Power Africa -- Power Europe -- Power America --- US Exported Record Amount Of Petroleum Coke In April; Only Once Before Was More Exported (December, 2011) -- Global Recession? What Recession?

Two articles to read/scan first:

• War on coal
• War on coal -- Great Britain

Now.

Platts is reporting:

The US exported the second highest volume of petroleum coke ever in April, according to US Energy Information Administration data.

The EIA April data, released Friday, show exports of 17.78 million barrels, second only to December 2011, 20.44 million barrels.

Petroleum coke is a byproduct of coking, a process that takes very heavy oil and produces gasoil (a precursor to diesel or vacuum gasoil) and naphtha. The coke is used as a fuel for power plant, in a kiln in the production of concrete or, for some specialty grades, in the production of aluminum or other metals.

Recipients of US petroleum coke (numbers rounded):

• China: 3 million barrels, its third highest volume, after December 2011's 5 million barrels and January 2013's 4 million barrels.
• Mexico: 2 million barrels
• Japan: 2 million barrels
• Canada: 2 million barrels, up from only 659,000 barrels in March.

India, Turkey, Spain, Italy and others are all significant importers.


The US added substantially to its coking production capacity in 2011 and 2012:

• Motiva in Port Arthur: from a 59,500 b/d capacity to 154,500 b/d; 
• Marathon, Detroit: from 29,500 b/d to 55,000 b/d;
• Wood River Refinery expansion: 65,000 b/d;
• Total, Port Arthur: 52,000 b/d

In 2013:

• BP, Whiting: will bring on stream 102,000 b/d coker.

Coal and petroleum coke probably don't go together in the same post, except for the fact that both have to do with US energy exports.

I don't see a "war on coal." I see a "war on coal-powered plants." The US coal industry will do just fine, as it re-orients itself to cater to Europe and Asia.

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A Note To The Granddaughters

I have spent all day on bicycle, exploring our new home, Colleyville and Grapevine. Having spent so much time in Yorkshire, I am happy to see that Grapevine's sister city is West Lothian, Scotland.  It seems I have heard of West Lothian before but I am unable to place it.