1/17/07 Strategic Reserve

Do I just write a new fact or do I give you the background on how I learned it? Of course, you're getting the story. The other day I treated myself to something I've wanted for two years. During another routine trip to Target (to pick up, here's my entire list - laundry detergent, dryer sheet, laundry baskets, 2 cereal bowls and napkins) I treated myself to a robe. I know it sounds gay. But the rest of the story sounds more gay, so it works. Why a robe? For chilly nights where a trip to the hot tub sounds nice. That's why. So tonight, I robe up and head down for a dip. Some evenings the hot tub is empty. Other nights I see friends and we chat. And on nights like tonight, there is a group of people I don't know and I figure I'll just sit by myself and kind of just listen. Especially since it's a group of young ladies and I figure anything I say will be seen as unwelcome.

Where am I going with this? Nowhere interesting, I assure you. But the ladies were friendly and one started making small talk. She wanted to know what I do for a living and I assured her that it's very boring. She insisted. Then 3 seconds in, she asked if I make websites (which is nothing close to what I do). So instead of trying to clarify what I do, I figured a better transition was to talk about nachos and NachosRule.com. For once in my life, I made a good split second decision. Nachos was, by far, a better topic of discussion and allowed me to meet everyone else.

Fast forward about 10 minutes. (You're probably asking yourself why I said the story gets more gay - here's where). The girls left, said goodnight and also mentioned they'd be visiting this website. Neighbor Brett had entered the hot tub somewhere between the nacho discussion and them leaving. He asked what the nacho thing was all about. So I explained in some detail. And how I only really update this part of the website anymore. He then asked, "So, what did you learn today?" I paused and had no answer. He then offered to share a new fact. This is how Target, the robe, the hot tub and this blog are all linked. They all led to today's fact. (Before I tell you what it is, Brett and I have never had a discussion about, well anything, before. The topic is merely coincidental. But will serve as a nice transition when I actually talk about Peak Oil).

He told me that the United States strategic oil reserve is being stored in salt caverns in Louisiana and Texas. He said that the salt was dissolved with water and each cavern can hold the volume of the Sears tower. And that only the President or the Secretary of Energy can order use of that oil. From the website link:

Current inventory: Click to open inventory update window

Highest inventory - The SPR reached its highest level of 700.7 million barrels in late August 2005. The Hurricane Katrina loans and sales reduced it during Fall 2005.

Current storage capacity - 727 million barrels

Current days of import protection in SPR - 59 days(Maximum days of import protection in SPR - 118 days in 1985)

International Energy Agency requirement - 90 days of import protection (both public and private stocks)(SPR and private company import protection - approx. 118 days)

Average price paid for oil in the Reserve - $27.73 per barrel

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I got an email today to submit NachosRule.com to a science directory. So I did. And, in return, I always try to reciprocate. Their link is http://biology.science-directory.net/. (We're under the biology science, since, uh, food seemed to fit there best).

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Cousin Eric sends a link to a guy whose room got covered in aluminum foil. (The link is better when you realize that the prank was played on his roommate and that he was involved.)