after the rollover?

If you could make 10 cents profit per apple by selling one to each of 100 people ($10), or make $10 profit by selling one apple to one person, which would you choose to do? My point is that now the oil corporations have plenty of excuses to do exactly that, whether or not those shortages actually occur, and that these news reports are setting us up for that scenario.

-- @ (@@@.@), April 24, 1999.