Energy Issues

You can’t visit New Orleans without trying the oysters. An early-day chef from France began using them, trying to find a substitute for escargot, an almost impossible commodity to procure in the colony.

New Orleans chefs now prepare them a thousand different ways, from fried to raw. Here is a simple but wonderful recipe from the Acme Oyster House on Iberville. As their name implies, they know oysters. Try this recipe and enjoy.

OYSTERS LOUISIANA
Ingredients:

4 oz. butter - melted
1.5 pints oysters - drained
4 green onions - chopped finely
3 cloves garlic - minced
½ lb. fresh lump crabmeat
½ cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Melt butter in a skillet. Add oysters and cook until dry. Add onions and garlic and cook slowly for at least 10 minutes. Fold in crabmeat and crumbs. Simmer 5 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Eric’sWeb

Tags: french+quarter+recipes,+new+orleans+recipes,+cajun+and+creole+recipes

Gulf Coast Sediments from Rivers and Storm Waves

Energy Issues — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:52:00 -0600

A spectacular photo from NASA.

http://geology.com/nasa/gulf-coast-sediment/

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+geology,+gom,+exploration,+storms

Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower

Energy Issues — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:48:00 -0600

Is it true? Watchdog's estimates of reserves inflated says top official

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/09/peak-oil-international-energy-agency

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+energy+prices,+reserve+estimates,+peak+oil

Happy Veteran's Day

Energy Issues — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:39:00 -0600

My Dad was a soldier in WWII and has six battle stars. My brother Jack served in the Army in Germany while I was in Vietnam. We all understand service and we all understand the sacrifice service men and women undergo.

Marilyn and I sat on the patio of Kang’s Asian Restaurant tonight, drinking sake and Sapporo Beer. The night was warm, maybe a bit too warm for a date this late in November. It didn’t matter as we enjoyed Kang’s wonderful patio.

Kang asked if we liked venison. Even being from Louisiana, I had never tried it. Marilyn has. He treated us to bowls of venison soup that was nothing short of wonderful.

As I keyboard this story, I think how lucky I am to live in the greatest country this world has ever known. I also reflect on how lucky I am to live in a country where brave men and women risk their lives and limbs on a daily basis to protect our freedoms.

Happy Veteran’s Day and thanks for your service. We wouldn’t be here without you.

Eric’sWeb

Tags: energy+prices,+oil+and+gas,+oklahoma

Salazar says N.D. coal is part of U.S. energy future

Energy Issues — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:49:00 -0600

Political policy is all things to all people.

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_1a99b3c4-cdb2-11de-b04a-001cc4c002e0.html

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+coal,+energy+prices

Energy Companies Idle 29.6% of Oil Output for Storm

Energy Issues — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:22:00 -0600

About 384,642 barrels of daily oil and 1.925 billion cubic feet of gas production in GOM shut in because of Hurricane Ida. “We could see some substantial pulls from stockpiles.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601207&sid=aQK5RY0JoswU

Tags: oil+and+gas,+energy+prices,+hurricane+ida

Athabasca Oil Sands: The World's Second Largest Oil Deposit

Energy Issues — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:19:00 -0600

A look at a massive oil deposit.

http://geology.com/nasa/athabasca-oil-sands/

Eric’sWeb

Path and Wind Speed of Hurricane Ida

Energy Issues — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:13:00 -0600

Hurricanes in the Gulf have been all but non-existent this year – until now.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml?

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+gom,+energy+prices

Devon Energy Announces Successful Haynesville Shale Well in San Augustine County, Texas

Energy Issues — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:32:00 -0600

The biggest Haynesville Shale well to date.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS139721+02-Nov-2009+PRN20091102

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+energy+prices,+exploration,+haynesville+shale,+texas

Creole Crawfish and Tasso Chowder

Energy Issues — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:22:00 -0600

Located a half block from Bourbon Street, the Bombay Club features spirits, music and nouveau Creole cooking. Here is an original recipe from their website. Try it and enjoy.

Creole Crawfish and Tasso Chowder

Ingredients:

½ c. Salad oil
½ lb. Bacon, diced
1 cup Tasso, finely diced
1 Large Onion, diced
3 Celery stalks, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 ea. Red and Green Peppers, diced
2 ears Corn, remove kernels from ears
1 Tbs. Tarragon, Thyme, Kosher Salt
1 ½ Tbs. Garlic, minced
2 tsp. Fresh cracked black pepper
1 ea. Bay leaves, 1 pinch Cayenne pepper
½ c. White wine
¼ c. Worcestershire sauce, 2 dashes Tabasco
1/2 gal. Shrimp stock or broth
1 c. Blonde roux
1 qt. Heavy cream
4 c. Crawfish tails, pre-cooked
3 ea. Russet potatoes, cubed and par-boiled

Directions:
Heat oil in a medium stock pot, add bacon, sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until bacon is slightly crispy. Add Tasso, onions, celery, carrots and peppers, sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Add corn, garlic, herbs, and spices, sauté another 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, Worcestershire, and Tabasco, simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp stock, bring to a boil then whisk in roux, stirring well, so no lumps form. Turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes, add heavy cream, crawfish, and strained potatoes. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Season to taste.

Eric’sWeb

Big Oil Isn't the Only Game in Town

Energy Issues — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:52:00 -0600

Anadarko Petroleum outdoes the super majors.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125744655516131501.html

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+energy+prices

Proved Reserves of Crude Oil Fall in 2008, Reflecting Low End-of-Year Prices

Energy Issues — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:19:00 -0600

An amazing fact, considering the amount of drilling that occurred in 2008.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twiparch/091104/twipprint.html

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+energy+prices

Natural Gas Horizontal Shale Drilling

Energy Issues — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:29:00 -0600

A video.

http://www.api.org/policy/exploration/hydraulicfracturing/hydraulicfracturing.cfm

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+energy+prices

Devon Profit Falls Less Than Estimated, Output Climbs

Energy Issues — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:53:00 -0600

Like Chesapeake, Devon’s third quarter revenues fall, even as their production climbs.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20602099&sid=aGExtIzKIOH4

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+energy+prices

Nuclear renaissance -- not dead yet

Energy Issues — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:22:00 -0600

The industry is poised to get billions in federal help, but some say that's a bad idea.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/02/news/economy/nuclear_renaissance/index.htm?postversion=2009110211

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+energy+prices,+nuclear

America's Natural Gas Revolution

Energy Issues — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0600

A 'shale gale' of unconventional and abundant U.S. gas is transforming the energy market

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703399204574507440795971268.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+alternative+energy

Goodbye, Lucky

Energy Issues — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:52:00 -0600

My dog Lucky died today. He was twelve-plus, an advanced age for a Labrador retriever. My deceased wife Anne bought Lucky six months before she died and the big pup soon became my constant companion and best friend.

Lucky helped ease me through a hard time in my life. I am sad tonight, but I am happy that he lived such a long and happy life, and died on such a gorgeous day with no apparent trauma.

Goodbye Lucky and rest in peace. 11-02-2009.

Eric’sWeb

Tags: big+pets,+good+dogs,+dog+stories,+wonderful+dogs

Oklahoma Oil Pictures

Energy Issues — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:09:00 -0600

Here are a couple of oil pics, fracturing an old well and plugging a new one that didn’t work out. Hey, it happens!

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+oklahoma+pictures,+plugging+picture

Marcellus Shale - Appalachian Basin Natural Gas Play

Energy Issues — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0600

New research results surprise everyone on the potential of this well-known Devonian black shale.

http://geology.com/articles/marcellus-shale.shtml

Eric’sWeb

Tags: oil+and+gas,+shale+plays,+unconventional

Crabmeat Stuffing ala Mulate's - a weekend recipe

Energy Issues — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:23:00 -0500

Happy Halloween!

There is a wealth of wonderful restaurants in New Orleans, every one vying for customers grown used to only the best food and entertainment in the world. One of those is Mulate's Cajun Restaurant, known for its Cajun dance floor. Here is one of their recipes from their website. The restaurant’s name was the inspiration for the character Mama Mulate in my novel Big Easy.

Ingredients:

- 1 ½ sticks butter or margarine
- 2 medium bell peppers - chopped
- 3 large onions - chopped
- 3 stalks celery - chopped
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp. Flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 handful chopped parsley
- ¾ - 1 lb. claw crabmeat - (suit to taste)
(Pick all of the shells out.)

Directions: