UK may run out of gas?

[mongrel]

I was fairly relaxed about the UKs pisspoor stocks of gas ( gas US folk, not petrol). THe Germans have 5x the gas storage facilities we have.

However Gordon Brown has spoken. As he is the anti-Midas I am now scared.

"The National Grid has issued a third gas balancing alert in a week as demand continues to run at high levels in the freezing weather conditions.

The move came as Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted that supplies of gas were not running out despite recent record levels of demand.

A spokeswoman for the Grid said the alert was a signal to the market which had already responded to make up a shortfall in gas flow to the UK and that there was no shortage.

"For us, it is business as normal," she said. "When the system is running at peak demand, and supplies drop off, for whatever reason, we issue this as a signal to the market, and ask it to respond. The forecast was that we would need 441 million cubic metres, and there was a shortfall of 35 million cubic metres, possibly for technical reasons - the cause has not been disclosed.

"Suppliers of liquefied natural gas have made up the shortfall. The alert will last until 6am on Sunday when we expect it to be lifted. There is no shortage of gas and the system is working well.""

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...LRq87UARNK9GoA

[Copperknickers II]

'Everything is fine'

What part of that is there to be worried about? Did you not know that this is common everyday occurence? There is a decicated a team of people gathered in the national grid's office at 8.00 pm on weekdays to help divert electricity in from Europe to fuel the 'post-eastenders surge'. We always run low on gas and electricity when there is high demand, and we always get it from other places which have surpluses.

Mr. Brown's message is not 'everyone is worried about this so i can reassure you i am doing everything i can to fix it' (which would be bad)

It is rather 'Let's divert attention from Afghanistan, grit shortages and the Financial Crisis by focusing on the only thing that is currently going right'

[Exarch]

is it possible for the UK to get gas off the russian north stream?

[JP226]

Gasoline or propane are we talkin?

[Sidmen]

Gasoline or propane are we talkin?

Natural Gas, for heating.

[Exarch]

Natural Gas, for heating.

why would they need heating?
they can drink themselves silly with their warm beer lol

ok, jokes aside;

surely UK companies have natural gas deals with other countries? eg russia, iraq etc
i wouldnt worry too much and the EU will probbaly want to help out as well

[Ardruire Iacób]

surely UK companies have natural gas deals with other countries? eg russia, iraq etc
i wouldnt worry too much and the EU will probbaly want to help out as well

They're not connected to the Russian network. They're part of the Norwegian, North Sea, network. Norway and Ireland are the only other countries in that network, I believe. I don't know about Norway, but I know we can't give them any gas.

[cfmonkey45]

"He who controls the Gas controls the universe."

[Exarch]

"He who controls the Gas controls the universe."

i guess, that means russia controls the universe
nice portrait of Leto II putin btw

[cfmonkey45]

The God-Tsar of Europe!

[Erlinggra]

As long as Frigg is OK, you guys won't run out. You may run low, but you won't run out.

[Gromovnik]

Brits should start farting like there's no tomorrow...

[antares24]

mmm after the russia-ucrayne recurrent arm wrestling most European countries have increased by several times their gas storage reserves. Why the Uk gov. didn't?
Finding oneself without heating with current climate wouldn't be fun at all.

Brits should start farting like there's no tomorrow...

LOL, but farting increase global warming (apart from the fun cows and sheep farting all the time really increase it substantially )

Gasoline or propane are we talkin?

methane.

[Ardruire Iacób]

mmm after the russia-ucrayne recurrent arm wrestling most European countries have increased by several times their gas storage reserves. Why the Uk gov. didn't?

Firstly, it's spelt Ukraine.

Secondly, the UK isn't connected to Russia. They're not dependent on Russia for gas.

[antares24]

Firstly, it's spelt Ukraine.

in my language it's Ucraina, it seems that you get what i was talking about, so why be so punctilious

Secondly, the UK isn't connected to Russia. They're not dependent on Russia for gas.

demand and offer. When Russia and Ukraine () start to arm wrestling in the middle of winter gas become much more precious in Europe, and all the other supplier come under pressure to cope with increasing demand, so it's always better to have big gas reserves, even if you don't receive it from Russia, especially for a country like the UK that with its chilly winters consume a lot of gas for heating.

[Yorkshireman]

Its supposed to be sorted now anyway.

National Grid has lifted a "gas balancing alert" put in place on Saturday, after warning of a potential shortfall in supplies.

These alerts help the market to consider increasing gas supplies, and encourage electricity providers to use alternative fuels such as coal.

National Grid said the third alert was not due to the weather conditions but problems in the Norwegian gas fields. The alert was lifted at 0600 GMT on Sunday.

A spokesman said: "The market responded to the alert. More supplies came through."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8450417.stm

[Markas]

Wear more woollens.

[Helm]

I have a solution, how about giving everyone a pipeline in their home they can fart into and be paid £1 per fart? The collective fart gas of 60 million people must amount to something.

[Furious Mental]

I have a solution, use less bloody gas.

[Tajir]

I have a solution, use less bloody gas.

Or do the American thing and buy a truck, multiple if you can.