Trump Administration Seems Overly Concerned About Discrimination Against White People, Men, and Christians

     In my 49 years of employment history, I have never experienced discrimination against white people, men, or Christians. I have experienced discrimination against African Americans and other minorities, though not a lot of it. I have also experienced being passed over for a job for an African American man who was far less qualified than I, although I do not attribute that to any kind of employment policy, but rather to the whims of the person who did the hiring.

     The backlash against DEI overreach is warranted to some extent, However, that does not mean diversity, equity, and inclusion are not important, just that they should not be overly pursued by things like mandates, budgets, and staff. I do not think that making DEI policies illegal or punishable by the government is the answer to the issue, as the Trump administration seems to think. The whole notion that DEI undermines “meritocracy” has not been adequately demonstrated, and calling someone a DEI hire should be considered insulting and borderline racist. It can be argued that the Biden administration put too much effort and funding into DEI initiatives. However, companies should be free to have such initiatives if they want, rather than being punished by the government for having them. I really don’t think we are in a position where a white guy doesn’t have a chance for a job (even though I am currently an unemployed white guy that is having difficulty finding work). It can be argued that the government went too far with DEI and businesses went too far with ESG concerns, but that does not mean DEI and ESG are not important.

     The Biden administration’s DEI initiatives were initiated by the government but did not require other institutions, such as schools and universities, and businesses to adopt similar policies, although many did. They were not required by law to adopt such policies. However, the Trump administration is tying government funding to DEI policies, essentially defunding anything the federal government helps to fund if they have DEI policies. It is not even clear what those policies are to trigger the defunding, since DEI policies differ by institution and company. They also differ by degree, some being more or less aggressive than others. Essentially, any institutional or business policy meant to oppose discrimination against marginalized populations is now essentially against the law, punishable by loss of funding. That is going too far. Universities all over the country are dismantling DEI-related offices and staff. Some of that is warranted, as it was overreaching. However, the solution to overreach is not a greater degree of overreach in the other direction.

 

Disparate-Impact Liability

     A new Trump executive order from earlier this month:

“Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy is intended to encourage "meritocracy and a colorblind society, not race- or sex-based favoritism."

The wording certainly suggests a view that women and minorities are being unfairly given opportunities ahead of men and non-minorities. Is there any real evidence of that? I am not sure, but I doubt it. Newsweek writes that:

“…if independent federal agencies abide by the order they will stall litigation protecting women from being discriminated against for credit, and they will roll back guidance and regulations which were in place to protect people's rights.”

This harks back to the 70s when the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) addressed discrimination against women for loans and credit. Before the ECOA was enacted, women could be asked to have a male relative or spouse co-sign for their credit cards or loans. Can you imagine that happening now? I don’t think it will, but it could happen if Congress voted down the ECOA.

     The issue is whether racism or sexism can actually occur without explicit intent, an idea known as disparate impact. According to the DOJ Title VI Legal Manual, disparate impact regulations are explained:

“The disparate impact regulations seek to ensure that programs accepting federal money are not administered in a way that perpetuates the repercussions of past discrimination. As the Supreme Court has explained, even benignly-motivated policies that appear neutral on their face may be traceable to the nation’s long history of invidious race discrimination in employment, education, housing, and many other areas…. The disparate impact regulations ensure “that public funds, to which all taxpayers of all races contribute, not be spent in any fashion which encourages, entrenches, subsidizes, or results in racial discrimination.”

TITLE VI DISPARATE IMPACT VIOLATION

“Disparate impact. Does the adverse effect of the policy or practice fall disproportionately on a race, color, or national origin group? See Section C.1.”

“Justification, If so, does the record establish a substantial legitimate justification for the policy or practice? See Section C.2.”

“Less discriminatory alternative. Is there an alternative that would achieve the same legitimate objective but with less of a discriminatory effect? See Section C.3.”

It is as if the Trump administration is saying that instead of acting to make sure the government is not supporting remnants of racism, they would rather ensure that we are not unfairly promoting non-racism, which may be unfair to non-minorities. While the goal of a “color blind” society is a good one, we also need to be realistic. There are indeed remnants of racism and sexism that still exist.

     According to Newsweek:

“Ben Olinsky, senior vice president of Structural Reform and Governance at the Center for American Progress (CAP), explained to Newsweek that disparate-impact liability is: "A recognition that you could have certain hiring practices that, while not, not clearly discriminatory in intent...may have a disproportionate impact on a particular protected class.”

"It could be where you advertise, for example, around employment listings. It could get at certain kinds of redlining practices."

“President Trump said: "[Disparate-impact liability] not only undermines our national values, but also runs contrary to equal protection under the law and, therefore, violates our Constitution."

"They're trying to argue that it is somehow violating civil rights law and the Constitution to require employers or housing providers to consider the disparate impact on race or gender or age, right or disability," Olinsky told Newsweek. "Because that somehow might, in individual cases, cause a white young man to lose out because the criteria has been shifted."

“President Donald Trump, Executive Order: "Because of disparate-impact liability, employers cannot act in the best interests of the job applicant, the employer, and the American public. Disparate-impact liability imperils the effectiveness of civil rights laws by mandating, rather than proscribing, discrimination."

     Disparate impact is part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Trump administration is essentially arguing that the Civil Rights Act is discriminatory against non-minorities, and the EO is saying that any federal cases involving disparate impact will be abandoned or not pursued by the federal government as required by the Act. Is the Civil Rights Act really depriving us of our civil rights? Olinsky noted that private suits can still be filed for discrimination, but the government won’t help.

 

Hegseth “Cancels” Women’s Peace and Security Leadership Program

     Another recent act by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was the cancellation of a women’s leadership program at the Pentagon, the Women’s Peace and Security program. It was enacted during the first Trump administration, championed by both Donald and Ivanka Trump, drafted in part by Kristi Noem, and praised just recently by Marco Rubio. The program had strong bipartisan and international support. Hegseth called the initiative a divisive, liberal focus that does not add to service members’ readiness. Hegseth boast-posted the following on X:

“WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.”

“WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.”

“DoD will hereby executive the minimum of WPS required by statute, and fight to end the program for our next budget.

GOOD RIDDANCE WPS!”

Apparently, he was not aware of the bipartisan nature of the program and Trump’s initial support for it, being more concerned perhaps that it would lead to women being promoted at the expense of men. The cancellation dovetails nicely with Hegseth’s other anti-women activities, including his advocacy against women in combat roles, the administration’s banning of trans women from the military, and his own allegation of being abusive towards women.

 

Anti-Christian Discrimination. Really?

     One thing I have never ever experienced in the work world or really anywhere is anti-Christian discrimination. I know many people who are not Christians, and I have never heard any of them discriminate against Christians. However, I have heard quite a bit about how they were mistreated by fanatical Christian family members, sometimes horribly so. I have also been subjected at workplaces to Christian proselytizing and Christian prayer, but never to any other kind of proselytizing or prayer.

     So-called “religious liberty” policies supposedly designed to protect religious liberty are often thinly disguised efforts to allow religious groups to be discriminatory against marginalized groups like LGBT, essentially arguing that their religion commands them to be discriminatory. It is a similar argument to fanatical Muslims arguing that their religion commands them to mistreat women, such as among the Taliban, the Iranian theocracy, or ISIS. Secularism becomes the enemy rather than discrimination. The concern is that Christians (or Muslims) are being discriminated against by secularist concerns about women’s rights or the rights of marginalized groups.  

     In February, Trump launched an initiative, the White House Faith Office, to root out anti-Christian bias in the federal government. Earlier this month, an internal email sent out by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio details how the department will collect evidence of anti-Christian bias by its own employees via anonymous tip-off forms. According to The Telegraph:

“{Trump} accused his predecessor Joe Biden, a lifelong Catholic, of engaging in an “egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offences.”

     I have heard anti-Muslim bias and anti-non-Christian bias at work, but never anti-Christian bias. The State Department plan includes the department’s work around the world, including in Muslim countries where anti-Christian biases may be more common, as anti-Muslim bias is here. While both directives include a nod to discrimination against any religion, the focus of both is on anti-Christian discrimination.

     Should we really be concerned about discrimination against white Christian men? I didn’t vote in the 2012 election but after Obama was re-elected a white Christian man at a work site felt that he was free to shout at me: “Did you vote for that nigger?” No, I am not concerned about discrimination against white Christian men.

   

 

References:

 

Trump Executive Order Raises Alarm Over Women's Financial Independence. Opinion by Sophie Clark. Newsweek. April 24, 2025. Trump Executive Order Raises Alarm Over Women's Financial Independence

Snitch on your anti-Christian co-workers, federal workers told. Benedict Smith. The Telegraph. April 11, 2025. Snitch on your anti-Christian co-workers, federal workers told

State tells employees to report on one another for ‘anti-Christian bias’. Robbie Gramer and Nahal Toosi. Politico. April 11, 2025. State Department tells employees to report on one another for ‘anti-Christian bias’ - POLITICO

Section VII- Proving Discrimination- Disparate Impact. Title VI Legal Manual. U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division. Civil Rights Division | Section VII- Proving Discrimination- Disparate Impact | United States Department of Justice

Hegseth cancels women’s leadership program despite past Trump support. Leo Shane III. Army Times. April 29, 2025. Hegseth cancels women’s leadership program despite past Trump support

Upcoming Decline in Primary U.S. Oil Output? The Need for Enhanced Oil Recovery Will Grow

     U.S. oil output is not infinite. While we have significant supply for the years ahead, we are already seeing the beginnings up ahead in the distance of the shrinking of premium acreage and well production decline.

     The Permian Basin is producing 6.5 million barrels per day, just less than half of the 13.5 million barrels per day of total U.S. oil production. However, as Reuters reports, NOVI Labs notes that in the Permian sub-basins, the Midland Basin has drilled about two-thirds of the core acreage, and over half of the core acreage in the Delaware Basin has been drilled. Of course, there are still new zones being evaluated, such as the Dean in the Midland and the Pearsall in South Texas. Other potential additions include drilling deeper to the Barnett and Woodford in the Midland Basin. Drilling in the Permian Basin as a whole exceeded 6000 wells drilled and completed in 2023, as noted below. It was done with fewer rigs and longer laterals.

     The Permian Basin also produces large amounts of associated natural gas, and those amounts are rising as the gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) increases, as is typical for oil fields. The region also produces lots of formation water,r which is challenging to treat and dispose of. Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub thinks the Permian will see peak production between 2027 and 2030, just a few years away. Continental founder and billionaire Harold Hamm agrees that Permian production is plateauing.

“The gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) has risen steadily from around 3,100 cubic feet of natural gas per barrel of oil produced (cf/b), or 34% of total production in 2014, to 4,000 cf/b, or 40%, in 2024, the EIA said.”

The Basin produces four barrels of water for every barrel of water produced, which is much higher than in most oil fields, where one to one is more common. The water-to-oil ratio (WOR) can rise to as much as 12 to 1 on the fringes. At a four-to-one WOR, that means $2 per barrel of water disposal costs.

     The Bakken oil field mainly in North Dakota, is even further into decline territory. Proven reserves in the Bakken and Three Forks formations are 7 billion barrels, and adding in probable and possible reserves makes it 10 billion barrels. Total oil in place could be as much as 20 billion barrels. Even so, the field is beginning to decline.

     Other oil plays, such as the Utica Shale in Ohio, have great economics but have an oil window that is quite limited in extent. The Uinta Basin in Northeast Utah is another emerging oil play that can add some reserves but not enough to offset the prolific Permian.

     Mouin Almasoodi, Subsurface Engineering Manager at Devon Energy, notes in a LinkedIn post that most U.S. oil production is now “front-end loaded” and thus, we must consider enhanced oil recovery for these unconventional wells.

“With the U.S. now producing ~13.5 million barrels of oil per day, the highest in the world, many overlook a critical vulnerability: over 55% of this production comes from wells that are two years old or less. This heavy reliance on new wells means that without continuous drilling and investment, we could face severe energy shortages and major disruptions to daily life within a year.”

“It’s time to turn serious attention to the untapped potential of older unconventional wells. It's time to stop treating older unconventional wells as afterthoughts. We must have an honest, urgent conversation about improving per-well recovery. The same ingenuity and innovative spirit that unlocked the shale revolution must now be directed toward cracking the code for unconventional EOR.”

     The bottom line is that U.S. shale oil and tight oil, which have faster-than-normal decline rates, won’t last forever. Hollub, Almasoodi, and others are right: we need to work on developing EOR strategies for these basins. Hollub noted that Oxy has been injecting CO2 into conventional wells to recover more oil. Pilot tests in shale basins indicate Occidental could recover 20% of oil in shale reservoirs using CO2 injection, up from 10% currently. She thinks that EOR will be essential in the future to provide energy security. She thinks carbon capture and utilization for injecting to recover more oil will be vital. Oxy has been at the forefront of direct carbon capture (DAC).

“The U.S. could tap into another 50B-70B barrels of oil by using enhanced oil recovery techniques with CO2 pulled in by direct air capture facilities, projects that Occidental (OXY) is developing, Hollub said on the company's earnings conference call.”

While the Trump administration has frozen funds for the 45Q tax credit provided by the IRA, he is aware of the business case for DAC paired with EOR, based on conversations they have had, she noted. New EOR techniques are being explored for different basins, and I will probably write about them in the future.  

 

 

References:

 

US oil producers face new challenges as top oilfield flags. Shariq Khan and Georgina McCartney. Reuters. March 27, 2025. US oil producers face new challenges as top oilfield flags

How Much Oil is Left in the Bakken?  Krystal. OFTRB. December 11, 2024. How Much Oil is Left in the Bakken? - oftrb.com

Bakken Break-Even Prices Threaten Profits. Art Berman. January 28, 2024. Bakken Break-Even Prices Threaten Profits | Art Berman

Occidental Petroleum sees US oil output peaking in next five years. Khaleej Times. March 11, 2025. Occidental Petroleum sees US oil output peaking in next five years

Carbon capture would boost U.S. energy independence, Occidental CEO says. Seeking Alpha. February 19, 2025. Carbon capture would boost U.S. energy independence, Occidental CEO says

The Risks of Electrification According to Javier Blas: A Taste of Electricity Realism

     Highly regarded energy analyst Javier Blas recently wrote in Bloomberg about the risks of electrification. The call among climate activists, in particular, to ‘electrify everything’ is unfeasible for a number of reasons. Among them are some of the risks described by Blas. Since I can’t access the paywalled article, I am going off the summary by Doug Sheridan, an analyst who focuses on energy, economics, and policy. Javier writes that following the recent International Energy Agency Summit on the Future of Energy Security in the UK, governments are beginning to take the risks of electrification more seriously. He notes that green energy enthusiasts do not take these risks into account, and so-called climate deniers do not take the risks of growing fossil fuel use into account. He says the reality is somewhere in between.

 

The Risks of Electrification

1)        Meeting the growing demand for electricity – much of that demand in developing countries like China and India is being met with coal, with all of its environmental and CO2 emissions risks. Even in the U.S., with electricity demand growth expected to rise significantly for the first time in a couple of decades with AI developments, electrification, and re-industrialization, planned coal-fired plant retirements are expected to be delayed.

2)        Ensuring reliability with growing intermittent resources powering grids – since wind and solar are both intermittent and variable, these risks are real. Wind availability sometimes drops unexpectedly, causing problems. If dispatchable power plants (coal, gas, nuclear) are shut down to meet green targets, it makes power grids vulnerable to weather-induced availability problems.

3)        Transmission is Often Inadequate to Support Renewables – Inadequate transmission means that new renewables projects must wait months or years before they are connected to the grid. There is also public opposition and NIMBYism against transmission projects and large renewables projects that slow down adoption and grid integration. “Spending on the last few miles of connection is sorely missing. The world badly needs many more transformers and low-tension distribution lines.”

4)        Balancing Supply and Demand of Electricity – this refers to the fact that electricity must be balanced in terms of supply and demand on very short time scales to keep the system working. Balancing with high levels of variable generation (wind and solar) requires resource adequacy, which often involves redundancy and fossil fuel and/or battery back-up, which can add significant costs to the grid. Those costs will be passed on to consumers.

5)        Electricity Price Volatility – electricity prices have swung wildly compared to fossil fuel prices. This can lead to higher costs for consumers and difficult investment decisions by power generators. Renewables and the need for backup natural gas plants are the main reasons for the price volatility.

“It's good news that gov’ts are openly talking about the risks of well-intended green policies. Now, the job is to start addressing them. Flagging the problem isn't climate denialism. It's electricity realism.”

 

    

 

References:

 

It’s Electricity Realism, Not Climate Denialism. Javier Blas. Bloomberg. April 24, 2025. Energy Security: It’s Electricity Realism, Not Climate Denialism - Bloomberg

China’s New High-Purity Quartz Sand Discovery Can Ease Dependence on the U.S. Where the Spruce Pine Deposit in North Carolina is the World’s Largest HPQ Source

      While quartz, or silicon dioxide (SiO2), is very common in rocks, high-purity quartz (HPQ) is rare. Most of China’s deposits are of low purity. Among ores, only crystal, vein quartz, metamorphic quartzite, and pegmatite deposits are of sufficient quality. The different purity grades of quartz and their markets from 2018 are shown below.

     Until now, most quartz ores in China have been inadequate in purity, running less than 70% pure. HPQ products are widely used in electronics, tele-communications, aerospace, military, and solar photovoltaic industries. Semiconductor and solar panels, in particular, require HPQ. Indeed, HPQ is considered a critical mineral. China’s geologists have been exploring for HPQ in the country for several years now, and it looks like they finally hit paydirt. The new find can be processed and purified to 99.995% purity, placing it between medium-grade and high-grade, according to the chart above, and making it worth between $500 and $5000 per ton in value. Another evaluation from 2020 shows an even higher value. Below that are some market projections showing that demand is expected to increase.

     Two mines in North Carolina in the Spruce Pine quartz deposit are currently producing up to 90% of the world’s supply of the highest-grade quartz. This was noted when Hurricane Helene ravaged the area in 2024. It has been described as the most valuable acreage on the planet. Other deposits have been discovered in Russia, Brazil, India, Norway, Australia, and, most recently, China. Nearly every electronic device likely contains silicon from Spruce Pine. The mines and processing facilities are owned by Sibelco. According to an article by Tech Spot:

“How did this unassuming North Carolina town gain such an outsized role in the global semiconductor supply chain? The answer is its unique mineral deposits, which formed 380 million years ago during the collision of Africa and North America. The intense heat and lack of water during their formation created quartz rock of unparalleled purity. These rocks are extracted from the ground and turned into quartz gravel, which is then processed into a fine sand. The silicon is separated from other minerals and then goes through a final milling. The final product is a powder that is shipped to refineries.”

     Solar grade sand (HP7) can be purified to 99.997% purity, and semiconductor grade sand can be purified to 99.999% purity. HPQ has high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, low thermal expansion, high insulation, and transparency.

     The recent discovery in China is two massive deposits totaling over 35 million tons. China imports 80% of its HPQ from the U.S., about $1.5 billion per year. The new discovery can also give China some leverage against the U.S. in the current trade conflicts. According to Global Times:

“The next steps will involve establishing an engineering and technology innovation center for high-purity quartz resource development and utilization, focusing on scientific and technological breakthroughs in ore-forming theory, exploration and evaluation techniques, as well as separation and purification technologies. A nationwide resource survey and evaluation will be coordinated, with key exploration projects deployed to determine the resource reserves of high-purity quartz and enhance domestic resource security.”

     

 

References:

 

China discovers 35 million tons of a forgotten strategic mineral: Beijing has formidable geopolitical and economic weapon. Callum Roche. AS. April 22, 2025. China discovers 35 million tons of a forgotten strategic mineral: Beijing has formidable geopolitical and economic weapon - AS USA

China discovers new mineral species vital for strategic emerging sectors like semiconductors, photovoltaics. Global Times. April 10, 2025. China discovers new mineral species vital for strategic emerging sectors like semiconductors, photovoltaics - Global Times

A Reflection on China’s high purity quartz industry and its strategic development. Junlan Zhou, Xiaoyong Yang. Material Science & Engineering International Journal. Special Issue – 2018. A Reflection on China’s high purity quartz industry and its strategic development

High Purity Quartz Ltd. Opportunity to invest in one of the few Ultra High Purity Quartz Sand producers in the World. August 2020. HPQ Presentation

Two mines in North Carolina are the world's only producer of the quartz necessary for semiconductor manufacturing. Erika Morphy. Tech Spot. March 24, 2024. Two mines in North Carolina are the world's only producer of the quartz necessary for semiconductor manufacturing | TechSpot

China’s $24 Billion Coal-to-Oil Project: 2nd Gen Direct Coal Liquefaction

      Coal-to-oil by direct liquefaction is a process that bypasses gasification, which is a normal step in indirect coal liquefaction. The DOE’s NETL describes the process of direct coal liquefaction and compares it to indirect coal liquefaction as follows:

“Direct coal liquefaction involves contacting coal directly with a catalyst {often cobalt iron-based} at elevated temperatures and pressures with added hydrogen (H2), in the presence of a solvent to form a raw liquid product which is further refined into product liquid fuels. DCL is termed direct because the coal is transformed into liquid without first being gasified to form syngas (which can then in turn be transformed into liquid products). The latter two-step approach, i.e. the coal to syngas to liquids route is termed indirect coal liquefaction (ICL). Therefore, the DCL process is, in principle, the simpler and more efficient of the two processes. It does, however, require an external source of H2, which may have to be provided by gasifying additional coal feed, biomass and/or the heavy residue produced from the DCL reactor. The DCL process results in a relatively wide hydrocarbon product range consisting of a variety of molecular weights and forms, with aromatics dominating. Accordingly, the product requires substantial upgrading to yield acceptable transportation fuels.”

     The world’s largest single coal-to-liquids (CTL) project is located in the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base, 40 km away from Yinchuan, the provincial capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in the western part of China. Construction began in 2013, and it was commissioned in 2016. To convert 1 ton of oil, it consumes 3.5 tons of coal and 6.1 tons of water. China has a high demand for oil but a low supply. They do, however, have a high supply of coal. Thus, the country has long developed CTL technology. Liquifying coal results in double the CO emissions relative to burning oil. It is, however, more readily captured. According to Wikipedia, this project currently makes 4 million tons/year of diesel & naphtha. The tables below show all the CTL projects in the world, non-U.S. and U.S. Most of the U.S. projects have been cancelled as uneconomical. The U.S. likely would be developing those projects if it hadn’t been for the discovery and production of significant shale gas and oil reserves over the past few decades.

Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base

     The DCL technology DOE helped to develop with Hydrocarbon Technologies, Inc., HTI (now part of Headwater, Inc.), was licensed to Shenhua Corporation of China in 2002, which built a DCL plant in Erdos, Inner Mongolia based on Headwaters technology. That first DCL plant began operations in 2008. According to NETL:

“The DCL process involves adding hydrogen (hydrogenation) to the coal, breaking down its organic structure into soluble products. The reaction is carried out at elevated temperature and pressure (e.g., 750 to 850°F and 1,000 to 2,500 psia) in the presence of a solvent. The solvent is used to facilitate coal extraction and the addition of hydrogen. The solubilized products, consisting mainly of aromatic compounds, then may be upgraded by conventional petroleum refining techniques such as hydrotreating to meet final liquid product specifications.”

     China’s CTL capacity rose 24% to 11 million tons in 2023 compared to 2019. A planned 4 million ton per day CTL project expected to cost $24 billion is being developed by China Energy Investment Corporation, formerly Shenhua, and is expected to begin operations in 2027. This will be built in the Xinjiang region, which is rich in coal but remote and far away from consumers. This would make up more than a quarter of China’s current CTL capacity, but other CTL projects are in the works as well. According to Global Times, the project is expected to produce 4 million tons of CTL products annually, including 3.2 million tons from direct liquefaction and 800,000 tons from indirect liquefaction.

“The project combines coal mining, coal-to-oil conversion, coal chemicals, renewable energy, and new materials production. It features the world's first second-generation CTL technology and is the first coal-to-oil project in Xinjiang.”

"The project taps into Hami's coal and renewable energy resources to build a national coal-to-oil and gas strategic base, boosting efficient coal use and strengthening Xinjiang region's role in China's energy security," Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

     It is uncertain whether carbon capture will be a feature, but that seems a likely possibility as the state-owned company operates CCS projects.

   

 

 

References:

 

China Energy Investment readies $24bn for coal-to-oil project. Ed Pearsey. Offshore Technology. October 10, 2024. China Energy Investment readies $24bn for coal-to-oil project - Offshore Technology (offshore-technology.com)

Coal liquefaction. Wikipedia. Coal liquefaction - Wikipedia

Direct Liquefaction Processes. DOE. National Energy Technology Lab (NETL). 10.6. Direct Liquefaction Processes | netl.doe.gov

Coal Gasification and Liquefaction. Civils360. February 9, 2022. Coal Gasification and Liquefaction - Explained | UPSC | Civils360 IAS

Visiting the world’s biggest single coal-to-liquid project in Yinchuan, China. Xing Zhang. June 27, 2017. IEA. Sustainable Carbon. Visiting the world's biggest single coal-to-liquid project in Yinchuan, China - ICSC

China Energy to invest $24 billion in coal-to-liquid project. October 10, 2024. DieselNet. news: China Energy to invest $24 billion in coal-to-liquid project

CHN Energy Investment Group launches 170 billion yuan project in Xinjiang's Hami. Zhang Yiyi. Global Times. October 9, 2024. CHN Energy Investment Group launches 170 billion yuan project in Xinjiang's Hami - Global Times

 

Rapid Temperature Flips May Be an Underestimated Effect of Climate Change, New Research Suggests

      New research published in Nature Communications involving a global assessment of rapid temperature flips from 1961 to 2100 found that in the areas assessed, about 60% of them have experienced more frequent, intense, and rapid temperature flips. The authors also conclude that the increase in temperature flips is also increasing and amplifying threats to natural and socio-economic systems. Potential impacts include early flowering of crops followed by frost damage, power outages, and damage to vulnerable species sensitive to temperature changes.

     Temperature flips are, of course, of two types, warm-to-cold and cold-to-warm. Warm-to-cold flip events are preceded by wetter and cloudier conditions, while cold-to-warm flip events follow drier and sunnier conditions.

     The research also modeled and estimated population exposure and compared impacts on regions with different economic conditions, noting that those in the poorer, less developed latitudes are more exposed to the impacts.

     According to the paper:

“To reveal the mechanisms underlying the temperature flips, we conduct two composite analyzes. The first compares the atmospheric conditions between flip and non-flip events, where non-flip events refer to either warm or cold events that do not flip to the opposite extremes. We examine the composite anomalies of relevant atmospheric variables on the last day of the warm (or cold) event for both warm-to-cold (or cold-to-warm) flip and non-flip events. This comparison highlights the differences in pre-existing atmospheric conditions that may influence whether a temperature flip occurs. The second analysis focuses on the evolution of atmospheric conditions during flip events by examining anomalies throughout the transition phase of the flips, which is defined as the period from the last day of the preceding warm (or cold) event to the first day of the following cold (or warm) event. This analysis allows identification of the key physical processes governing temperature flips.”

     The researchers note that it is urgent that we better understand and mitigate the accelerating hazardous temperature flips in light of global warming.

     The figure below shows the physical processes that are changed by temperature flips.

 

     

 

 

 

References:

 

Rapid flips between warm and cold extremes in a warming world. Sijia Wu, Ming Luo, Gabriel Ngar-Cheung Lau, Wei Zhang, Lin Wang, Zhen Liu, Lijie Lin, Yijing Wang, Erjia Ge, Jianfeng Li, Yuanchao Fan, Yimin Chen, Weilin Liao, Xiaoyu Wang, Xiaocong Xu, Zhixin Qi, Ziwei Huang, Faith Ka Shun Chan, David Yongqin Chen, Xiaoping Liu & Tao Pei. Nature Communications. volume 16, Article number: 3543. April 22, 2025. Rapid flips between warm and cold extremes in a warming world | Nature Communications

A Quick Primer on Oil Refining: The Journey from Crude Oil to Heavy Fuel, Kerosene, Jet Fuel, Gasoline, Naphtha, and Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids

 According to the Canadian site Energy Education:

“An oil refinery is an industrial plant where crude oil is separated into a variety of different, useful substances through a variety of chemical separation steps.”

Many refineries extract the full range of petroleum products. Others focus on a limited number of particular products, such as asphalt plants and petrochemical plants.

     The general steps in refining crude oil include fractional distillation, chemical processing, treating, blending, and storage. Other analyses separate refining into three main processes: separation, conversion, and treatment. Energy Education describes the fractional distillation process that extracts the different hydrocarbon products by temperature as follows:

“Fractional Distillation: Crude oil enters the refinery through a series of pumps and first stops at a heater. In this heater, the crude oil is heated to around 370°C. After the crude oil has been heated and is vaporized, it travels to a distillation tower. Inside these towers the vaporized crude oil is separated into fractions by utilizing their different boiling points. As the vaporized crude oil travels up the tower, fractions with different boiling points condense at different levels, separating different components of the oil. Lighter fractions like butane and propane are collected at the top with heavier fractions collected at the bottom.”

     Chemical processing is used in some newer refineries to break long hydrocarbon chains into shorter ones, a process known as conversion.

“In a vessel known as a hydrocracker, heavier petroleum fractions are exposed to heat and pressure in the presence of a catalyst to break up long hydrocarbon chains. This is useful as it converts some of the heavier fractions into more useful fractions, such as gasoline, jet fuel, and propane.”

     Treating refers mainly to removing sulfur and other impurities. Many crudes contain high levels of sulfur. Removing the sulfur makes the oil burn cleaner and more efficiently. De-sulfurization units are employed at many refineries. However, these are expensive to construct, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, and potentially raising the cost of needed products like gasoline. Government mandates for sulfur removal have been contentious over the past several years and have pulled back somewhat. Hydrogen is used in desulfurization.

     Blending creates different composite products like gasoline with different octane ratings. On-site storage is followed by distribution via pipeline, rail, or truck.

“In refineries, unprocessed crude oil is separated into a variety of different useful products. Although crude oil is not useful by itself, when separated a large number of useful hydrocarbons are obtained, primarily gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, kerosene, and propane. In addition to this, crude oil yields other important products such as natural gas liquids, petrochemical feedstocks, petroleum coke, heavy fuel oil, asphalt, lubricating oils, naphthas, and waxes. Because all of these useful products are obtained through the refining process, the refining of oil is an incredibly important step in the oil and gas industry.”

     All refineries have atmospheric distillation units that separate products based on boiling points, but more advanced ones, about 80% of all refineries now, also have vacuum distillation units where the pressure is lowered below atmospheric pressure to extract products. At low pressures, the boiling point of the atmospheric distillation units’ “bottoms” is low enough that lighter products can vaporize without cracking or degrading the oil.

     A vacuum distillation unit is depicted below.

     Gasoline was originally discarded in early refining, as kerosene was a more desirable product. Crude oil is a mixture of many hydrocarbon compounds, including paraffins, naphthenes, and more. Paraffins are the most common component in both crude oils and refined products such as gasoline. In every barrel (42 gallons) of crude oil, there are about 20 gallons of gasoline that can be extracted. The heavier extracts from distillation remain at the bottom of the tower. These are known as gas oils and are less valuable products that can be “cracked” via heat, pressure, and catalysts into lighter hydrocarbons. Excess light hydrocarbons from refining, like naphtha, can be combined with heavier hydrocarbons to make desired products. According to Slash Gear:

“While no two barrels of crude oil are the same, roughly 42% of each barrel will ultimately become gasoline, on average. Another 27% becomes diesel fuel, meaning that nearly three quarters of each barrel makes its way to the gas pump in one form or another. About 6% of each barrel becomes jet fuel, 5% becomes tar-like heavy fuel, 3% becomes light fuel, and 2% becomes other hydrocarbon fuels.”

“After all of the fuels have been removed, you're left with about 14% of the original barrel. About 4% of that will become asphalt used to make roads and sidewalks. The last 10% gets spread around to just about every industry on the planet and is where we get petroleum products from plastics to perfumes and everything in between.”

Other products made from refined crude oil include plastics (although most are now made from the natural gas liquid known as ethane), antifreeze, car tires, clothing, fertilizers, paint, soap, yarn, nylon, a whole host of petrochemicals, and much more.

     

 

References:

 

From Crude to Unleaded: How Gasoline is Made. Cassidy Ward. Slash Gear. January 11, 2024. From Crude To Unleaded: How Gasoline Is Made (slashgear.com)

Oil Refinery. Energy Education. Oil refinery - Energy Education

Oil and petroleum products explained. Refining crude oil. Energy Information Administration. Last updated: February 22, 2023. Refining crude oil - the refining process - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Petroleum refining processes. Wikipedia. Petroleum refining processes - Wikipedia

Vacuum distillation is a key part of the petroleum refining process. Energy Information Administration. December 10, 2012. Vacuum distillation is a key part of the petroleum refining process - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)