RBN Energy Updates The Enbridge System From Western Canada To The Gulf Of Mexico; Russia Cuts Off Natural Gas To The Ukraine; ISIS Takes Tal Afar; President Obama Teeing Off -- NY Times

This is really, really, really cool.

Last week a reader sent me an important link regarding Enbridge Alberta Clipper. I tried to sort out the various segments from western Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

Today, of all things, RBN Energy has a comprehensive look at this pipeline. It's another must-read, must-save article.

The link is here. I believe this is the first of at least two installments.

Anyone interesting in the Bakken, and/or interested in the Keystone, need to read this article.

In addition, in case you missed it, this StarTribune article showcasing Enbridge's efforts to better understand underground oil spills is another must-read, must-save article.

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Russia Cuts Off Natural Gas To Ukraine; Russian Tanks Roll Into The Ukraine

The AP is reporting:

Russia on Monday cut gas supplies to Ukraine as a payment deadline passed and negotiators failed to reach a deal on gas prices and unpaid bills amid continued fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The decision does not immediately affect the gas flow to Europe, but could disrupt the long-term energy supply to the region if the issue is not resolved, analysts said.

Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said that since Ukraine had paid nothing for the gas by Monday, from now on the company would demand that Ukraine pay in advance for any future deliveries.

BBC has a background article on this story and a great map of Eurasia pipelines.

 It was reported earlier that Russian tanks had rolled into the Ukraine.

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Solving The Flaring Problem in North Dakota -- SeattlePI

This story was also sent to me by a reader over the weekend. SeattlePI is reporting:  

Currently ~30% of North Dakota's natural gas production is being flared, but by 2020, the state government wants to reduce that to just 10% of natural gas output. While legislative action is under way, Oneok Partners L.P. has already embarked on a comprehensive plan that will cut gas flaring substantially. 

By the end of 2014, Oneok Partners L.P. will have fully built out its Divide County Gathering System in the Bakken, which currently is operational. By expanding its gas gathering capacity, Oneok Partners L.P. will also be able to boost its natural gas processing capacity. Through the end of 2015, Oneok Partners L.P. wants to bring three new gas processing facilities online in the Bakken. 

The article has a comprehensive look at natural gas gathering and processing in North Dakota. It's a shame these articles are eventually "lost," either removed completely from the internet or archived for subscribers only. This is really a nice summary.

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The Wall Street Journal

Iraq militants claim soldier massacre; US and Iran nearing talks (both are direct headlines from the WSJ; because I did not provide the link and some folks do not read the WSJ, let me clarify: the "Iraq militants were those of the Islamist State of Iraq and Syria, a Sunni sect (the peaceful ones); Hillary got out just in time; 

Medtronic to "move" to Ireland; part of "Tax Inversion" wave; would  have happened anyway, but ObamaCare necessitated move;

Outlook improves for PCs

Exxon's Tillerson to appear with Rosneft's Sechin despite US efforts to isolate Russia

Williams $6 billion deal to acquire Access Midstream (previously reported)

Spurs win NBA championship; a dynasty few have heard of; the Spurs win in a brisk 5-game series; LeBron fades

$154 billion: the value of US acquisitions by foreign buyers so far this year, the highest in 15 years;

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The Wall Street Journal

Remember: ISIS = Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Comment: This is really quite incredible and the Obama reaction: to take a vacation and to go golfing. There are signs that Mr Obama is more removed from reality than Ronald Reagan was in his last days of his presidency.

ISIS militants in Iraq take more ground with capture of Tal Afar:

The latest ISIS onslaught sent hundreds of families fleeing, Anatolia reported. The radical Sunni Muslim group is known for its barbaric treatment of foes, especially Shiite Muslims. The fall of Tal Afar, about 260 miles northwest of the capital, Baghdad, came a day after the group posted online images depicting the gruesome executions of dozens of captive Iraqi troops. [Tal Afar is about 30 miles west of "oil-rich Mosul."]

Over the last week, ISIS fighters have captured oil-rich Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, and seized Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown. Better equipped and numerically superior Iraqi army and police units abandoned their posts and fled. Other areas fell with a similar lack of resistance as ISIS fighters swept to within 50 miles of Baghdad.

US condemns militants' claim of executing 1,700 Iraqi soldiers. President Obama, taking a page from Rodney King's playbook: "Can't we all just get along?"

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The New York Times

Taken directly from story:

The deepening crisis in Iraq shadowed a getaway weekend for Mr. Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their daughter Malia in the desert near Palm Springs, Calif. Before teeing off Sunday morning at a golf course owned by the technology billionaire Larry Ellison, Mr. Obama was briefed by his national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, on Iraq and on the evacuation of embassy personnel in Baghdad, the White House said.

This should reassure Mr Maliki:

While the United States and Iran have both backed Mr. Maliki — and American officials said they were still standing by him now, while not endorsing a third term for him as prime minister — they have had sharply different goals: The United States has urged him to lead a cross-sectarian government; Iran has wanted him at the head of a Shiite-dominated government.

Obama's plan:

The White House believes it has a brief window to pursue diplomacy, this official said, because after a week of surprising advances across Iraq’s Sunni-dominated north and west, the militant group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, now faces more motivated Iraqi troops and fiercely motivated Shiite militias, defending the gates of Baghdad.

Something tells me the Sunnis (the peaceful ones) are not interested in sitting down to talk based on the photographs of the massacre of Iraqi soldiers. But call me naive.