Did anybody notice that MAPCO's outages (according to OPIS) are being blamed on brine? How timely. The other propane outage in the medwest is being blamed on brine too.

Well, MAPCO also cited pay metering problems. Okie dokie, I guess OPEC policy has infected the metering now.

Obviously none of the metering failures has anything to do with emebeddeds, Y2k or failed infrastructure, starting in January of 00. Nah, just a coincidence.

-- paul leblanc (bronyaur@gis.net), February 03, 2000

Answers

Q: What is BRINE anyway? Is this contamination or a term of art dealing with metering, or WHAT?

P.S. You speak French very well, Paul.

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 03, 2000.

Would "Force Maneure" mean use of minor force, or forced to eat manure, of forcing the manure out?

Squirrel, Brine is I believe, salt water used to flush oil out from pipelines.

-- Pauline Leblack (parlay@voo.froncay), February 03, 2000.

Legal term, fom Anglo-Norman French, for "shit happens".

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 03, 2000.

Just in case you guys are not joking:

Force MaJure = major force = force beyong our control.

This is a legal mechanism to break most contract obligations.

-- Bill (porterwn@one.net), February 03, 2000.

Alright now guys, it's time I set you all straight. It's "Force Majeure". Not Maneure, not Majure, Majeure, as in major.

Voila.

Tata,

-- Pauline Leblack (parlay@voo.froncay), February 03, 2000.

Merci, monsieur Squir-REL. J'esperee que vous aussi peu boudouarez du donc ne pas bon toujours. Oui, naturalment. Mais, je parle Anglais un petite peu justement aneufez a bullshittemois le monde, heehehee.

En autre mots - c'est tout bullshittemois, toulejours, vingt-quatre et sept. ..... paul du paris

-- paul leblanc (bronyaur@gis.net), February 03, 2000.

What headline in what paper was it that had the "Force Manure"? I like your definition, Squirrel Hunter. Appreciate the history of the term also. Now, just what does <"> mean? Or shouldn't I ask?

-- Pam (jpjgood@penn.com), February 03, 2000.

Pam, pay attention! It's >"< and not <">

Look again >"<

What does it remind you of? Squirel whiskers!!

>"< ~ <----peanut for da Squirel

Paul, vous avez besoin de pratique avec votre francais, il est devenu tres rouiller (ou bien c'est votre accent qui est tres epais?)

-- Pauline Leblack (parlay@voo.froncay), February 03, 2000.

Hey >"< Brine reminds me of my water conditioning system. Lots of water and salt. BTW , Your troops are still hiding in my storage barn.

-- Bill (Sticky@2side.tape), February 03, 2000.

If brine is such a problem, then surely the Petroleum Reserves which are stored in salt caves will have the same sort of problems?

-- Laurane (familyties@rttinc.com), February 03, 2000.

It was so-named in the headliner on the webpage --which one I do not know -- when the story first broke about Force Majeure had been declared in Singapore -- about a week ago now I believe it was. The headline was BYOOOTIFULLY typoed ro read "Force Maneure Declared in Singapore", and in fact, if you weant to check, the typo was lifted by Gary North when he included the text on his Latest LInks page. I presume it's still a typo as it moves down toward the archives. Did I know it was an error? Well .... let's just say if the foo shits, wear it.

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 04, 2000.

Fresh water is rare in the world. Most deep water is brine, and oil underground is usually floating on brine. Oil wells have to get rid of the stuff all the time, which they normally do by pumping it down into an adjacent well, like one that isn't producing oil anymore. Gas is normally riding on brine, too, I suppose.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), February 04, 2000.

This info comes from my long career (well, a day) servicing oil wells in Louisiana and Mississippi.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), February 04, 2000.

Hmm, and it could have Y2k implications. You get brine in the oil when you pump oil too fast. Normally the brine layer comes up slowly, as oil comes off the top. But this is all happening in saturated rocks, not open pockets. If you pump too fast, the brine (which is much more fluid) will quickly penetrate cracks leading toward the well, and start coming up the pipe. This is called "water channelling", and once it starts the well may be ruined. From then on, even if you wait a year or so, that little channel of water remains, and any future pumping brings brine up quicker than oil.

So maybe brine problems means somebody is pumping like crazy. Hmm...

-- bw (home@puget.sound), February 04, 2000.

Thanks, bw, that is a right nice explanation of how maneure gets into the mine shaft.

Oops. Am I mixing my metaphorical ejaculations?

Pauline, madamoiselle, merci, mais mon Francais c'est com manuere maintenant. A bientot, au revoir, bon jour, et c'est la vie - c'est ma monde aujourd hui.

-- paul leblanc (bronyaur@gis.net), February 04, 2000.

Where's the King of Pains? He always gives me grief when I speak Spanish...

-- jumpoff joe a.k.a. Al K. Lloyd (jumpoff@ekoweb.net), February 04, 2000.