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December 29, 2005

Superfund at 25 Faces Funding Challenge: Enviro.BLR.com Poll Says Citizens Shouldn’t Pay

Enviro.BLR.com reports that a majority of environmental professionals don’t think it should be citizens’ responsibility to pay for Superfund cleanups.

Old Saybrook, CT (PRWEB) December 29, 2005 -- As EPA marks the 25th anniversary of Superfund, Enviro.BLR.com, the website that makes environmental compliance easier, reports that a majority of environmental professionals don’t think it should be citizens’ responsibility to pay for the program.

When asked the question “Should taxpayers’ money contribute to Superfund?” 72 percent of respondents said that it was not the responsibility of the average citizen. By way of comparison, 22 percent responded affirmatively, saying “the money has to come from somewhere,” and 6 percent were unsure. There were 173 respondents to the survey.

“The biggest challenge Superfund faces is funding,” said Steve Quilliam, managing editor of Enviro.BLR.com.

In 1995, Congress allowed the Superfund tax authority law to expire, meaning that fees and taxes on companies responsible for chemical releases were no longer collected to fund the cleanup program. In 2003, the Superfund Trust Fund finally ran out of money.

For the past 2 years, Congress has authorized $1.2 billion each year to pay for cleanups where the polluter was bankrupt, refused to pay, or could not be found.

“Based on the fact that environmental professionals themselves don’t believe the current structure is fair, and considering where funding is at this point, I think industry can count on an eventual return of some type of Superfund tax,” Quilliam said. “Time will tell what form that tax takes.”

In 1980, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was signed into law. Commonly known as Superfund, CERCLA directed EPA to address abandoned, accidentally spilled, or illegally dumped hazardous waste that posed current or future threats to human health or the environment. Since its inception, construction work has been completed on 966 private and federal Superfund sites.

The compliance experts at Enviro.BLR.com are offering a download that gives practical advice on developing a management strategy when your company is designated as a responsible party in environmental remediations. Download the white paper here: http://www.blr.com/80502500/PRS712

About BLR
Old Saybrook, Conn.-based BLR produces plain-English compliance and training resources for HR, compensation, safety, and environmental managers. For more information, call 800-727-5257 or visit www.BLR.com.
Contact: Enviro.BLR.com Managing Editor Steve Quilliam
860-510-0100, x2148

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:49 AM | Comments (0)

Scott Schroeder Of AllTerraSkates Chosen for the ABC American Inventor Round Two

AllTerraSSkates Full Suspension Skates are ready to ride and annihiliate current skate lines. Scott Schreoeder has been auditioning for television with this unique frame. Round two eliminations are going on now and Scott has made it to the second round.

(PRWEB) December 29, 2005 -- Full Suspension Skating may leap ahead in the marketplace with Scott Schroeder's new entry into ABC and Disney's American Inventor.

Are they looking for an awesome product or the ultimate personality? asks Scott who has made it to the second round of eliminations. Please vote for me if I make the show he asks. Scott is bringing full suspension footgear to the table in the form of an off road full suspension skate. The skate is lighter stronger and goes more places than traditional in lines. Check out allterraskate.com for more info.

Scott also states that the skates perform better cost is competitive and the advantages are too many to list. Apparently the shocks come preloaded with energy from the factory and so the skates actually help the skater harnass the power of gravity through a mechanical swingarm in front and back. It's all about leverage says Schroeder.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:48 AM | Comments (0)

December 28, 2005

ETAP Intelligent Load Shedding Deployed at One of Indonesia’s Largest Copper-Gold Mines

PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara uses the ETAP enterprise solution to monitor, control and optimize its electrical power generation and transmission.

(PRWEB) December 28, 2005 -- Operation Technology, Inc. (OTI) has announced that PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (PTNNT), operator of one of Indonesia’s largest copper-gold mines, has successfully deployed the ETAP Real-Time enterprise power system solution to reduce production losses due to faults caused by a variety of environmental disturbances. In addition, PTNNT is using ETAP Real-Time to monitor, control and optimize power generation and transmission at its facilities throughout Indonesia’s Sumbawa island.

PTNNT’s installation of ETAP Real-Time employs two primary products: ETAP Intelligent Load Shedding (ILS) and ETAP Power System Monitoring & Simulation (PSMS). Together, these products provide PTNNT with a fully integrated system to optimize electrical power management, resulting in lower generation cost and fewer process time losses due to unnecessary load tripping.

For this project, the heart of ETAP Real-Time is ILS, an advanced product that uses artificial intelligence to dynamically determine the optimal system response to a variety of system changes and disturbances. ILS evaluates electrical and physical parameters, network topology, control logics and system operating conditions (loading, generation, etc.) to determine the best load shedding priority, based on the type and location of the disturbances. ILS provides faster execution of load shedding, as compared to conventional frequency relays, further reducing the load relief requirements.

ETAP Real-Time has been operating at PTNNT for more than six months. According to Ilyas Yamin, GF Power and T&D Maintenance Engineer for PTNNT, ETAP ILS is the most intelligent load shedding system available compared with any other products on the market.

The development of ETAP ILS was a major defining milestone for OTI, stated Dr. Farrokh Shokooh, President and CEO of OTI. “We have developed many new state-of-the-art products in our 20-year history, but ETAP Intelligent Load Shedding stands out as one of our greatest achievements,” Shokooh adds. “ILS has broken new ground in power management technology by providing the intelligence and speed required to minimize the detrimental effects of system disturbances. We are extremely proud to see ETAP ILS in action.”

About Operation Technology, Inc.
Operation Technology, Inc. (OTI) is the developer of the ETAP enterprise solution for analyzing, simulating and optimizing power systems. OTI is ISO 9001 certified, covering all activities related to design, development, production and support of ETAP products. For more information, visit etap.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

Free Tri-MixTM Tungsten Samples Offer Increased Life & Weld Quality

For a limited time, “The Tungsten Electrode Experts” at Diamond Ground Products are proud to offer free samples of Tri-Mix Tungsten, a scientifically balanced blend of three oxides in one multi-purpose tungsten.

Newbury Park, CA (PRWEB) December 28, 2005 -- For a limited time, “The Tungsten Electrode Experts” at Diamond Ground Products are proud to offer FREE samples of Tri-Mix Tungsten, a scientifically balanced blend of three oxides in one multi-purpose tungsten.

Tri-Mix offers stability and consistency to increase weld quality and service life dramatically. It increases the number or arc starts and decreases the amount of misfires. Tri-Mix features a low work function, so it requires less energy to start and runs cooler than common 2% Thoriated Tungsten. Unlike 2% Thoriated, Tri-Mix is also a non-radioactive tungsten.

To get your sample today, contact Diamond Ground Products or visit our website at www.diamondground.com

Diamond Ground Products is dedicated to the improvement of weld quality & welder productivity, and maintains a reputation as the industry leader in tungsten and tungsten preparation. Our ongoing management philosophy is to provide quality product and receptive service that exceeds even the most stringent expectations. Contact DGP today to see how we can help with your current or future welding applications.

For more information, contact:
Jim Elizarraz
Diamond Ground Products
2550 Azurite Circle Newbury Park, CA 91320
Ph: (805) 498-3837
Fax (805) 498-9347
E-mail: e-mail protected from spam bots
Website: www.diamondground.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)

BioPerformance Gas Pill Taking Root with Utah Families and One Utah Author

New gas additive, BioPerformance Fuel, gets endorsement from Utah Author, Bruce Goldwell

Salt Lake City (PRWEB) December 28, 2005 -- Since BioPerformance, Inc. based in Dallas, TX went LIVE on Thursday, December 8, 2005, over 1,800 people have enrolled, and well over 500 people have already received their first commission checks totaling over $300,000.00 in commissions.

A groundswell of people has already enrolled to purchase the gas pill to increase gas mileage and many of them for the purpose of creating an additional income stream for their family financial portfolio. A handful of these people are located in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area but this number is expected to grow rapidly as the people in Utah begin using the fuel additive and share their testimonials with their friends and neighbors.

This is an endorsement by Bruce Goldwell, a Utah resident and Author of “The Door to Super Achievement”.

“BioPerformance is one of those companies that have hit a major home run with the release of their new fuel additive. Just recently I heard a quote, ‘Successful people are willing to do what others won’t do.’ BioPerformance is going to prove to be one of the biggest WINNERS and most successful companies in our nation’s history and everyone that takes advantage of their product can win too. BioPerformance has done a great service for our country and for every individual that wishes to make our country strong. Because of their willingness to go out on a limb not only for our country but also for every individual throughout this land, I am inducting BioPerformance into the Super Achievers Hall of Fame TM.”

These are just a few of the reasons people are looking to get this amazing pill:

•Increase gas mileage as much as 35% or more
•Better performance and increased engine power
•Less emissions saving the air we breathe
•An additional income stream for the family financial portfolio

To participate in BioPerformance and/or purchase its product, you must contact an Independent Business Owner. For further information about BioPerformance Fuel and how to become a part of the rapidly growing line of Independent Business Owners, go to:

URL: http://UcanIncreaseYourGasMileage.com
IBO: Kimo Kalama
Phone: 801-735-6499

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)

December 27, 2005

Granite Energy, Inc. Becomes Publicly Traded

• La Caille closed to public to host 'by invitation only' event for Granite Energy • Granite Energy plans to explore oil opportunities in Utah • Granite Energy becomes publicly traded company

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) December 27, 2005 -- The internationally acclaimed La Caille restaurant (www.lacaille.com), located 20 minutes south of Salt Lake City, will be closed to the general public on Wednesday, December 28, 2005, in order to host an exclusive, by invitation only event for Granite Energy, Inc., a leading independent energy company headquartered in Texas, focused on oil and gas development, exploration and production.

Granite Energy has reserved the entire La Caille restaurant, staff and facilities to host its officers, directors, shareholders and VIP guests from across the country. According to La Caille event coordinator Sharon Camp, Granite Energy is throwing the biggest, most exquisite event ever hosted by the La Caille. Granite Energy plans to make important announcements at the event.

The event has some very unique attributes, such as a custom beverage and wet bar built and carved out of 2000 pounds of solid ice. In addition, Granite Energy has retained nationally acclaimed Las Vegas performer Jason Hewlitt to provide after dinner musical comedy, Joe Muscolino’s 11-piece band and vocalists to provide late evening musical and dancing entertainment, as well as a String Quartet for ambiance during dinner.

The event is hosted by Salt Lake City developers Mr. and Mrs. David and Joyce Halling, and by Norma J. Nichols of Ranchester, Wyoming.

Notable invitees include: Senior Economic Development Advisor, Chris Roybal from Governor Jon Huntsman’s office; Utah artist, Mr. Chad Hawkins, who has received commissions from Governor Huntsman’s office, the Utah State Legislature and other distinguished commissions; guests from the following organizations: Utah Geological Association, Society of Petroleum Engineers, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Utah Petroleum Association and the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, Mining, Department of Natural Resources; and C-level officers from leading corporations.

Granite Energy, Inc. (OTC:GNGI) announced today that it is a publicly traded company and its shares trade under the ticker symbol GNGI. "As a public company, we are well-positioned to grow our core business, while leveraging our financial strength and powerful brand in higher growth adjacent market segments," said Mr. Benjamin Hoskins, President of Granite Energy, Inc.

Granite Energy participates in various joint ventures with other oil and gas companies, institutions and select individuals.

Granite Energy is currently pursuing Utah oil exploration opportunities in areas that follow similar trend lines and geology to the famous 2003 Wolverine oil discovery in Central Utah near Sigurd, known as the Covenant Field. The Covenant Field is now believed to hold as much as 200 million barrels of oil or more, which is the largest on-shore discovery in the contiguous United States in approximately 30 years.

Granite Energy has acquired options or contracts on various oil leases which show tremendous oil potential based on the reinterpretation of past geology, surface structure topography and drilling data. They have combined this historical data with new data available, in large part due to the Wolverine discovery. Extrapolation of the data and geology suggests possible volumetrics of 1 Billion barrels of oil, or more, possible in one particular area of interest to Granite Energy. Granite Energy believes that Utah will play a significant role in oil production in the future.

About Granite Energy

Granite Energy (“Granite”) (GNGI) is a leading independent energy company headquartered in Texas and focused on oil and gas development, exploration and production. With oil professionals in offices throughout North America, Granite executes on a proprietary business model that enhances the lifecycle for oil producing properties. Granite Energy has growing oil and gas holdings in Texas and Oklahoma. The combination of Granite’s methodologies, geological and technical expertise enables Granite to deliver the tangible economic benefits in the acquisition and development of oil and gas fields with both current production as well as exploration and development of new prospects. For more information visit http://www.GraniteEnergy.com.

Media Contact: Angelia Pinaga
Day Phone: (214) 608-7156
Night phone: (214) 608-7156
Event day: (214) 608-7156

Investor Relations Contact:
S. Matthew Schultz/Chairman
161 North Main
Bountiful, UT 84010
(801) 716-0510

Forward-looking statements

Assumptions Underlying Forward-Looking Statements And Factors That May Affect Future Results

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements that include the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates" or similar expressions. These include the failure of any of the conditions to closing stated above, completion of the acquisitions of the target businesses, attracting necessary management, a delay in the formal launch of the website, raising the necessary capital to fund business operations and potential market competition. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. (Such factors include, among others, the risk factors contained in the company's Annual Reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.) In addition, description of any past success, either financial or strategic, is no guarantee of future success. The Company will remain dependent upon future financing for its growth and development, and for it to successfully implement its business plan. No statement contained herein should be construed as indicating that such financing is or will be available, and if available, will be on terms favorable to the Company. This news release speaks as of the date first set forth above and the Company assumes no responsibility to update the information included herein for events occurring after the date hereof.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:29 AM | Comments (0)

Alternative Energy Store Announces New Internship Program

The Worcester, Mass., based Alternative Energy Store, providers of renewable energy products to customers around the globe via their website (www.altenergystore.com) and catalog, has recently announced the development of an internship program.

Worcester, Mass. (PRWEB) December 27, 2005 -- The Worcester, Mass., based Alternative Energy Store, providers of renewable energy products to customers around the globe via their website (www.altenergystore.com) and catalog, has recently announced the development of an internship program.

The Alternative Energy Store’s internship program is designed to prepare students and others for a career in renewable energy by educating them about a wide range of renewable energy systems and products. Interns will work alongside staff in the areas of customer service and tech support. Through the company’s internship program, plumbing and electrical apprentices or students will learn many of the techniques and details for sizing and recommending renewable energy systems which will help them to become professional installers of alternative energy systems such as solar thermal water heater or solar electrical systems. There are several schools and colleges in the Northeast that have already begun offering courses in the fast-growing field of renewable energy.

“The energy market is uncertain and cost and source of traditional energy such as natural gas, oil and electricity have become significant issues. The use of these energy sources may not always be an option. Natural resources, such as solar, wind and hydro power, are becoming more popular in the mass market,” explained Sascha Deri, founding partner and president of the Alternative Energy Store.

He continued, “Growth indicators in the alternative energy market include government rewards and incentives, on both federal and state level, designed to encourage individuals and businesses to use renewable energy sources. Alternative energy is moving to the forefront and the demand for people who are not only knowledgeable in this industry, but who can install these systems is growing very quickly.”

The Alternative Energy Store’s mission is to provide the best renewable energy products at affordable prices and to educate consumers about valuable renewable energy sources that are not only good for the environment but that enable people to become more “fuel independent” and rely less on expensive traditional fuel sources.

To learn more about the Alternative Energy Store’s internship program, contact (800) 320-9564.

Making Renewable Energy Affordable
Founded in 1999, the Alternative Energy Store, LLC has catered to customers on every continent of the globe. With a mission to make renewable energy affordable, the Alternative Energy Store has established long-standing relationships with manufacturers to pass along the cost savings to customers. These relationships coupled with the expertise of the purchasing department and exceptional promotions enable the Alternative Energy Store to offer the best prices over competitors.

Committed to benefiting societies and the environment, the Alternative Energy Store is dedicated to educating consumers and providing the best selection of solar, wind, micro-hydro and other alternative energy products worldwide.

Alternative Energy Store is located at 65 Water Street in Worcester, Mass. For more information visit their website at www.AltEnergyStore.com or contact Toll Free (800) 320-9564.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:28 AM | Comments (0)

December 23, 2005

El Paso Settlement Payment Two Years Late, Shell-Chevron Cause Delay

The last group of participants in the 2 year old El Paso Settlement finally received a portion of their money today. Two large energy companies, Shell and Chevron, also tried to collect money but were denied. Final distribution will be delayed pending resolution of energy company claims.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA (PRWEB) December 23, 2005 -- The last participants to be paid from the El Paso Energy Settlement finally received a partial payment today; nearly two years after the deal was approved in the San Diego Superior Court. Large industrial and commercial users of natural gas in California, the Non-Core class, will have to wait a little longer for the rest of their money while two large energy companies protest the denial of their claims.

The El Paso Settlement was a $1.8 billion deal reached in June 2003 between El Paso and attorneys representing several classes of energy consumers in an Anti-Trust conspiracy lawsuit against El Paso and Sempra (Natural Gas Anti-Trust Cases I, II, III, IV (JCCP)). In a statement issued last week, the law firm of Baker, Burton and Lundy, plaintiff attorneys, reported that Non-Core users are the last to be paid, while rate payers and other members of the settlement have already received hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits. According to the statement, the original lawsuit is still ongoing, "Baker, Burton and Lundy and its team is currently prosecuting its multi-billion dollar case against co-conspirator Sempra in a five month trial in San Diego."

Non-core users were the only class that had to prove their damages related to the energy crisis of 2000 – 2001. In documents filed with the court, the settlement administrator stated that over 3,100 companies were sent claim forms, but only 654 claims were received. Of that number, less than 70% were ultimately approved for payment. 10 of the rejected claims were filed by the energy companies identified as Chevron and Shell and various subsidiaries.

The administrator reported that Shell and Chevron actually made money during the crisis, if all of their business entities are considered together. "Chevron and Shell and the various partnerships do not want to be required to account for Chevron and Shell's natural gas sales and hedging as would be required if they file a single claim...Shell and Chevron's gains arise in part from their sale of natural gas to the other Claimants in this case," stated Gene Kennedy, Account Executive for Poorman-Douglas Corporation of Portland, Oregon, the settlement administrator. The court decided to pay all approved claims, but retain 26% of the total $140 million available until the Chevron/Shell rejected claims are finalized.

The timing of the distribution of funds is ironic considering the current cost of natural gas. Charles R. Toca of Utility Savings & Refund, LLC, in Newport Beach, CA, stated that natural gas is approaching the record high prices that caused such economic grief five years ago: "Our companies appreciate receiving these funds in time for their winter bills, even though it has been a long time coming." Utility Savings & Refund represents over 12% of the companies with approved claims, and they also procure natural gas and electricity for their customers.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:26 AM | Comments (0)

December 22, 2005

The Interstate Traveler Company of Michigan Announces Low Cost 'Pay Per Minute' Plan for Public Transit

Do you want affordable public transportation? How about a ticket to ride a magnetic levitation rail system across the countryside at a cheap five-cents-a-minute?

(PRWEB via PR Web Direct) December 22, 2005 -- The Interstate Traveler Company, the builders of the Hydrogen Super Highway, announce their plans to adopt a Pay-Per-Minute Plan (for 10 minute intervals, reduced by the percentage below full speed travel at 250 mph, to account for delays) for future travelers that will ride on their proposed self-sustaining inter-state maglev public transportation network.

"We can't think of a more efficient method for the public transit fair-box," said Founder and Chairman Justin Sutton. "After looking at cost-per-pound, cost-per-mile, or even a flat-fee day pass, it turns out that a simple fee-per-minute basis provides the best results. We believe that each 10 minutes, at full speed roughly 45-50 miles, we should be able to charge about $0.50, or a nickel a minute. Compared to a 23 mile per gallon automobile, that represents a saving of over $3.50 per 50 miles at today’s $2.00 a gallon of gasoline cost. On a trip of 1000 miles, that would probably cost as little as $20.00 on the Traveler and take about three and a half hours. By car on gasoline, it would take over eighteen hours at 50 MPH, and would cost over $80.00. Imagine the savings, as well as the reduction in wear and tear, since you take your car with you when you ride the Interstate Traveler: only it doesn’t wear out along the way! Heck, at a nickel a minute, we have John D. Rockefeller and the Telephone Company beat back in 1907, when a call was a Dime a minute. Look at pay phone calls and oil today!"

Mr. Ray Fullerton, who spent decades as a Mechanical Engineer, has come out of retirement to act as the Director of University Relations for the Interstate Traveler Company. “The key to success is simplicity of design,” he said. “This pay-per-minute plan is a perfect fit for this unique transportation technology and for the way people live their lives today. At our universities there is a tremendous need to economically serve the many thousands of students, faculty and alumni that live and work around university life,” he continued. “This system is perfect for all students working hard to finish their degrees and it makes it easier for more of our children to get to the school of their choice.”

Dr. Timm Finfrock, Chief Engineer for the Interstate Traveler Company, pointed out, "After looking at it from all practical angles, it boils down to a simple relationship where our energy costs are directly proportional to the amount of time you actually ride the Traveler." Dr. Finfrock has over twenty years of experience in automotive robotics and has his Ph.D. in the integration of dissimilar robotic systems to make modern manufacturing processes more efficient and fast. “The Traveler is as simple as a robot like the iRobot ‘Roomba’ Vacuum ™ Cleaner. It is much less complicated than you might think, since it operates analogous to the Internet: a proper design insuring maximum safety and speed. It offers an over-abundance of safety, in fact, and has redundancy after redundancy to insure passenger and bystander safety!” He continued, “As each transport moves along the rail, our electrical system reports the exact amount of time a traveler remains aboard a transport on the network. From this we price the Ride.”

Dr. Jack Shulman, the Chairman of the American Computer Science Association (ACSA), noted, “The basic architecture of the Hydrogen Super Highway lends itself perfectly to adopt a fee system that is based on usage.” The ACSA is an industry wide charitable research association of computer science professionals based in Crawford, New Jersey. ACSA boasts a representational membership measured in the millions, with decades of round-table discussions and consultation to government and consumer industries, as well as public advocacy of projects it believes worthy. “This public transit system will be easier to use than a Subway or a Commuter Plane and easier on the pocket book”, he continued. “The pay-per-minute plan will pamper the passengers, cater to the commuter, and at five-cents-per-minute... it's a better deal than the Oil or Telephone Company ever conceived of before… as a matter of fact: it’s The Deal of the Millennium!"

What America needs is a way to do what we do best, a way to do it better every time, and the ability to do it all without polluting the atmosphere or raising taxes. It looks like The Interstate Traveler Company has found a great way to do just that, one-minute-at-a-time.

For more information contact:
Justin Sutton
Interstate Traveler Company, LLC
www.InterstateTraveler.us
734-449-4480

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:13 AM | Comments (0)

New BM-SAVOIA Biodiesel Plant at Toledo City, Spain

This new facility started its 1000 L/h commercial production on November 1, 2005.

Buenos Aires (PRWEB) December 22, 2005 -- Abatec SA and BM Ingenieria SL, announce the start up and commissioning of the second BM-SAVOIA biodiesel plant, built this year at Toledo, Spain with a cost of EUR 1,2 million.

The plant delivers up to 6000 T/year of high quality methyl-ester made from any vegetable oil feedstock, up to acid number 10.

Its heart is an assembly of 4 BD2 pressurized modules working in parallel and performing the BD JET innovative protocol. The reaction is base-base type, with Methanol and HONa as catalyzer. No washing needed. None pollution effluent produced.

The 1000m2 facility includes 600m2 building, laboratory with chromatograph, inlet/outlet tanks, oil neutralizer by glycerol,heat exchanger,air compressor, settling tanks, pumps, piping and full automatized operation with MMI soft and a dedicated Siemens PLC.

Full details can be seen at: http://savoiapower.com

ABATEC SA

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:12 AM | Comments (0)

SunEdison and New Vision Technologies to Merge

Company to become the nation’s largest turnkey solar finance and installation company.

San Clemente, CA and Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) December 22, 2005 -- Sun Edison LLC and New Vision Technologies Inc., announced they have signed definitive agreements to merge, forming the nation’s largest solar finance and installation company. The combined company, named Sun Edison, LLC will continue its mission to support large commercial solar PV systems. The long term goal of the merged company is to be the largest owner/operator of solar systems in the US, providing competitively priced power to its customers.

“NVT brings deep experience as one of the nation’s largest solar contractors, having installed over 10MWs of solar electric systems and over 150 commercial solar projects to date.” says Brian Jacolick, CEO of New Vision Technologies.

“By integrating design, engineering and construction with our project finance capabilities and large pipeline of projects awaiting construction, SunEdison will now be able to more rapidly and more effectively meet our customer’s needs,” says Jigar Shah, CEO of Sun Edison LLC.

Transaction Highlights:

– Merger of equals to create a world class leader in financing, installation and operation of solar systems

– Company in a strong position to take advantage of growth in core solar markets of California and New Jersey and new markets in a broad set of states who have developed Renewable Portfolio Standards, solar incentive programs or performance based initiatives.

– The combined company will have a national contracting capability with operations in AZ, CA, CO, CT, HI, MD, NC, NJ, and NV.

– The company’s projects are supported by financing from SunE Solar Fund I, LLC, a $60mm fund formed by SunEdison, earlier this year. NVT will also bring its financing vehicles from its business, which includes its financing arm, Green Lease that will broaden the range of offerings

About SunEdison
Sun Edison, LLC, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is dedicated to providing financial and installation solutions for solar projects to the public, private, and municipal sectors, supported by the belief that solar energy is a critical way to fight global warming, clean the air, meet growing energy needs, and make America energy independent. Using available incentive programs, straightforward structured financing, and socially responsible investors, Sun Edison packages solar to “Host” customers in a way that provides competitively priced solar energy with none of the hassles or risks associated with system ownership. http://www.sunedison.com

About New Vision Technologies
New Vision Technologies, Inc., headquartered in San Clemente, CA, is one of the largest commercial & residential photovoltaic installers in the United States. New Vision is dedicated to providing its customers with renewable energy systems that create financial success. Through research and development NVT integrates the finest materials and technology to offer their customers a lasting investment. http://www.n-v-t.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:11 AM | Comments (0)

Largest Solar Energy Glass Canopy in United States to be Constructed at California Academy of Sciences

Barnabus Energy Inc. awarded contract to develop and install solar energy system that offsets the electric company’s power.

(PRWEB) December 21, 2005 -- The renowned California Academy of Science, the fourth largest Natural History Museum in the United States and home to the Steinhart Aquarium and Morrison Planetarium will soon also be the home to the largest photovoltaic (PV), solar energy glass canopy in the country. Barnabus Energy, Inc. (OTCBB: BBSE), a California-based company that specializes in renewable energy projects, has just been contracted by The Academy to develop and install the system as part of an extensive rebuilding project in Golden Gate Park. The new system will generate in excess of 213,000 kilowatts of electricity and will directly offset power that would have been supplied by the local electric company.

Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Renzo Piano of Genoa, Italy, the Natural History Museum’s new building will include a Barnabus Energy-designed PV canopy that will fully circumnavigate the building. Each of the 720 custom-built PV glass laminates is designed to have the highest conversion efficiency available at 20%. Once completed, the new Academy promises to be a symbol of environmental architecture and sustainable design.

Barnabus Energy’s President, David Saltman, said, “This is a great solar energy investment for The Academy. The photovoltaic (PV) system and other environmental features of the project will prevent the release of over 400,000 pounds of Co2, the equivalent of planting 340 trees.” The Company is providing a full scope of services on the project including PV module and system design, material manufacture and procurement, as well as system commissioning and documentation. The project will also utilize SolarSave roofing membranes supplied by sister company, Solar Roofing Systems.

With oil and gas prices hovering at near-record prices, recent energy stock investment articles in Fortune (12/26/05), USA Today (12/19/05), and CNN/Money (11/05/05) continue the discussion about the growing trend to invest in alternative energy to help lessen the world’s reliance on oil and gas.

Barnabus Energy, Inc. (BBSE) is currently acquiring projects within the renewable energy sector encompassing diverse aspects of the industry. The Company has closely aligned itself with key strategic partners that will move themselves forward towards future acquisitions and growth.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:10 AM | Comments (0)

Doe Run Announces Management Succession

ST. Louis (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) December 21, 2005 – The Doe Run Resources Corporation (aka The Doe Run Company) today announced the planned succession of three of its top management positions. Pursuant to that plan, Jeffrey L. Zelms, vice chairman, president and chief executive officer, will retire as president of The Doe Run Company effective January 1, 2006, and will retire as vice chairman and CEO on April 1, 2006.

According to the company’s succession plan, Bruce Neil, president of Doe Run Peru, will succeed Zelms as president of The Doe Run Company and will relocate to St. Louis. Upon Zelms’ retirement in April, Neil will assume the position of CEO. Until that time, Neil will also continue to fulfill his role as president of Doe Run Peru.

The company also announced the promotion of Dr. Juan Carlos Huyhua to the post of general manager of its subsidiary, Doe Run Peru. Huyhua, a Peruvian native, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Universidad Nacional de San Augustin de Arequipa, a master’s degree in metallurgy and a Ph.D. in metallurgy from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He has served Doe Run Peru for eight years, as vice president and manager of operations. The succession plan calls for Huyhua to take over the role of president, Doe Run Peru, on April 1, 2006.

Finally, Marvin Kaiser, the company’s chief administrative officer is retiring effective Feb. 1, 2006.

Zelms, who led The Doe Run Company for two decades, spent his entire career in the mining and metallurgical industry. Zelms received his mining engineering degree from the University of Missouri at Rolla. He was also presented the professional degree of engineer of mines by the University of Missouri at Rolla in 1987 and an Alumni Merit Award for his outstanding professional and personal achievements in 1994. Prior to joining Doe Run, Zelms served as vice president of St. Joe Minerals Corporation. In addition to his work, Zelms serves on the board of directors for the National Mining Association, the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum and Phoenix Textiles Corporation. He was recognized by Mining World News as Man of the Year in 1993.

Credited with leading the company to a 400 percent increase in sales and through record-low metal prices, financial reorganization and record safety achievements, Zelms also oversaw Doe Run’s expansion to South America and the company’s foray into lead recycling in 1991.

“We are a company of people committed to making tomorrow better than today, and we embrace our role as the preferred global provider of lead and associated metals and services,” Zelms said. “I leave knowing the company has in place a leadership team that recognizes our strengths, our challenges and our capacity for continued growth.”
Neil, who will succeed Zelms, is a Canadian national and has served in the metals industry in three countries, most recently in Peru. Neil joined The Doe Run Company in 1998, serving as operations manager of the company’s smelter in Glover, Mo. Under his leadership, the Glover facility achieved the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead for 28 consecutive quarters (seven years). Neil was promoted to president, Doe Run Peru, in 2003 and is currently responsible for all Peruvian operations.

Prior to joining Doe Run, Neil held positions with ASARCO, where he was involved in custom lead refining, and with Noranda and Timminco smelters in Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario, Canada.

Based in St. Louis, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral production, metals fabrication, recycling and reclamation. The company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services needed to provide power, protection and convenience through premium products and associated metals including lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver. As the operator of one of the world’s only multi-metal facilities and the Americas’ largest integrated lead producer, Doe Run employs more than 4,000 people, with U.S. operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona, and Peruvian operations in Cobriza and La Oroya. Committed to sustainable development, The Doe Run Company has helped bring electrical power, business training, educational opportunities and improved telecommunications to rural communities in Peru and the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.doerun.com.

This press release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to change. These forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted, either positively or negatively by various factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to satisfy its debt and environmental obligations, regulatory compliance with local state and federal governmental agencies, financing sources, potential and actual litigation, weather, permits, raw materials cost, competition and business conditions in the mining and recyclable industries. The forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements herein.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding The Doe Run Resources Corporation business which are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the risk factors set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.

Contact:
Kristin Saunders
314-469-3500

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:09 AM | Comments (0)

Doe Run Peru Seeks Extension On Environmental Operating Agreement

Company Expects to Complete Eight of Nine Projects On Schedule.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) December 21, 2005 -- The Doe Run Company today announced that, as part of a program to prioritize health issues in the community around its La Oroya metallurgical complex, its subsidiary Doe Run Peru today formally submitted a request to extend its environmental operating agreement with the Peruvian government.

The submission of the request is the culmination of a year-long process of data gathering, independent research, public hearings and discussion on the company’s proposal to postpone one of nine projects so as to better address issues associated with lead in the community.

“Going through such a long and rigorous process has enabled us to develop a thorough plan that addresses the health priorities of the population,” said Bruce Neil, president of Doe Run Peru. “We greatly appreciate the input that we received along the way from independent scientists, local community groups and individuals. We look forward to continuing to work to improve the health and environment in the La Oroya community.”

The request seeks to extend until 2010 the deadline for completion of one remaining project to control sulfuric gas emissions. The other eight projects laid out in the existing environmental operating agreement -- known by its Spanish acronym, PAMA -- are expected to be completed on time by the end of 2006, along with three new projects to control fugitive heavy metals emissions. By the end of 2006, the facility is expected to be in compliance with all environmental requirements for solid wastes, liquid effluents and air emissions (with the exception of sulfur dioxide).

The company’s plans call for a total of nearly $200 million in investments in environmental projects through 2010, significantly greater than the $107 million required in the original PAMA.

A decision on the application is expected in early 2006.

Since purchasing the facility from the Peruvian government in 1997, Doe Run Peru has spent more than $140 million to modernize the 80-year-old facility and on projects to improve conditions in the community, including schools, community showers, a soup kitchen to feed needy children and planting of some 100,000 trees. The work has been described by Greenpeace co-founder Dr. Patrick Moore as an example of “responsible environmentalism.”

In addition, the company has made steady progress at reducing emissions and improving health conditions. Lead emissions are down more than 27 percent, average blood lead levels of exposed Doe Run Peru workers are down by more than 30 percent, and the Peruvian Ministry of Health has also reported improvements among children in the community.

More information on Doe Run Peru’s environmental progress can be found at: http://www.doerun.com/uploadfile/peruprogressupdate-env.pdf , and on its community programs at http://www.doerun.com/uploadfile/PeruProgressupdate-social.pdf.

Based in St. Louis, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral production, metals fabrication, recycling and reclamation. The company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services needed to provide power, protection and convenience through premium products and associated metals including lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver. As the operator of one of the world’s only multi-metal facilities and the Americas’ largest integrated lead producer, Doe Run employs more than 4,000 people, with U.S. operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona, and Peruvian operations in Cobriza and La Oroya. Committed to sustainable development, The Doe Run Company has helped bring electrical power, business training, educational opportunities and improved telecommunications to rural communities in Peru and the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.doerun.com.

Contact:
Tammy Stankey, (314) 469-3500
Kristin Saunders, (314) 469-3500
http://www.doerun.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:08 AM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2005

Get Even With Big Oil & George Clooney Too

The movie Syriana confirms what people think about big oil and the U.S. political process. FOIL is offering to pay new supporters to see Participant Productions “Syriana,” which depicts the human consequences of the partnership between government and Big Oil in the Persian Gulf.

Rancho Mirage, CA (PRWEB) December 21, 2005 -- The Foreign Oil Independence League (FOIL), the pioneer Internet-based citizens’ movement to free the US from its imported oil addiction, is offering to pay new supporters to see Participant Productions “Syriana,” which depicts the human consequences of the partnership between government and Big Oil in the Persian Gulf.

“Syriana is a terrific film and a wonderful dramatization of what is so terribly wrong with US energy policy,” states FOIL’s founder, Stan Cotton. “We want our new supporters to see it, and we want to reward those who have been motivated by its message to join FOIL.”

Cotton is including a check for $7.25 in each of the League’s new “Buy Back America” kits to compensate new members for their Syriana tickets.

“Buy Back America,” as described on the League’s website, www.joinfoil.org, is designed to give the average voter “all the essential tools necessary for you to start pushing the buttons of politicians who are supposed to be working for you…” Proceeds from the “Buy Back America” kit, priced at $25, will fund a national patriotic “in-your-face” billboard campaign promoting US-based energy and calling errant politicians to task for supporting Big Oil over constituent interests.

In addition to the Syriana check, the kit provides an “Inquiry” to House and Senate members to determine their views on basic questions such as whether or not foreign oil producing countries fund terrorism. It also includes and a personalized “Patriotic Deed” to one square foot of hard hitting US energy independence billboard. Q & A on how average citizens ages 12-90 can shake up the business as usual political crowd and reverse the trend of a dangerous and ever increasing lack of accountability from our representation in Congress.

Cotton sees FOIL as a “patriotically correct” people’s protest in the tradition of the Boston Tea Party, and a targeted political accountability campaign. His approach is very direct. One of FOIL’s planned billboards shows a field of white tombstones in Arlington National Cemetery with a gas pump nozzle attached to each. The headline reads “The High Price of Foreign Oil.”

©Copyright joinfoil.org, llc

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:51 AM | Comments (0)

New Service for Offshore Wind Projects by UK Environmental Engineers

A new service by UK environmental engineers Metoc plc identifies risks to marine cable installation and commissioning during worldwide offshore wind projects. Metoc is now organising ‘risk workshops’ for project managers, engineers, contractors and others engaged in offshore renewables projects: www.metoc.co.uk

(PRWEB) December 21, 2005 -- A new service by UK environmental engineers Metoc plc identifies specific risks to marine cable installation and commissioning during offshore wind projects. Site conditions, seasonality of operations and supply chain availability can all impact on the project, causing unexpected delays and costs - particularly in relation to third-party contract tenders and loss of cable protection arising from poor installation. Further information is available from www.metoc.co.uk.

Early assessment of risk during the project is essential, Metoc advises, to ensure that route engineering and consent applications are undertaken within an integrated programme of activity. This requires a detailed understanding of the dynamics and impact of marine and coastal conditions on the proposed cables – and also how they in turn will affect the local environment.

“Off-shore renewable projects are usually located in areas with conditions that are challenging for the engineered assets, to say the least, in addition to having to deal usually with a variegated geology when burying cables. Also, there are often particular environmental sensitivities – such as in relation to tourism and fisheries. These issues should be understood and evaluated at the earliest stage to avoid unpleasant surprises later on,” says Alistair Bird, director of energy at Metoc plc.

Metoc, based in Hampshire and Dundee, is now organising ‘risk workshops’ for project managers, engineers, contractors and others engaged in offshore renewables projects. Each event employs an audit protocol to review specific risks at each of the key project phases:-

· Consenting
· Progressing from consents to major contracts
· Major contract execution
· Operations and maintenance

Note to Editor:-

Metoc provides support to the water, energy, marine cable and renewables industry sectors on environmental and related regulatory issues. Services include: research, planning, risk management, contract negotiations, data gathering and site supervision, as well as predictive modelling, and environmental optimisation.

Clients of Metoc include asset owners and operators, their engineering consultants and contractors. The company defines and advises on the specific options and opportunities for senior management and engineers to enable project teams to protect assets and optimise their productive use and performance within the environmental context, whilst achieving full legislative compliance and minimising related risks and costs.

For further information:
Natalie Johnson
Metoc plc, Exchange House, Station Road
Liphook, GU30 7DW Tel: + 44 (0)1428 727800
http://www.metoc.co.uk

Media information:
Patrick Rea, Rea-TMA Marketing
Tel: +44 (0)20 8870 4976
www.rea-tma.co.uk

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:50 AM | Comments (0)

New Literature Provides In Depth Look At Rubber Lip Seals In The Process Industries. Includes: Life Cycles, Obsolescence, Power Consumption, and Alternatives

Brochure details the misapplication of lip seals and why they should not be installed on rotating equipment. Written for maintenance, repair and operations personnel at process plants, it goes on to provide information on the History Of Lip Seals, Lip Seals In The Mechanical Universe, Life Cycle Aspects, 100% Failure Rate, Misapplication, Real Costs, The Real World, Alternatives, Permanent Bearing Protection and much more, as well as charts, graphs and illustrations.

Rock Island, IL (PRWEB) December 21, 2005 -- Each year, in the United States, approximately 19,000,000 lip seals are misapplied and should never have been installed on rotating equipment in the first place. In fact, lip seals may already be functionally obsolete in the process industries, but hardly anyone realizes it. These statements are detailed by David C. Orlowski in his literature that explains the use of rubber lip seals for rotating equipment in the process industries.

Well Known Industry Expert
President and founder of Inpro/Seal Company, Orlowski has spent the last 41+ years inventing ways to enhance and extend the service life of rotating equipment. In 1977, he received patent protection (#4,022,479) for his bearing isolator, invented the term “bearing isolator” and founded Inpro/Seal in the process. With more than 40 related patents, Orlowski is well known for his knowledge of bearings, bearing protection, sealing, processes and tribology, has authored dozens of articles for industry trade journals and is in demand as a guest speaker and lecturer.

Valuable Literature
Entitled “Are Lip Seals Obsolete?”, the literature was written specifically for end users involved in the maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) of pumps and other types of rotating equipment used in industrial/process plants. Written in easy to understand language, it contains valuable information that highlights: History Of Lip Seals, Lip Seals In The Mechanical Universe, Life Cycle Aspects, 100% Failure Rate, Misapplication, Real Costs, The Real World, Alternatives, Permanent Bearing Protection and much more, as well as charts, graphs and illustrations.

Lip Seals And Life Cycles
When lip seals were first introduced over 70 years ago, they were the only kind of sealing device available. Convenient and inexpensive, when it came to sealing industrial rotating equipment, they captured a 99% market share.

Lip seal manufacturers state that at best, they have a median, average life cycle of 1,844 hours or 77 days of operation, though some may survive up to 3,000 hours. In the world of non-industrial equipment such as (auto wheel bearings, mowers, washing machines, tractors), this is acceptable, as it works out to equipment life of more than 3 years of use.

Lip Seal Usage In The Real World
Orlowski goes on to detail that with a 3,000 hour/ 4.1 month life cycle that in the world of continuous, heavy duty industrial machinery such as pumps, motors, gearboxes, etc, this is unacceptable. He explains that, in the real world, with this kind of life cycle, lip seals are not meant for the heavy duty, industrial applications where rotating equipment is designed to run, uninterrupted for five years. Industrial grade bearings are rated for a much longer period of time.

The Real Cost Of Lip Seals
Yet this equipment is doomed to premature failure by lip seals that will fail long before the equipment. Worse, when a lip seal quits sealing, very undesirable things are liable to happen without warning. Chances are, the lip seal has soon grooved the shaft or burned to a crisp at the point of contact. Lubricant is free to exit the bearing enclosure and as the equipment cycles, moisture in the environment is drawn into the enclosure where it condenses and contaminates the lubricant.

Lip seals are not as cheap as they are perceived to be. The cost of installation is as much as for a bearing isolator. A single pump failure after a lip seal burns out will cost as much as dozens of bearing isolators.

The literature also addresses power consumption, stating that lip seals consume, on average, 147 watts of power. To show how significant this is, a plant with 600 operating pumps, can run up annual costs in excess of $117,000 for energy to drive the lip seals. Lip seals may have a low initial price, but it represents only a small percentage of the total life cycle cost.

Contact Seal Alternatives
Other contact seals, such as spring or magnetically loaded face seals, have been used for bearing sealing, but with only limited success due to a 100% failure rate. Even the highly touted double face magnetic seal is projected to last no more than 18,000 hours, but is somehow expected to protect 200,000 hour bearings.

Fortunately There Is A Solution
In the 1970’s, the bearing isolator, a non-contacting labyrinth type seal was invented, giving end the choice of permanent bearing protection that eliminates the need for continual maintenance and repair, because they never wear out and can be used over and over for many years.

Orlowski concludes, “Rotating equipment is designed to operate for at least five years. Rolling element bearings have a design life of 150,000 hours (17 years) or more. With a finite life and a 100% failure rate, it simply does not make sense to lose time and money trying to make a contacting seal work.”

About Inpro/Seal
Inpro/Seal Company is the originator and the world’s number one manufacturer of bearing isolators, used to protect motor and pump bearings, machine tool spindles, turbines, fans, gear boxes, paper machine rolls and many other types of rotating equipment. Additional applications include the sealing, handling, processing, packing and storage of dry particulates, powders and bulk solids.

As the recognized global leader in bearing isolator technology, Inpro products are marketed to the aerospace, automotive, petroleum, refining, nuclear, power generation, metalworking, food processing, grain processing, chemical, water, wastewater treatment, metalworking, hydrocarbon processing, HVAC, pulp and paper, mining, mineral, ore processing and general industrial markets.

Interactive Package Available
To obtain a copy of “Are Lip Seals Obsolete?”, contact: Inpro/Seal Company, P.O. Box 3940, Rock Island, Illinois 61204. Phone numbers are: (800) 447-0524 or (309) 787-4971. Fax number is: (309) 787-6114. Website: www.inpro-seal.com or www.bearingisolators.com

A complete CD interactive package that includes the following is also available by request:

Power Point - Lip Seal Overview
PDF Literature: Lip Seals; Bearing Isolators
Article - What’s Protecting Your Bearings
Excel Module: Return On Investment
Excel Module: Lip Seal Power Consumption
Request for quote

Inpro/Seal®, the Inpro/Seal logo and other Inpro/Seal marks are registered® names owned by Inpro/Seal. Air Mizer™- PS; Air Mizer™- PS; Articulating Air Mizer™- PS; Motor Grounding Seal (MGS) ™: OM 32™; STS™; VBX™; VBXX ™; VBXX-D™; VBX-S™; VBX-H™; VBXX-D™ and other trademarks are the property of Inpro/Seal. For more information about Inpro/Seal and its products, visit the Company's web site at www.inpro-seal.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:49 AM | Comments (0)

Oklahomans Meet With FutureGen Texas Delegation

A teaming of Texas and Oklahoma in efforts to win $1 Billion U.S. Department of Energy FutureGen project could result in the world’s first near-zero-emissions fossil-fuel power plant.

(PRWEB) December 21, 2005 -- “Texas has reached out to Oklahomans to team up in its efforts of being awarded the $1 billion U.S. Department of Energy FutureGen project”, stated Mark A. Stansberry, president of The International Society of The Energy Advocates and chairman of The GTD Group. Stansberry along with former Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy Mike Smith, and Dr. Bob Delano, president of Environmental Assessments Group coordinated today’s Texas delegation visit. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Charles Mankin, Director of Sarkeys Energy Center, University of Oklahoma.

Future Gen is a Federal Initiative of the U. S. Department of Energy to build a power facility that is capable of producing hydrogen and sequestering carbon dioxide. The $1 billion research project is intended to create the world’s first near-zero-emissions fossil-fuel power plant.

The Bureau of Economic Geology, under the direction of State Geologist Scott W. Tinker, has been charged with coordinating Texas’ site-selection process and the State’s response to the upcoming DOE Request for Proposals. FutureGen represents a new energy era, providing a bridge from the fossil-based energy economy of today to the hydrogen-based-energy economy of tomorrow.

FutureGen Texas is on the short-list of states for the awarded project.

“It is important that we support the FutureGen Texas effort. Oklahoma as a leader in research and development along with technological advancement has much to offer and to gain in this regional coalition,” Stansberry states.

“The mission of FutureGen Texas is to bring the DOE FutureGen project to Texas and partner with the region to ensure that similar facilities provide the power of the future. This opportunity provides Oklahoma a strong position for future energy project development.”

About FutureGen: FutureGen is an initiative to build the world's first integrated sequestration and hydrogen production research power plant. The $1 billion dollar project is intended to create the world's first zero-emissions fossil fuel plant. When operational, the prototype will be the cleanest fossil fuel fired power plant in the world.

For more information on the FutureGen Project, visit the Department of Energy's Website at: http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/futuregen/ and also the FutureGen Texas Official Website at: http://www.beg.utexas.edu/futuregentexas/

About The Energy Advocates: Since 1974, The Energy Advocates, a national organization, has provided energy education nationally. The Energy Advocates strongly support all forms of energy. Its' primary mission is to inform the general public about our vital energy industry and energy policy issues. To learn more about energy issues, and The Energy Advocates, visit www.energyadvocates.org.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:48 AM | Comments (0)

Life Beyond PUHCA Live Interactive Audio Conference

What will the post-PUHCA world will be like? Wall to wall mergers? Incredible red tape and paperwork for FERC records? Has FERC's NOPR in the area shown promise or has it left the public scratching their heads? Will the FERC version attract big money into the grid?

(PRWEB) December 21, 2005 -- Restructuring Today's next live interactive audio conference, Life beyond PUHCA, is scheduled for Feb 17 from noon until 1:30 pm eastern time.

Call 1-800-486-8201 (202-298-8201) or click here to register for just $98 by January 5.

What will the post-PUHCA world will be like?

- Wall to wall mergers?

- Incredible red tape and paperwork for FERC records?

- Has FERC's NOPR in the area shown promise or has it left the public scratching their heads?

- Will the FERC version attract big money into the grid?

- Can large commercial concerns such as oil companies with their histories of capital-intensive jobs -- bring good management skills into this industry?

Find out from this panel of industry experts:

- John Moot, general counsel of FERC. Moot will answer your questions about what FERC wants the world to be like in the post-PUHCA world.

- William Massey, recently a commissioner and now partner with Covington & Burling. Massey was the merger specialist at the commission and has been watching the new PUHCA policy unfold.

- Add to that Steven Angle of Vincent & Elkins in Washington. His specialty is the restructuring of the energy industry with special focus on development of RTOs, access to the grid and for profit grid ownership. He had earlier supervised litigation at FERC and overseeing mergers of electric utilities.

- And Douglas Dunn, a partner in Milbank Tweed and a leading PUHCA specialist. He's confident that FERC understands the need to lure investment into America's grid.

IT'S EASY. Just dial a toll-free number, sit back, listen and learn what the experts think about what the post-PUHCA world will be like.

IT'S INTERACTIVE. The 90-minute audio conference will include 60 minutes of discussion by the presenters, followed by a 30 minute Q&A period when the participants can ask questions concerning their specific needs.

IT'S A BARGAIN. Everyone at one location is covered under the single low rate of just $98. Just gather everyone around a speaker phone, listen as a group and discuss the topic afterwards. Hurry though -- price goes up to $150 on January 5!

IT'S RISK-FREE. An audio CD of this event will be available for paid registrants that can't attend. Those participants that are not satisfied will receive a full refund.

Here's how it works

1. Register. Call 1-800-486-8201 (202-298-8201) or visit www.restructuringtoday.com/conferences/puhca-reg.html to register your entire team for just $98/location by January 5.

Since connecting other phones is prohibited, discounts are available for additional locations in your organization. Please call 1-800-486-8201 (202-298-8201) for more information.

2. Dial-in instructions. On February 10, the dial-in instructions and conference hand-outs (if the speakers provide hand-outs) will be emailed to participants.

3. Added value. Gather around a speakerphone on February 17 at noon eastern time, hear the presentations and ask the panelists questions during the Q&A.

4. Audio CD recording. Can't make it February 3? Order the CD instead. The shipping and handling is free and the CD will be shipped by UPS ground (domestic) or USPS Priority (international) within three business days after the live audio conference.

Registration cost

$98 Live audio conference participation
(Regularly $150 - save $52 by January 5!)

$150 Audio CD recording (of the full audio conference)

$225 COMBO: Live audio conference participation and audio CD recording

2 easy ways to register

1. Visit www.restructuringtoday.com/conferences/puhca-reg.html to order online

2. Call 1-800-486-8201 (202-298-8201)

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:47 AM | Comments (0)

December 20, 2005

Alsbridge Conducts Outsourcing Supplier Think-tank that Reveals that Traditional Procurement Processes are Leading to Sub-optimal BPO Deals

Alsbridge, the Independent Advisors on Outsourcing, Shared Services and Offshoring, today publishes the findings from a recently completed Supplier Think-tank focused on the industry’s mainstream procurement process. The think-tank, which took place in November 2005, drew together ten BPO experts from different Supplier companies to discuss the BPO sourcing process.

London, UK (PRWEB) December 20, 2005 -- Alsbridge, the Independent Advisors on Outsourcing, Shared Services and Offshoring, today publishes the findings from a recently completed Supplier Think-tank focused on the industry’s mainstream procurement process. The findings suggest there is something very wrong with the traditional buying and contracting process, particularly in the more complex world of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).

The think-tank, which took place in November 2005, drew together ten BPO experts from different Supplier companies to discuss the BPO sourcing process. Facilitated by Alsbridge, the Suppliers met to discuss the matter and compiled a comprehensive list of what in their view is wrong with traditional procurement practices in the field of outsourcing. They were then asked to produce five key recommendations to overcome these problems and help achieve sustainable solutions for all parties involved.

Key conclusions drawn from the Supplier Think-tank include:

· Cumbersome and costly procurement processes are producing sub-optimal, price-based solutions framed by adversarial relationships

· Radical new approaches are needed in the engagement phase to produce the right solution supported by the right deal

· Advisory companies can play a key role in changing the market, but some have to significantly change their practices, which are currently creating and exacerbating the problem

To view the results of the Supplier Think-tank in full click here:
www.alsbridge.com/outsourcing_supplier_thinktank.shtml

Alsbridge Managing Partner, Tim Lloyd, comments, “We’ve seen time and time again that the expectations set at inception are not being met due to the way in which the supplier/client relationship is managed. Alsbridge has taken steps to formalize a more flexible, partnership approach we have been following for quite a while that utilizes Sourcing Alignment Sessions (SAS) which enable client and suppliers to work together in a collaborative manner. We believe this approach speeds the deal process, optimizes delivery solutions, and creates robust working relationships – therefore resulting in sustainable deals which deliver the results expected.”

Tim Lloyd, quoted above, is a Founding Partner of Alsbridge with highly acclaimed experience throughout the BPO industry. Prior to founding Alsbridge, Tim held several distinguished positions in the outsourcing industry to include: global BPO leader at Capgemini, founding partner of Ernst & Young’s BPO practice, and one of the founders of the PwC BPO business.

For details of Alsbridge’s upcoming “Intermediary” and “Client-side” Think-tank meetings as part of this series, contact Helen Ricardo at Tel: +44 (0) 20 7242 0666.

About Alsbridge

Alsbridge (www.Alsbridge.com) is the premier consulting firm providing unbiased advice on the use of Outsourcing, Shared Services and Offshoring for functions such as Information Technology (IT), Human Resources (HR), Finance & Accounting (F&A), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Procurement, and other business processes. With a global presence across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, we provide clients with unmatched functional experience and in-depth industry knowledge. We help clients reduce costs, improve processes and maximize shareholder value through the use of both onshore and offshore Outsourcing and Shared Services.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:25 AM | Comments (0)

MRE Consulting Issues White Paper on Energy Trading, Transaction and Risk Management Software Selection and Implementation Best Practice

MRE Consulting (MRE) announces that it has issued a new white paper on energy trading, transaction and risk management (ETRM) software selection and implementation best practice on the heels of a successful on line seminar it recently conducted on the same topic with leading energy and utilities analyst firm UtiliPoint International, Inc.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) December 20, 2005 -- MRE Consulting (MRE) announces that it has issued a new white paper on energy trading, transaction and risk management (ETRM) software selection and implementation best practice on the heels of a successful on line seminar it recently conducted on the same topic with leading energy and utilities analyst firm UtiliPoint International, Inc. The new white paper is available for download at the firm’s website at www.mre-consulting.com and provides best practice based on its experience and expertise in assisting clients with both ETRM and other software selections and implementations over the last several years.

Amongst other topics, the paper includes how to define project success, common mistakes to avoid, contract negotiation tips and more. The paper is designed to help the growing number of utilities, producers, marketers and others that are currently seeking to select and implement ETRM software.

“Issues such as Sarbanes Oxley compliance requirements and recommendations from the Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO) combined with a movement away from older platforms that no longer meet business requirements has driven a surge in demand for new ETRM systems this year,” reports Dr. GM Vasey, VP Trading & Risk Management and noted analysts in the space for UtiliPoint International, Inc. “This trend will continue strongly through next year.”

“Over the last several years, MRE has assisted many clients in examining their business needs, suitability of their existing solution as well as in software selection and implementations,” said Mr. Addam Alderete, SVP of Sales for MRE Consulting. “Additionally, many of our consultants have had prior experience of this class of software, with a variety of the products available. We have drawn upon this expertise in preparing the white paper in the belief that it will assist energy firms now facing selection and implementation projects.”

The new white paper, the presentation slides, and an audio of the online seminar are available for download at www.mre-consulting.com.

About MRE Consulting

MRE is a professional services firm that helps its clients by delivering flexible solutions using highly-trained and experienced professionals to successfully blend technology and business strategy to consistently achieve results. Through its’ three lines of business, outsourcing, consulting and strategic staffing, it delivers innovative solutions that fully meet its’ client’s business, technology and budgetary needs. Its’ clients rely its unique ability to offer seasoned and experienced consultants that have an immediate impact. Its’ clients expect success and MRE has delivered that success for a growing number of Fortune 1000 companies and across the energy industry. For more information, please visit www.mre-consulting.com or contact Ms. Becky Luby, at beckyl @ mre-consulting.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:24 AM | Comments (0)

Fuel Savings Now Available In Pill Form

BioPerformance Introduces New Fuel Saving Additive

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) December 19, 2005 -- BioPerformance Inc. has more than just a revolutionary fuel saving product it also is on track to become a record setting network marketing company. BioPerformance Inc. based in Dallas, TX has just introduced their exclusive product, BioPerformance Fuel, it is available in both a pill and powder form. When this product is added to the fuel of gas or diesel vehicles it can improve fuel mileage up to 35% or more, saving consumers on fuel costs. This very safe product creates a more efficient fuel combustion process thereby improving performance and reducing exhaust emissions, it also cleans the fuel systems and combustion chambers. The mission of BioPerformance, Inc. is to reduce pollution, conserve fuel, reduce the price of fuel by reducing demand and create 1,000 millionaires through the marketing of its product. BioPerformance, Inc. has exclusive product rights in the USA. Their web site is www.mybpbiz.com. In accordance with American Legislation, this product is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency of the Federal Government of the United States of America, EPA 40-CFR 79.23 NO. 1932-0001. Registration of this product does not constitute endorsement, certification, or approval by any agency of the United States.

BioPerformance, Inc. anticipates doing over $1 million in business within their first 30 days. Consumers may purchase this fuel saving product by contacting a BioPerformance Independent Business Owner (IBO). Consumers can also contact an IBO if they have an interest in obtaining the product at wholesale prices by becoming an IBO themselves. An IBO may also choose to market the product and build their own part time or full time business by finding and establishing other IBO’s. Many effective marketing tools are available to assist IBO’s in building their business. Since BioPerformance, Inc. went LIVE at 8 PM (CST) on Dec. 8, 2005 over 1,400 IBO’s have enrolled, 412 IBO’s will be receiving their first commission check and $246,469.00 in commissions have already been earned. According to many industry professionals BioPerformance will set new sales records in the network marketing industry.

BioPerformance, Inc. does not in any way guarantee IBO’s any income, and it doesn't guarantee anyone any results when using the product. Motorists are encouraged to use the fuel saving product to see first-hand what results they will get with their vehicle(s). Any and all testimonies are not intended directly or indirectly to guarantee you in any way with similar savings or incomes. The product testimonies have not been proven in any way by BioPerformance, Inc. to be true, because they are simply people sharing their results from using BioPerformance Fuel. Each reply is believed to be true in its content. These stories are not backed by independent research, so you must evaluate them for yourself and then let BioPerformance hear your own story.

For information about BioPerformance, purchasing their product or becoming an IBO please contact:
Bill Irving (IBO # 9391923)
Tel: (916) 761-8868
Fax: (916) 481-2535
Website: www.FUELINCOME.COM

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:23 AM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2005

Used, Surplus and Second Hand Equipment Trading Website for the Utility Industry

Eutilia recently launched a new website enabling buyers and sellers in the utilities industry to trade used, surplus and second hand equipment more easily.

(PRWEB) December 19, 2005 -- On the 1st of November, Eutilia launched a new service dedicated to the buying and selling of used, second hand and surplus equipment used in the utility and power industry and other industrial sectors like railway, oil and gas, water and environment. The Global Equipment Market provides an easy to use tool for industry professionals to publish and find trade leads for equipment used in these industries.

The classified ads(Advertisements) can be searched and viewed for FREE and without registration, while access to additional features like Equipment Alerts, Contacting the buyers/sellers, Saving favourite ads, requires only a basic registration. WANTED ads can be placed for FREE, equipment FOR SALE ads can be placed 15 Days for free and after expiration a user can decide to renew an ad against a small fee. Brokers and other companies who regularly advertise equipment for sale we offer special subscription packages enabling a user to publish up to 100 ads for 6 months or a whole year. Bespoke packages tailored to suit a company's specific requirements are also available.

Eutilia stresses this portal does not compete directly with brokers and other sellers of equipment. "Eutilia is not directly involved in the buy or sell transaction. We offer a new sales channel and an easy to use marketing tool to promote equipment FOR SALE to buyers that would not be reached otherwise" says Jean Philippe Massin, CEO of Eutilia. "Eutilia's Global Equipment Market site already features several turbines, boilers, transformers and other industrial equipment currently available in the global used, surplus and second-hand market, and we are focused on increasing the visibility of the site and the daily traffic".

To access the Global Equipment market: http://www.globalequipmentmarket.com

About Eutilia N.V.
Eutilia is the leading Sourcing & Procurement marketplace for Europe. More than 1500 buyers from 150 buying-organizations (such as EDF, Electrabel, EnBW, Iberdrola, Nuon, Octel, Vattenfall etc...) and 9000 sell-side companies are using Eutilia's services and technology to meet online, find European tenders, complete electronic tendering or reverse auction products, in order to improve their buying or selling process efficiency and to unlock business and cost savings potentials.

Eutilia operates and covers the European market from its main office in Leiden in The Netherlands. Eutilia can be reached at +31 (0)71 5353100 or at www.eutilia.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:26 AM | Comments (0)

SPIK SZMA: TOSHIBA Electrical Equipment Will Assemble in Saint-Petersburg

The project of the First Russian Assembly facility for TOSHIBA custom drives and control systems was presented at the seminar "Toshiba Social Infrastructure" held for Toshiba Corporation’s 130th anniversary. The seminar was held on December 9th, 2005 in Moscow at the Radisson SAS Slavanskaya Hotel.

(PRWEB) December 18, 2005 -- The project of the First Russian Assembly facility for TOSHIBA custom drives and control systems was presented at the seminar "Toshiba Social Infrastructure" held for Toshiba Corporation’s 130th anniversary. The seminar was held on December 9th, 2005 in Moscow at the Radisson SAS Slavanskaya Hotel.

Toshiba International Corporation (USA) is a leading global division of TOSHIBA’S Industrial and Power Systems & Services Company (IPS).

The President of TIC, Mr. R. Nakata, formally declared that the new TOSMA project has been brought to fruition in partnership with SPIK SZMA (Saint-Petersburg).

The General Director of SPIK SZMA, Mr. Alexander Nozik in the presentation of the TOSMA project said, “Transferring manufacturing of TOSHIBA electrical equipment to Russia along with using Russian engineering resources will help reduce costs and time to deliver, as well as fully complying with the Customer’s requirements”.

At completion of the first stage of the project, in 2006, control systems and variable torque drives (200-1000 KVA) will be assembled for general purpose applications in mining, metallurgical, pulp-and-paper, power energy, oil-refining, machine building, pipelines transportation industries, and residential utilities. The manufacturing facility will further incorporate certified service and training centers.

The project of the joint venture assembly facility TOSMA was started in May, 2005.
The manufacturing facility will be ready by the end of the 1st Qtr. 2006.

TIC and SPIK SZMA have a long-term partnership and friendly cooperation for project design, manufacturing and implementation of process control systems for oil refineries within CIS.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:25 AM | Comments (0)

'Peak Oil' Subject of Kentucky Oil & Gas Meeting

Mammoth Resource Partners, Inc. President Roger L. Cory gave an information presentation on 'Peak Oil' at the Kentucky Oil & Gas Association quarterly meeting.

(PRWEB) December 18, 2005 -- Mammoth Resource Partners, Inc. President Dr. Roger L. Cory was the featured speaker at the November meeting of the Kentucky Oil & Gas Association. Dr. Cory gave a dynamic powerpoint presentation on Peak Oil, a subject that has experienced an exponential growth in media coverage since Dr. Cory first began publicly speaking of it in 2001.

The term ‘peak oil’ was first coined by Dr. M. King Hubbert, whose prediction in 1956 that the United States’ oil production would peak in the early 1970s branded him a heretic. Instead he was proven a seer when his prediction came true in 1971 the year that this country reached its highest production of 11.3 million barrels per day. By 2003 U.S. production had declined to 7.8 million barrels per day.

The decline is not limited to the U.S., however. A 2004 British Petroleum graph depicting world oil production clearly indicates that every oil producing country other than OPEC and the former Soviet Union has already passed its peak. “There are five major countries left in the world that are net oil exporters,” Dr. Cory stated. “Every other country has to import oil.”

Worldwide oil production is based on giant fields such as the Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia. At one time the Ghawar field held one eighth the world’s known supply of oil. “Now they are approaching 67% of water cut and the oil is sour and very heavy, good for only fertilizer, plastics, rubber and the like.”

National Geographic brought the issue square to the forefront with a frontpage headline: The End of Cheap Oil. The article explained that we’re not running out of oil. “What we’re running out of is easily accessible oil, the ‘low hanging fruit’. The higher crude prices are necessary, Dr. Cory believes, to fund the increased cost of extraction.

“The government has been giving us depletion allowances in oil and gas for a long time,” he continued. “What do you think a depletion allowance is? It’s an understanding that what you’re investing in is declining.”

Dr. Cory still sees great promise for oil and gas production in the Appalachian Basin, which stretches from New York into parts of Alabama. “The Appalachian Basin is prime territory for smaller companies because it is broken down into thousands of individual landowners. Major oil players are not going to go knocking door to door trying to lease mineral rights on just a few acres.”

“In my opinion,” Dr. Cory stated, “the largest opportunity currently in North America exists right in our area.” While the Basin has been in production since the early 1800s, much of it lies unexplored. According to a recent report by the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission, the basin still contains as much oil and gas reserves as has already been extracted.

In addition, Dr. Cory believes that an astounding opportunity for drillers in the Basin is the reopening of abandoned wells. In many instances these wells were capped only because of the low profit potential of years past. With crude hovering around sixty dollars a barrel, “a well doing just one barrel a day is now worth twenty thousand dollars a year!”

Mammoth Resource Partners uses their web site, www.mammothresource.com, as a vehicle to educate both the public and their investors on oil and gas issues with both original articles and links to other sites. As evidence to the company philosophy that “our partners and their needs are the most important consideration in every project we undertake,” a separate password protected site allows investing partners to follow the progress of their drilling project while providing a copy of the drill permit, GPS coordinates and satellite image of each drill site.

Mammoth Resource Partners, Inc. welcomes all inquiries in the exciting world of oil and gas exploration.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:25 AM | Comments (0)

December 17, 2005

American's Can Cut Dependance on Foreign Oil by Increasing Gas Mileage

American's can cut dependance on foreign oil by as much as 25% or more by increasing their gas mileage per gallon.

New York (PRWEB) December 17, 2005 -- American's can exercise their free choice and help to decrease the nations dependancy on foreign oil. They can either decrease how much they drive or increase how many miles they get per gallon of gas. With all the new research and latest developments, American's have many choices of how they can do this. While buying a new car is one of them, a more affordable way of getting better gas mileage is through a product that is proving to save drivers as much as .25 to .50 and more per gallon.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if American's were to increase their mileage by just 25% per tank full that America could reduce its demand on foreign oil by as much as 25% and possibly even more. The choice is truly up to each and every American driving a car or truck on our highways.

A new company in Texas will be launching in early 2006 that offers drivers the chance to save money on gas by increasing mileage as well as the environment by reducing emissions. Conscientious American's as well as environmentalist can take advantage of this company’s new product which comes in powder and pill form that has proven results in increasing gas mileage. An ad campaign many years ago once said that only big people would be driving big cars. Big cars are owned by various types of people and anyone driving a big car, truck or RV that uses a lot of gas should be the first to jump on board when it comes to increasing their mileage.

Finding ways to save on gas by increasing mileage, reducing the amount we drive and/or helping save the air we breathe should be a top priority for all American’s. It’s the American thing to do when it comes to saving our environment, cutting our dependence of foreign oil and extending our resources for generations to come.

To find out more about the company offering the gas pill and power visit: http://UcanSaveMoneyOnGas.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:37 AM | Comments (0)

Agri-Ethanol Products Announces $150 Million Ethanol Plant For Beaufort County, North Carolina

This will be the first ethanol plant in North Carolina and the first on the east coast.

Beaufort County, NC (PR WEB) December 16, 2005 -- Dave Brady, managing member of Agri-Ethanol Products, LLC (AEP) today announced the location of a $150 million ethanol plant to be located in Beaufort County, near Aurora, North Carolina. Mr. Brady thanked Governor Easley for the assistance that the state of North Carolina provided in making the plant possible. He also expressed his sincere appreciation to Secretary of Commerce, Jim Fain, Secretary of Revenue, Norris Tolson, Senator Marc Basnight, Representative Arthur Williams, Representative Joe Tolson, Larry Shirley and NC Department of Energy, the Northeast Partnership, Tom Thompson and the Beaufort County Economic Development Commission, the Town of Aurora and Roseview Capital.

The plant will produce 114 million gallons of ethanol per year as well as co-products consisting of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and CO2. This will be the first ethanol plant in North Carolina and the first on the East Coast of the United States.

The ethanol production will be delivered in each of two, 57 million gallon per year phases, with the co-products output doubling accordingly. Phase I ground breaking and construction start-up is expected during the first quarter of ’06. Approximately $2 million will be utilized through various grant sources from the State to facilitate rail improvements critical to the operation of the plant.

Mr. Brady stated that there will be 74 people involved in the ethanol and CO2 production at the site, with several hundred more jobs related to indirect employment such as delivery of grain, shipment of ethanol, the distribution of the DDGS and CO2.

AEP’s plant will consume in excess of 20 million bushels of grain per year for each phase and can use corn or grain sorghum interchangeably. An additional crop, hull-less barley, is expected to be integrated into the operation of the facility at some date in the future, as will bio-diesel production.

About Agri-Ethanol Products, LLC:
Agri-Ethanol Products, LLC, is an energy development group focused on bringing about positive use of renewable resources through the use of ethanol products. The Beaufort County facility is the first of three planned renewable fuel ethanol plants.

For further information, contact:
Terry Ruse, General Manager
www.aepnc.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:36 AM | Comments (0)

Unethical Business Practices Within Electric Utility Industry Costing Consumers Money--It’s Time for Reform Says Industry Expert

Unethical business practices of electric utility contributing to rising cost of electricity and harming residential and commercial users of electricity. It's time for reform.

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) December 16, 2005 -- Joe Seeber, founder and president of Tristem, Ltd, which has been auditing utilities for businesses, federal agencies, local and state governments as well as colleges and universities for more than twenty-five years, says that in light of the rising cost of electricity, it’s time to take a hard, critical look at how the electric utility industry operates. According to Seeber, utility cheating and manipulation has gone unchecked for decades, costing businesses as well as individuals countless dollars. “It’s time someone pulled the plug on the unethical behavior of the utility industry,” says Seeber.

In Wired For Greed: The Shocking Truth About America’s Electric Utilities (iUniverse.com, November 2005) written by Seeber together with New York Times best-selling author and journalist Jim Moore, the authors paint a damming portrait of the industry, describing it as monopolistic and operating with maximum focus on profits and minimum concern for customers. They allege that utilities get away with malfeasance, manipulation, fudged financials and even fraud because of the cozy relationships they enjoy with those who are charged with regulating them. Using real life stories drawn from Tristem’s work on behalf of its clients, Wired for Greed describes utilities that billed their customers for electricity they did not use, charged their customers the wrong rate for electricity they did use, manipulated their customers’ meters, manufactured meter readings out of whole cloth, and even sold the same electricity twice, among other things.

Seeber and Moore also present a prescription for industry reform in Wired For Greed. Among other things, they lay out a plan for true deregulation (or re-regulation) in order to force power companies to work on behalf of their customers, make them accountable for their behavior and motivate them to reduce their customers’ electric bills through technological innovation and increased use of renewable resources, among other changes.

Seeber is the founder and president of TriStem, Ltd, a Texas-based company that serves as an advocate for large users of electricity. Its services include auditing electric utility bills, recovering refunds, and negotiating (and renegotiating) contacts with utilities for its clients. TriStem’s clients have included the World Trade Center, Exxon, Texaco, General Electric, Hyatt, and Pfizer, the U.S. Coast Guard, General Services Administration, Postal Service and the Veteran’s Administration, the states of Arizona, Michigan, Oregon, and Texas, the cities of Dallas, New Orleans, Savannah, Pensacola, and West Harford, and such universities as Texas Tech and Louisiana State.

Jim Moore is the author of nine books, including his landmark study of the Kennedy assassination, Conspiracy of One and the first biography of then Governor Bill Clinton written in 1992. Moore has been mentioned in more than 30 books and has appeared on more than 700 television and radio programs including 48 Hours, The CBS Evening News and Larry King Live. He divides his time between London and Texas.

Wired for Greed: The Shocking Truth About America’s Utilities (iUniverse, ISBN: 0-595 -35744-X softcover, $13.95) is available at www.iuniverse.com, by calling 1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677) and at traditional and online bookstores.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:35 AM | Comments (0)

Vulcan Minerals: $1,500,000 Financing and 2005 Drilling Program Completed

The company proposes to do a brokered $1.5 million dollar financing. The company also announces completion of its 2005 drilling program.

(PRWEB) December 16, 2005 -- The Company proposes to do a brokered $1.5 million dollar financing consisting of up to 1,428,570 common share units at a price of $0.35 each unit consisting of one common share and one-half common share purchase warrant. One whole warrant is exercisable in to one common share at a price of $0.50 per share for a period of eighteen months. Also, up to 2,500,000 flow-through units at a price of $0.40 per unit each flow-through consisting of one common share on a flow-through basis and one-half of a common share purchase warrant. One whole warrant is exercisable into one common share (non-flow-through) at a price of $0.60 per share for 18 months. Dominick and Dominick Securities Inc. will act as lead agent together with Jennings Capital Inc. and Acadian Securities Incorporated as co-agents on a best efforts basis. A cash commission of 7% plus broker warrants amounting to 10% of the total units sold is payable to the agents. The broker warrants will be exercisable at $0.50 for a period of 12 months. The proceeds are to be used for the Company’s ongoing exploration program and working capital. The financing is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.

2005 Drilling Program Completed

The Company also announces completion of its 2005 drilling program. The Company drilled four wells in the Bay St. George Basin, Western Newfoundland. The most recent well, Hurricane #2, has been drilled to total depth of 935m and logged. No commercial hydrocarbons were encountered, although numerous oil shows in the form of cut fluorescence in drill cuttings were encountered over several intervals totally 255 metres. Once again it demonstrates the presence of an active petroleum system in the area. The Hurricane #2 well location did not penetrate the evaporite cap rock encountered in Hurricane #1 rather it targeted a seismically anomalous package interpreted to contain a separate cap rock. The anomaly did not contain a cap rock which negated its trapping potential. This stratigraphic sequence of rocks was drilled for the first time and provides invaluable information for future exploration of the area.

Vulcan’s 2005 program in this new basin has demonstrated an active petroleum system extending at least 20 kilometres from the shallow Flat Bay oil discovery in the north to the Hurricane Structure in the south. The addition of new seismic data and airborne magnetic data will assist in the delineation of the Flat Bay oil deposit through the identification of natural fracturing and reservoir enhancement. Plans for 2006 will include further drilling at Flat Bay including identification of a gas discovery made by mining operations in the 1950’s (News Release, Oct. 28, 2005). As well, the Company has identified a series of deeper targets (beyond 1000 metres) that will require drill testing. It is the Company’s intent to solicit partners to assist in the drilling of these targets. Several shallow (less than 1000 metres) targets outside the Flat Bay deposit also remain to be tested.

The Company is proud of its accomplishments for 2005 as an operator and driller in a frontier area. The drilling rig and the local drilling crew performed very well, allowing the Company to complete its program in a timely fashion and on a cost effective basis.

Vulcan is a junior exploration company focussed on exploring for petroleum in Western Newfoundland both onshore and offshore. The Company also owns petroleum rights over an area prospective for coalbed methane in Western Newfoundland. As well, the Company owns mineral rights to a nickel/copper discovery in Labrador and a gold prospect in Central Newfoundland. Both mineral projects have been optioned out to Nortec Ventures Corp.

Stock Symbol: TSX: VUL
Shares issued: 28,610,884

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:34 AM | Comments (0)

December 15, 2005

Enertech Labs, Inc. Releases New BioFlow line of Biodiesel / Biofuel Additives

Enertech Labs, Inc. has released a line of additives for B100 and Bx or Bxx Blended Biofuels. Products using the latest technologies for cold flow improvement (antigel), water dispersion, and stabilization of BioDiesel Fuels.

(PRWEB) December 15, 2005 -- Enertech Labs, Inc. is pleased to announce the introduction of the BioFlow™ line of additives for the treatment of Biodiesel, Bio-Lubricating Oils, and Bio/Petro Diesel Blended Fuels derived from Vegetable Oils, Plant Oils, Seed Oils, Rendered Animal Fats, and Used Cooking Oils.

The BioFlow line includes BioFlow™ 100, BioFlow™ 1000, and BioFlow™ 107671A for the treatment of B100 BioFuels and Bio-Lubricants Oils, BioFlow™ 20 for the treatment of blended Biodiesel fuels such as B2, B5, B10, B20, etc.

Additionally there is our BioFlow™ Matrix products that can be custom blended to meet specific customer requirements.

The BioFlow™ products use the very latest technologies to improve the characteristics of B100 and Blended Biodiesel, Bio-Heating Oil, Bio-Lubricating Oils.

BioFlow 20™ combines the latest technologies for treatment of Biofuel and proven technologies for treatment of Petroleum Diesel Fuel. Treatment of the two major components of Blended BioDiesel offers the greatest improvement and most flexibility in Biodiesel fuels.

BioFlow™ 20, BioFlow™ 100, and BioFlow™ 1000 contain the Enertech Labs proprietary product Enerfuel which totally disperses water, provides fuel system cleaning, dissolving gum, varnish, and carbon buildup, inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi without the use of dangerous pesticides, and prevents corrosion. When combined with our proprietary cold flow improver components it provides the best cold weather product available anywhere.

For more information please contact the sales department at:

Enertech Labs, Inc.
714 Northland Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14211
1-800-759-2080
1-716-597-0217 fax
www.enertechlabs.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:56 AM | Comments (0)

KBC Awarded $11M Contract by SINOPEC

KBC Process Technology Ltd. (KBC) announces the recent award of one of its largest consulting contracts by SINOPEC, China’s largest refiner.

London, UK, and Houston, Texas, USA (PRWEB) December 15, 2005 -- KBC Process Technology Ltd. (KBC) announces the recent award of one of its largest consulting contracts by SINOPEC, China’s largest refiner.

SINOPEC awarded this contract for consulting in all operating areas, incorporating programs in yield and energy improvement, operations planning, as well as equipment reliability and maintenance. And, as an integral part of this project, SINOPEC licenses KBC’s proprietary simulation software, Petro-SIM™, and a full range of Profimatics™ process unit models for use at their Zhenhai and Yanshan refining and petrochemical facilities.

The contract is valued in excess of $11m over 30 months, with work commencing immediately. This agreement further strengthens KBC’s relationship with SINOPEC, and builds on another recent award of a contract for KBC’s proprietary Deepcut vacuum distillation technology for SINOPEC’s grassroots Qingdao refinery complex.

George Bright, KBC’s Chief Operating Officer, remarked, “We are delighted that SINOPEC has awarded this prestigious contract to KBC. We will be working in full partnership with SINOPEC, and both parties are looking forward to achieving significant operating improvement through the implementation of KBC’s best practices program.”

About SINOPEC:
China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (“Sinopec Corp.”) is an integrated energy and chemical company with upstream, midstream and downstream operations, headquartered in Beijing. Its major physical assets are located in South East China (its principal market), an area that has experienced the highest economic growth in China. The principal operations of Sinopec Corp. and its subsidiaries include: exploring, developing, producing and trading crude oil and natural gas, processing crude oil into refined oil products: producing, trading, transporting distributing and marketing refined oil products and producing and distributing chemical products. Based on 2004 turnover, Sinopec Corp. is the largest listed company in China. The Company is one of the largest petroleum and petrochemical companies in China and Asia. It is also one of the largest gasoline, diesel and jet fuel and other major chemical product producers and distributors in China and Asia.

About KBC:
KBC Advanced Technologies plc, a leading independent process engineering consultancy, delivers improved profitability through consulting services and practical solutions to owners and operators in the oil refining, petrochemical and processing industries worldwide. KBC provides process consulting, strategic planning advice, petroleum and chemical price forecasting, economic studies, and capital project reviews to help clients find the most cost-effective way to achieve their short- and long-term objectives. KBC analyzes plant operations and management systems, recommends changes for material and measurable improvements in profitability, and provides implementation services to assist clients in realizing these improvements. In carrying out this work, KBC makes extensive use of its proprietary refinery-wide simulation and process modeling technology. Formed in 1979, KBC has principal offices in the UK, USA, Singapore, Japan, Russia, and the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.kbcat.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:55 AM | Comments (0)

Petroleum Equipment Institute Focused on Underground Storage Tank Issues

Rex Brown, director of information services at the Petroleum Equipment Institute, addressed attendees at the UST Management & Compliance Assistance Seminar held in Austin, Texas on December 15, 2005. He discussed three projects PEI has focused on in the last year. These include UST owner/operator checklist, a new technical manual covering dispensing equipment and the PEI Learning Center

TULSA, OK (PRWEB) December 15, 2005 -- Mr. Rex Brown, director of information services at the Petroleum Equipment Institute, addressed attendees at the UST Management & Compliance Assistance Seminar held in Austin, Texas on December 15, 2005. Brown described projects implemented over the last year by PEI on various subjects related to underground storage tanks (UST). These include a UST owner/operator checklist, a new technical manual covering dispensing equipment and the PEI Learning Center, an online training resource.

The intent of the new PEI checklists, developed by PEI’s Tank Installation Committee, is to minimize the risk of releases through proper and regular inspections and maintenance of underground storage tank (UST) equipment. The checklists were designed to be used by tank inspectors, tank owners and petroleum equipment service and installation companies. Regulators have been very accepting of the checklists and the checklists will appear in 30,000 copies of Florida’s new UST compliance handbook. Tank owners, inspectors and service companies have permission to distribute these checklists providing no changes are made to the content. The checklists can be found at www.pei.org/FRD/checklist.htm.

The just released PEI Recommended Practices for Inspection and Maintenance of Motor Fuel Dispensing Equipment, also known as RP500, details procedures for inspecting and maintaining motor fuel dispensing equipment. Brown encouraged manufacturers and installers of this equipment to provide copies of the RP500 to their customers to assist in establishing regular inspection procedures. The recommended practices are described in detail and available for purchase at www.pei.org/RP500.

Attendees were also given a preview of the PEI Learning Center, a collection of online training courses designed to help owners and operators understand and manage their underground storage systems. Brown noted that the PEI board authorized this program because they felt that PEI members and their customers would benefit. “If the manager of the convenience store knew things like what the blinking light on the ATG means or understood the importance of looking at the spill buckets on a regular basis, it would be a good for everyone.”

Five courses are available initially, with more to be developed in 2006. The five courses explain automatic tank gauges—one for tanks only and the other for tanks and piping--understanding single-walled piping, secondary containment for piping, and spill containment and overfill prevention. The courses are available online and take about an hour to complete. The training is available 24/7. It is both self-paced and fast-paced. To learn more about the PEI Learning Center go to www.pei.org/learn or call Robert Young at 918 494-9696.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:54 AM | Comments (0)

December 14, 2005

Growing Worldwide Rejection of US Brands Threatens US Companies; Global Communication Expert Counsels US Businesses on Regaining Advantage Through Brand Globalization

American executives are increasingly concerned about the global market for many of their brands. In an article in the December American Executive Magazine, Global Communications Expert Josef Blumenfeld explores the threats facing American brands and offers strategic counsel on globalizing those brands as a buffer against continued anti-US sentiment. Blumenfeld has experience managing PR/Communications in 28 countries worldwide.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) December 14, 2005 -– In an article in the current issue of American Executive, global communications expert Josef Blumenfeld, founder of consulting firm Tradewind Strategies, provides American business executives important strategies that will enable them to sustain their leadership in the global marketplace – a position that many US brands could soon lose to foreign competitors.

“It’s clear that the world’s passion for American brands has been tempered,” Blumenfeld writes in the December issue of American Executive, published by RedCoat Publishing, Inc. “In some countries, double-digit percentages of the population actively boycott American brands.” Blumenfeld sites examples from US publications and other research that illustrate the striking rejection of American brands by consumers in France, Germany, Canada, China and Japan.

America’s global competition is “taking advantage of this decline in favorability and some are emerging as impressive global players,” Blumenfeld warns. “When an American brand’s leadership appears vulnerable, foreign competitors know how to grab marketshare.” The slow economic recovery in the US requires that many American companies look overseas since “global markets may be the only opportunity for growth.” Blumenfeld adds, “Many American companies are rightfully concerned about their global staying power. There are important strategies to strengthen their brands that these companies should adopt now.”

Blumenfeld warns against the current tendency of American companies to overemphasize local market-specific connections, effectively fragmenting these immensely valuable brands by “giving the local arm of a company too much autonomy.” He adds, “A country manager should not be the shepherd of a global brand.” In order to maintain global leadership, Blumenfeld advises that American businesses emerge as a global brand, rather than an American one. “A globalized American brand can connect with the global marketplace” and insulate itself from growing anti-American sentiment. “The end of an iconic American brand is not without precedent,” he cautions in this article.

“The global marketplace expects nothing less” than truly globalized brands,” Blumenfeld concludes. “By emerging as a global brand, rather than an American one, US products can continue to compete in the global marketplace.”

About Tradewind Strategies
Tradewind Strategies was founded by Josef Blumenfeld, a strategic communications professional with experience managing PR agencies and programs in 28 countries on six continents. As international markets continue to grow in importance, there is a growing need for experienced, global communications professionals. With offices in Boston and Beijing, Tradewind Strategies enables companies to identify international marketing resources and to expand their public relations and communications programs into these new and growing international markets. Clients have including global PR agencies, corporate global giants such as Wal-Mart and Philips, and smaller companies – both in the US, as well as in international markets. Blumenfeld has been quoted in worldwide press, including Fortune, The New York Times, Asian Wall Street Journal, China Business, Xinhua, Globo (Brazil), Media (Hong Kong), UPI, CMO, PR Magazin (Germany), and Inc. More information can be found at www.tradewindstrategies.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:39 AM | Comments (0)

200 Miles Per Gallon in a car ... how!? Vapor Systems Technology's Incredible Upgraded Website Is Loaded With Information on Gas-Saving, Super-Efficient Automotive Fuel Vaporizing Systems

400 hours of research at the US Patent Office website has paid off handsomely! 920 different auto fuel vaporizer system patents previously only available on one CD, now also accessible by subscription at their website, or as a download right to your own computer!

(PRWEB) December 13, 2005 -- In December 2004, Vapor Systems Technology, a research and development company focusing on secretive, suppressed high mileage fuel vaporizer technology for gas-powered vehicles, rocked the automotive world with an information CD like no other before. 920 fuel vaporizing systems from the last 80 years to the present, systematically broken down by decade into a dozen different types of vapor systems. Now, for an encore, this same information can be accessed by subscription directly from their site, or as one single download straight to your own computer!

Vapor Systems Technology's president, David Steckling has seen to it that his company is on the cutting edge and going all out with available information on these type of systems. Some of the following topics are now available or nearly completed for you to check out: 10 very successful systems from their CD for you to read about. See http://fuelvapors.com/best/main_pages/10_examples.htm
A free demo to surf through that actually has over 50 of the 920 patents available for your viewing and/or download... for free! See http://fuelvapors.com/best/main_pages/our_examples.htm
A detailed writeup on what a fuel vaporizing system is, and how it functions. See
http://fuelvapors.com/best/main_pages/what_is_vaporizer.htm
An in-depth description of nearly a dozen different types and methods of vaporizing fuel to achieve extreme high miles per gallon efficiency. See
http://fuelvapors.com/best/main_pages/type_of_patents.htm
Summaries and edited transcripts from rarely seen newspaper articles chronicling the development of this technology by the world's most successful inventors to date. See
http://fuelvapors.com/best/main_pages/inventors.htm
Pictures and descriptions of their own high-mileage system as they proceed through development, with a projected completion by early this spring. See
http://fuelvapors.com/best/main_pages/our_system.htm
Not to mention a blog page for vapor system enthusiasts or just the curious; a page with links to other inventors and relevant sites relating to this technology, a listing of all their press releases, writeups and interviews, and also brief exposes on the founders of Vapor Systems Technology, and the reason why they are doing this. See
http://fuelvapors.com/best/main_pages/who_we_are.htm and
http://fuelvapors.com/best/main_pages/why.htm

Vapor Systems Technology's President, David Steckling:
We here at Vapor Systems Technology have spent an enormous amount of time researching and learning about what we could best describe as technology that many wealthy oil company conglomerates and government bureaucrats have attempted to discredit, hide and cover up in order to keep the lid on this technology. We have been contacted by hundreds of people who, like us, are tired of being taken for all we're worth at the gas pump. Many of them have been directly involved or know someone who has successfully experimented with these types of systems. Our goal is to inform and educate people on the fact that achieving 200 miles per gallon in a conventional car is not a fantasy. It has already been done, and is being done today by dozens of people throughout the country. Ultimately, complete independence from foreign oil is the goal we share with you, both individually and as a nation! Check out our site. You'll never see the gas pump the same way again!

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:38 AM | Comments (0)

Buying Natural Gas Under Deregulation - Avoid These 3 Costly Mistakes

Auditek, a Novato, California firm that monitors national utility companies, offers tips for avoiding mistakes when buying natural gas.

Novato, CA (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) December 13, 2005 -- Auditek, a Novato, California firm that monitors national utility companies, offers tips for avoiding mistakes when buying natural gas.

Rising natural gas prices have caused many businesses to consider for the first time to buy natural gas from suppliers other than their primary utility company. Unfortunately, it’s not a simple matter of just seeing who has the lowest price. There are a lot of potential problems.

1. Only use the NAESB contract with the watermark.
Contracts can vary greatly from one company to the next. The North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) has developed a contract which is a good starting point with a base level of certain standards. However, while you may be promised this contract, it can be modified.

Robert Lansburg, an energy expert with Auditek, cautions, “If you don’t see the NAESB watermark, tear up the contract. Someone made some changes, and they’re definitely not for your benefit.”

2. Be clear if there is a penalty for exceeding the prior year’s consumption or load.
Bids vary as well, and a lower price might actually cost you more. How is that possible? A lower price can often be based on your using the same amount of gas as last year, but you’re penalized if you exceed last year’s consumption, or load. That penalty can wipe out any savings.

If your business has a steady, constant load, it might not be a problem. However, what if it’s a particularly cold winter? What if your business finds itself with large orders and increases production significantly? Or, what if you add employees?

3. Don’t lock in prices for 100% of your load.
One common strategy is to lock in prices as simple insurance for future increases. Be safe and only go with 50% of your load, or if there’s an unusual decrease as there was 10 days ago, you might have considered 75%.

Rising fuel costs are forcing businesses to consider raising their prices, put off new projects, and even shut their doors. Depending on your state, savings for natural gas are generally 5 to 10%. Be aware when shopping around to look at the fine print, and be very clear how long the company has been in business, and in your state.

About Auditek
Auditek analyzes utility rules and regulations throughout the United States, and advises clients who are buying natural gas and electricity. http://www.auditek.net

Contact:
Robert Lansburg, President
Auditek
Novato, CA
(415) 354-6140, ext. 50.
e-mail protected from spam bots

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:36 AM | Comments (0)

December 13, 2005

Petrol Prices Flat Despite Oil Depot Fires

Prices for 4 star (LRP), unleaded and diesel all remained flat over the weekend despite the huge fires which have been burning at the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead.

(PRWEB) December 14, 2005 -- Prices for 4 star (LRP), unleaded and diesel all remained flat over the weekend despite the huge fires which have been burning at the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead.

Buncefield is the country's fifth largest fuel distribution depot, jointly run by Total and Texaco, and is used to store oil, petrol and kerosene. It had been feared that the loss of the Buncefield depot may have caused some supply problems, but this has not been the case.

According to fuel price monitoring website www.petrolprices.com, prices actually fell marginally on Sunday, with the average price of Unleaded down 0.1p/litre to 87.60p and Diesel down 0.3p/litre to 91.99p

The news came as fire-fighters were given the go-ahead to attempt to extinguish the blaze, which is believed to be one of the biggest in peacetime Europe.

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Maunders, co-founder of PetrolPrices.com said, “The oil industry is incredibly resilient. They have plans in place to deal with supply problems like this. The price statistics from www.petrolprices.com today would confirm that their plans are working and that the disruption has been minimal.”

The advice from the industry is for motorists to buy petrol when they normally would and not to panic buy. Nick Vandervell, from the UK Petroleum Industry Association said, “Since Buncefield only accounted for around 5% of total distribution capacity, it is the act of panic buying itself which is most likely to cause shortages, and not supply problems from the depots.”

Notes for Editors
Petrolprices.com is the UK’s only comprehensive and free fuel price website for consumers, where they can find the cheapest petrol stations near any town or postcode of their choice. Prices are updated daily and displayed conveniently using Google Maps technology.

At the time of writing the difference between the highest price (104.9p) and the lowest price (83.9p) for unleaded petrol in the UK was 21p.

Petrolprices.com was launched in November 2005 by Fubra Limited, the same company that launched the largest UK house price website www.ourproperty.co.uk in January of this year.

For more information contact:
Kay Joyce
Media and Trade Relations Manager

W: www.PetrolPrices.com

P: 01252 367 208
F: 01252 367 229
A: The Cloisters
Hillside Road
Aldershot
Hampshire GU11 3NB

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:55 AM | Comments (0)

Global Warming -- A Partial Cure that Needs Help

Today, there are products that will greatly help reduce engine (even vehicle) emissions, by far more than the Public realizes or has even been told. A 10% drop in the emissions of all of these engines, Globally, would result in a major cleaning of the atmosphere and breathable Air. Imagine, if possible, that there was a product that was developed by a very respected group of Scientist (NASA), sold to a company and developed further, into a product that could (and actually has, for over ten years) help reduce the engine emissions of the devices it was used in by over 50%. Would this be worth the attention of the World?? One would hope so; yet, this affordable product has been in use, around the World for better than ten years, and not too many people know about it. A product that has effectively reduced engine pollutants by up to 70% and helped improve fuel economy by an average of 20% is known to a handful of people, around the world.

(PRWEB) December 13, 2005 -- The world is starting to really take notice of Mankinds effect on the Environment. Things started with the Hole in the Ozone layer, then the destruction and burning of the Rain Forest, then the increase in Respiratory Illnesses (Asthma, Bronchitis, etc., Globally, the increases in Severe Weather (Globally) and the ever increasing amount of EarthQuakes (Globally). Although there are plenty of organizations, trying to do their part, in educating the public and steering the public toward a better way of conserving the Planet, they still lack the initiative to do more about the situation than go for their "15 Minutes of Fame" or use scare tactics to get attention. What is needed is for the Environmental Movement, which is starting to build a greater following and a lot more momentum, to start paying attention to the products that are being developed to help the public improve on already gluttonous attitudes and dependence on a depleteable source of energy.

Most of todays air pollution does not come from factories, but from the indulgence of a petty need to travel and all of those items of convenience. If you think about ALL the engines, around the world, that use gas, diesel, or even bio-diesel; this includes weed eaters, mowers, recreational 4-wheelers, cars, motorcycles, trucks, SUV's, Semi's, Construction Equipment, Trains, Ships, etc. Think about all of these items and most will be found, in use, in Every Country around the world. Hundreds of Millions of engines, that spew toxic by-products into the air, into the Environment.

The world refuses to be affordable with an alternative energy source; so, the public continues to complain about the situation, but still use a very polluting form of fuel/energy. If this is considered helping the Planet and the Environment, then humanity will never be able to give its Children a "Green World" to enjoy.

What is needed is to pay attention to development of products and devices that enables mankind to stop destroying the Environment and still be cost effective. Allowing big business to effectively squash/buy-up new and effective products/developments, that would allow consumers to do less harm to the Environment, simply means that consumers are letting them keep mankind on the "Road to Ruin!" This is the same as saying that mankind does not care and is willing to abide by someone else's decision on what is Good and Right for all people and the planet.

Today, there are products that will greatly help reduce engine (even vehicle) emissions, by far more than the Public realizes or has even been told. A 10% drop in the emissions of all of these engines, Globally, would result in a major cleaning of the atmosphere and breathable Air. Imagine, if possible, that there was a product that was developed by a very respected group of Scientist (NASA), sold to a company and developed further, into a product that could (and actually has, for over ten years) help reduce the engine emissions of the devices it was used in by over 50%. Would this be worth the attention of the World?? One would hope so; yet, this affordable product has been in use, around the World for better than ten years, and not too many people know about it. A product that has effectively reduced engine pollutants by up to 70% and helped improve fuel economy by an average of 20% is known to a handful of people, around the World!

This is the type of product and information that consumers expect the "Watch Dogs" in the Government and the Environmentalist to be on the lookout for. Is this not what they tell consumers they are doing; finding new and better technology, to allow the consumer to stop polluting the only planet available? Finding alternatives, to existing problems, and those products that will allow consumers to live cleaner on this planet? What are they really doing, if a product that can make such a vital impact on the "Global Warming" situation, is not being used by the people who are supposed to be the "Watch Dogs?"

For more information on the product mentioned in this article, visit: http://www.fromweedeaterstotugboats.com or http://www.cheapgaspricesonline.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:54 AM | Comments (0)

Award-Winning Winery Harvests Solar Power Alongside Finest Merlot Grapes

The Paloma Winery in St. Helena, California, has taken the next step in achieving sustainability and reduced its electric bill to nearly zero by installing an 18 kilowatt solar electrical system from Akeena Solar.

St. Helena, CA (PRWEB) December 13, 2005 -- Paloma Winery, winner of the Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year award for their 2001 Merlot, just completed the installation of an 18 kilowatt solar electrical system from Akeena Solar. The Winery now harvests clean, affordable electric power right alongside their fine Merlot and Syrah grapes. More information about and pictures of this system can be found at http://www.akeena.net/residential_systems/residential_case_study_ca_sthelena.html

Energy Price Increases Threaten Viability of Family Businesses:
With high energy prices already an issue for many wineries, the rate increases coming in January could be devastating. By generating their own solar power, Paloma will be eliminating their entire electric bill while at the same time protecting the environmental integrity and natural beauty of Napa County. In doing so they are solidifying their place among the nation’s most farsighted and environmentally responsible winemakers.

“This decision was not difficult,” said Sheldon Richards, son of winemakers Jim and Barbara Richards. “First of all, I knew that energy costs were going to escalate dramatically. Second, why waste all that free sunshine?”

“The Paloma Winery project is the most recent addition to our growing list of winery customers, which includes Mount Eden Vineyards, Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Rust Ridge, V. Sattui Winery and Kent Rasmussen Winery," said Akeena President, Barry Cinnamon. "Sustainability has become a vital focus for family owned wineries in California, and we are proud to have partnered with the Richards family on this latest solar winery project," added Cinnamon.

Electricity Rates Skyrocketing Again
“California is woefully short of new power generating capacity, and our local utility once again will be raising rates in 2006. So people who are already experiencing high utility bills will be clobbered when the new rates goes into effect in January. But there is some very good news,” said Cinnamon. “Farsighted businesses such as Paloma Winery realize that they can help solve these problems for themselves by installing a solar electric system. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is poised to release their plan for fully funding Governor Schwarzenegger's Million Solar Roofs Initiative, which would make it possible to install many more solar systems in the state."

About Paloma
Paloma Winery is a family owned and operated 15-acre estate vineyard specializing in Merlot and Syrah. It is located five miles west of St. Helena at the top of Spring Mountain. In the last half of the 19th century it was a vineyard, but was allowed to return to forest about the turn of the century. In the 1980’s, Jim and Barbara Richards purchased the property with the intent of rebuilding the vineyard. From the beginning the Richards worked diligently to be environmentally sensitive while developing a sustainable business. Careful planning, smart use of resources and step by step additions to their operation have resulted in a very successful micro-winery operation. Paloma Winery began its implementation of energy saving practices in 2000 with the design and construction of their winery building. The 3,600 square foot building is constructed of pre-insulated metal wall panels with a stucco finish and a standing seam metal roof. With excellent insulation (r-value of 30) in floors, walls and ceiling and they ensured a lower need for electricity right from the start.

Solar Electric System
Mounted on the roof of barrelhouse, the solar electric system will provide 21,100 kWh per year for 50 years with virtually no maintenance. Offsetting the initial cost of installation are three large financial incentives for businesses that install solar electric systems in California. First is a rebate of $2800 per kilowatt from the California Energy Commission, second is a 30 percent federal tax credit, and third is a five year accelerated depreciation schedule that applies to the system. These incentives combined to provide a 22.5 percent rate of return on the system with a payback in fewer than 5 years.

About Akeena Solar
Akeena Solar has grown to become the largest national residential and commercial solar electric system installer in the U.S. (based on 2004 data from the California Energy Commission). Akeena’s professional staff embodies decades of experience and provides customers with an unsurpassed combination of solar design expertise, financial analysis and quality installation. For more information, visit Akeena Solar’s web site at www.akeena.net. Akeena Solar employs four NABCEP Certified PV Installers.

With offices in Fairfield, NJ and Los Gatos, CA, Akeena installs solar electric systems in California, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Founded in 2001, Akeena Solar’s philosophy is simple: we believe that producing clean electricity directly from the sun is the right thing to do for our environment and economy.

Contacts:
Akeena Solar
Barry Cinnamon, President
888-253-3628
www.akeena.net

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:53 AM | Comments (0)

GEOS, Ltd. Selected to Conduct Energy Savings Assessments for the US Department of Energy

GEOS, Ltd., a Batavia, NY based energy consulting firm, announced today that it has been awarded a contract to conduct Energy Savings Assessments at some of the nations largest natural gas fueled industrial facilities on behalf of the US Department of Energy.

(PRWEB) December 13, 2005 -- GEOS, Ltd., a Batavia, NY based energy consulting firm, announced today that it has been awarded a contract to conduct Energy Savings Assessments at some of the nations largest natural gas fueled industrial facilities on behalf of the US Department of Energy.

“These Energy Savings Assessments are a key element of the “Save Energy Now” program launched in early October by the DOE”, said Don Schmidt, GEOS, Ltd’s founder and Principal Consultant. “The purpose of the assessments is to identify immediate opportunities to save energy and money, primarily by focusing on steam and process heating systems. These processes consume nearly 80% of the energy used by U.S. industry.”

GEOS, Ltd. specializes in Power Generation Operations and Industrial Energy Management consulting, with over thirty years of expertise in the United States, North Africa, and Latin America with projects ranging from 75 HP industrial boilers to 500 MW power generation facilities. GEOS provides Industrial Energy Management Strategies, training, and energy assessment services in addition to a full range of Power Generation Operations and Maintenance services.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:52 AM | Comments (0)

December 12, 2005

Americans Jump At Chance to Take Advantage of Gas Savings via New Secret Pill

Farmers, truck drivers, government offices and others can see increase in bottom line by saving at the pump

(PRWEB) December 11, 2005 -- Even though a U.S.A. based company called BioPerformance won't be officially launching until around February 1, 2006, many people in industry as well as government are taking advantage of this unique opportunity to access this companies new "Secret Gas Pill". Truck drivers, farmers and others who have a high fuel consumption already understand what a .25 to .50 cents or more savings per gallon will do for their bottom line.

Right now the "secret gas pill" is only available in America, however, it will only be a matter of time before it reaches beyond the shores of USA and arrives in the UK, Europe, Asia and other countries throughout the world. It is expected that people from all over will be looking to find out how they can get the gas pill so they can save on fuel cost as well as help save the environment.

There are at least three main reasons people are looking to get this amazing pill:

• Savings of as much as .25 to .50 or more per gallon
• Better performance and increased engine power
• Less emissions saving the air we breathe

One farmer, who drives 100 miles to and from work everyday, understands that a savings of just 25% means that every fourth fill up is essentially free. Since the gas pill cost about $1.00 each (wholesale) and one pill would be used for a 15 gallon fill up, the result for just a 20% increase in mileage on a 15 gallon tank means approximately 4 gallons of that tank is almost free. One can only imagine the savings farmers will experience on fuel cost on farm equipment as well as truck drivers and government transportation and other offices.

There are numerous testimonials which can be read on the company’s web site. Those that have already used the new gas pill have experienced additional mileage per gallon which adds up to monthly savings. Some prefer to use the gas pill because of the reduction in emissions which saves the air we breathe. It has even been found to help people pass emissions test after having driven just 100 miles using the pill.

To find out more about the gas pill and how to buy it at wholesale visit: http://BioFuel.BruceGoldwell.com. Of course the pill is available at retail price; however, users can save an additional 33% (approximately) by buying at the wholesale price.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

December 09, 2005

View the 2006 Energy Map of the Former Soviet Union Today

Research and Markets (researchandmarkets.com/reports/c29155) has announced the addition of Energy Map of the Former Soviet Union 2006 to their offering.

Dublin (PRWEB) December 9, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c29155) has announced the addition of Energy Map of the Former Soviet Union 2006 to their offering.

Energy Map of the Former Soviet Union, 2006 contains the following:
-Major oil and gas fields, major oil and gas pipelines, import/export terminals
-Major refineries and LNG plants, including those currently planned or under construction
-Inset maps for Tyumen and Yamal, the Middle Volga, the Caspian Sea area and Sakhalin Island
-Topography, bathymetry, major towns, cities and rivers
-Tables show oil and gas reserves by country and key data for the region
-Selected pipeline projects to increase oil and gas exports from the FSU

Details:
Size: 1,400mm x 862mm
Scale: 1:7.8 million

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c29155

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:57 AM | Comments (0)

December 08, 2005

Bryan Named KUA Employee of the Year

Cindy Bryan, senior buyer, has been named Kissimmee Utility Authority's 2005 Employee of the Year.

Kissimmee, Fla., (PRWEB) December 8, 2005 -- Cindy Bryan, senior buyer, has been named Kissimmee Utility Authority's 2005 Employee of the Year.

Bryan, chosen from this year's 12 employees of the month, was singled out for her keen contract and procurement skills, while contributing to the utility's mission and goals. With this honor comes a $400 U.S. Savings Bond, a plaque and two days off with pay.

"We are all incredibly proud of Cindy Bryan," said Jim Welsh, KUA president and general manager. "Cindy exemplifies the characteristics of leadership, professionalism and personal integrity."

A five-year veteran of the utility, Bryan is a member of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and a Certified Public Purchasing Buyer (CPPB).

Originally from Williamsport, Pa., Bryan is a resident of St. Cloud. She and her husband have two children.

Founded in 1901, KUA (www.kua.com) is Florida's sixth largest community-owned utility providing electric and telecommunication services to 170,000 residents in five Central Florida counties.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:12 AM | Comments (0)

Companies Scramble to Find Energy Efficiency to Save Jobs and Maintain Profits

The rising costs of energy have company chief financial officers scrambling for solutions to reduce the impact on profits, without increasing prices to consumers or cutting jobs.

HOUSTON (PRWEB) December 8, 2005 -- The United States Department of Energy is projecting a sustained increase of 30 percent in the cost of electricity, and warns that natural gas prices will remain at historic levels for the forseeable future.

This trend can be reversed through energy demand management, eliminating waste, and enhancing energy efficiency. It requires coordinated changes which the commercial and industrial energy consumer can implement within their current operating budget, according to Mike Logan from Corporate Alliance, an affiliate of NBI, the National Business Initiative to control energy costs.

Corporate Alliance specializes in operational cost containment and energy demand management.

"Most commercial and industrial users waste anywhere from 15 percent to as much as 45 percent on energy. It is a solvable problem, and it is solvable within the current operating budget. The audit not only shows where the waste is taking place, it also provides specific solution recommendations. Savings are immediate," said Logan

The two most recent NBI affiliates are from Texas, Vantage Power Services and StarTex Power. Both Retail Electric Providers are offering all qualifying Texas commercial and industrial energy consumers a free analysis to determine ways to make an immediate reduction in energy costs. The service is provided at no charge through NBI by Corporate Alliance, and is available upon request.

"You do not need to be a customer of Vantage or StarTex to request the free audit. They care enough about helping Texas companies to support NBI on behalf of the energy consumer, providing the energy audit and accompanying engineering analysis through Corporate Alliance at no charge" explained Logan.

“Core operating cost center control opportunities that are overlooked or under-assessed by many businesses include water conservation, energy tax exemption, utility billing errors, insurance expenses, marketing analysis, waste analysis, and personnel cost control. Corporate Alliance has assembled a team of experts to investigate each of these arenas as clients address and establish energy conservation policies,” explained Logan.

He said the typical energy survey and waste analysis identifies proven solutions which can save a company 15 to 45 percent of energy costs, and accomplish that within the existing energy budget. These potential efficiencies improve profitability, save jobs, and improve the environment,.

"How would it benefit a business to go from 65 percent energy efficiency to 95 percent efficiency? It would save jobs," said Logan. “It would also keep a company in the black, and even help gain market share over a less energy efficient competitor,” said Logan.

Commercial and industrial energy users with $10,000 or more in combined energy bills per month can request the free energy analysis by sending a fax request on company letterhead to the NBI affiliates listed below.

Vantage Power Services
Fax (713) 973-9453

StarTex Power
Fax (713) 357-2890

Corporate Alliance, L.P.
Fax (281) 248-4486

"In these days of rapidly escalating energy commodity prices and increasing foreign oil dependency, energy efficiency is not only a business imperative, it also enhances our national security," said Brig. Gen. U.S. Army (ret) Thomas White, former secretary of the Army, and a current Corporate Alliance director nominee.

"Our primary product is core cost containment. Our purpose is to implement proven energy efficiency solutions, which reduce fixed operating expenses by 15 to 45 percent," said White.

Additional information about Corporate Alliance can be found on the Internet at www.CAteam.com.

Press Contact -- Do Not Publish:
Mike Logan
409-682-3881

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:12 AM | Comments (0)

Georgia Develops Its Energy Pipeline Prospects After Being Indebt to Russia and Other Countries for Energy Supplies

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28976) has announced the addition of Georgia: Russian Foreign Energy Policy and Implications For Georgia's Energy Security to their offering.

Dublin (PRWEB) December 8, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28976) has announced the addition of Georgia: Russian Foreign Energy Policy and Implications For Georgia's Energy Security to their offering.

Analyzes the impact of Russian energy companies on Georgia's economic and political development and how Georgia's attempts to develop its energy potential are hindered by the interference of Russian energy interests in government and the private sector.

One of a series of reports which examines the emergence of a Russian foreign energy policy based on acquisitions of energy assets in the post-Soviet space by Russian entities and analyzes the political and economic implications of a new liberal Russian energy empire.

Factual case studies, written by leading authorities on Russian hydrocarbons and critical energy infrastructure protection, on how acquisitions are being made with conclusions drawn on Russian negotiating practices in the transfer of ownership of foreign energy assets.

Georgia's severe energy supply deficits in the early 1990s engendered significant political and economic pressure on the government to join the CIS in 1994. During this period, Georgia became heavily indebted to Russia and other countries for energy supplies. As Georgia began restructuring its energy sector, the new Russian and Georgian political elites exerted their influence, particularly through the participation of Russian gas company Itera in privatizations of Georgian gas enterprises. Georgia is developing its pipeline potential in order to boost its role as a transit route to Europe, Turkey and Iran.

Over the past few years, Russian-Georgian business groups and their offshore capital have been working to monopolize the Georgian economy. Russia's gas industry has been consolidating its hold over the CIS pipeline infrastructure, particularly through the expansion of Gazprom. However, Gazprom failed to take control of Georgia's pipeline infrastructure.

This unique study will assist energy industry professionals, policy experts, and decision makers who seek to make sense of the dynamic changes that have overcome not only the Russian energy complex but also in understanding the confluence of Russian private and public sector interest in controlling downstream assets in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe regions.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28976

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:11 AM | Comments (0)

Azerbaijan is Cautious of the Russian Involvement in its Energy Industry, As It Is Feared They Will Use Their Power for Political Purposes

Dublin (PRWEB) December 8, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28980) has announced the addition of Russia's Energy Interests in Azerbaijan to their offering

Analyzes Russia's attempts to wield influence over Azerbaijan through its leading Russian energy companies, while Azerbaijan asserts its independence through a string of high-profile deals with leading Western energy firms.

One of a series of reports which examines the emergence of a Russian foreign energy policy based on acquisitions of energy assets in the post-Soviet space by Russian entities and analyzes the political and economic implications of a new liberal Russian energy empire.
Factual case studies, written by leading authorities on Russian hydrocarbons and critical energy infrastructure protection, on how acquisitions are being made with conclusions drawn on Russian negotiating practices in the transfer of ownership of foreign energy assets.

Since independence, Azerbaijan's political leadership has regarded Russia's role in the region with great caution. In the mid-1990s, Russia supported the ethnic war in Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in order to weaken both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's signing of an oil contract with leading Western firms in 1994 and the launch of energy projects sparked significant protest from the Kremlin. In order to gain Russian support for this, then President Heydar Aliyev invited Lukoil to join in the oil deal. During this period, Russia's policy towards Azerbaijan was rather chaotic and uncoordinated.

By 2000, a more coordinated policy emerged and focused on economic and energy dependence. With Russia gaining more energy and economic assets in Georgia and Armenia, Azerbaijan was ripe to become the next target. In 2003-2004, an increased number of senior Russian officials and major energy companies, such as Itera, Gazprom and RAO UES visited Baku in the hopes of participating in energy projects in Azerbaijan. While maintaining diplomatic relations with Moscow, Azerbaijan is more hesitant when it comes to close cooperation with Russian energy companies. Baku fears that if Russia gains more assets in Azerbaijan, control of these assets will be used for political purposes.

This unique study will assist energy industry professionals, policy experts, and decision makers who seek to make sense of the dynamic changes that have overcome not only the Russian energy complex but also in understanding the confluence of Russian private and public sector interest in controlling downstream assets in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe regions.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28980

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:10 AM | Comments (0)

December 07, 2005

COGZ CMMS Software Releases Version 4.60 for Faster Performance

COGZ CMMS Version 4.60 is now available from COGZ Systems, LLC. With added multiple processor environment support, COGZ Version 4.60 offers users an increase to their maintenance management software performance. COGZ Systems, LLC continues to provide new capabilities to make preventive maintenance, work order management, and inventory control even more effortless and with this new version release COGZ CMMS program provides these benefits faster.

Woodbury, CT (PRWEB) December 7, 2005 -- COGZ CMMS Version 4.60 is now available from COGZ Systems, LLC. With added multiple processor environment support, COGZ Version 4.60 offers users an increase to their maintenance management software performance. COGZ Systems, LLC continues to provide new capabilities to make preventive maintenance, work order management, and inventory control even more effortless and with this new version release COGZ CMMS program provides these benefits faster.

With the release of COGZ version 4.60, users now have performance-related enhancements, but still with the same user-friendly, dependable program functionality that has always been at the heart of the COGZ CMMS software.

Version 4.60 provides performance enhancements with multiple processor support for Terminal Server and Citrix Server installations along with Windows XP Service Pack 2 support providing maintenance management improved support for preventive maintenance, work orders, inventory, and purchasing with an intuitive interface. Remote users benefit with increased speed and more effective maintenance management operations.

Easily incorporate the added performance enhancements in version 4.60 as the previous version can be quickly updated to this new release of COGZ CMMS software for added efficiency and successful maintenance management creating a thriving program that will meet increasing management requirements. Provide your corporate-wide program application with the increased speed and system performance available with the 4.60 COGZ CMMS version update.

http://www.cogz.com/updates/up460.htm

About COGZ Systems, LLC:
COGZ Systems, LLC is a leading provider of CMMS software for maintenance management. Since 1989, COGZ Systems has been supporting companies to effectively improve their maintenance management organization as they compete in the global marketplace. With the help of COGZ CMMS software, companies are increasing productivity by ensuring that their equipment is maintained for optimum performance and increased company-wide efficiency. Visit the COGZ Systems, LLC site for additional information: http://www.cogz.com/

Contact:
Lori Ewen
COGZ Systems, LLC
203-263-7882
http://www.cogz.com/

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:00 AM | Comments (0)

Hours of Service PowerPoint® Training Kit from Business & Legal Reports Inc. Helps Companies Train Drivers on New DOT Rules

New hours of service regulations from the DOT will be completely in effect as of December 31 2005. BLR’s new Hours of Service PowerPoint Training Kit provides practical, easy to deliver training that employers can give to insure that their drivers comply with the complex new regulations

Old Saybrook, CT (PRWEB) December 7, 2005 -- The deadline for the nation’s commercial vehicle operators to be in complete compliance with complex new DOT Hours of Service requirements from the DOT is rapidly approaching. The transitional compliance period is set to expire December 31, 2005. The new rules are designed to prevent the estimated 5.5% of fatal truck crashes that are due to driver fatigue. Fortunately, Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (BLR) has just released a PowerPoint training kit that makes it easy to deliver new Hours of Service training that will insure compliance where the rubber meets the road – in the cab of every commercial truck in the nation.

Hours of Service: What You Need to Know PowerPoint Kit explains DOT’s complicated new regulations with lively, real world examples that truckers can relate to. The 30 slide session kit also includes 20 colorfully illustrated employee booklets, complete with quiz and training certification form. Meeting topics in the Kit include explanations of the rules for maximum driving hours, waiting time, sleeper berth rules, short haul provisions, Record of Data Status (RODS), plus practical steps to reduce driver fatigue. Case studies and role plays provide an interactive component to the training.

Bob Brady, President of BLR, commented on the new Kit: “We are pleased to be able to offer such a simple and effective training vehicle to help companies train their drivers. The Kit will help commercial drivers understand and comply with the new Department of Transportation rules, and that will undoubtedly save lives in the years to come.”

To help employers understand the new rules BLR’s safety compliance editors have put together a practical White Paper that summarizes the new Hours of Service rules in plain-English, as well as a practical report on fleet safety best practices. The paper may be downloaded at http://www.blr.com/81001600/PRS68 . Employers may receive a free copy of the Kit’s employee training booklet, Hours of Services: Rules What You Need to Know, by calling 1 800 727-5257.

About BLR
Based in Old Saybrook, Conn., BLR publishes books, newsletters, and Web products serving professionals in human resources, compensation safety, and environmental management. For a free catalog call 1-800-727-5257 or visit www.BLR.com.

Contacts:
BLR: John Brady
860-510-0100 x159

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:00 AM | Comments (0)

SHEC LABS and City of Regina Saskatchewan Are Pleased to Announce World’s First Solar Hydrogen Production Station from Landfill Gas

The City of Regina's city council unanimously approved this revolutionary project for the city's Fleet Street Landfill.

(PRWEB) December 7, 2005 -- SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation, with its partners, Giffels Associates Limited (Ingenium) and Clean 16 Environmental Technologies and in conjunction with the University of Toronto Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, will deploy the world’s first Solar Hydrogen production station using methane, an environmentally damaging greenhouse gas expelled from our city landfills. With the technology and processes developed and now being commercialized by SHEC LABS, a value added method of hydrogen production will be demonstrated. The City of Regina's city council unanimously approved this revolutionary project for the city's Fleet Street Landfill.

Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco elaborated on the potential benefits at the November 21st, 2005, City Council Meeting. “I think there are going to be tremendous spin-offs from this as we move forward,” said Mayor Fiacco. “It’s more than just capturing methane gas from the landfill, it’s much bigger than us and I think our grandchildren will be very appreciative ... in knowing that this is the vision that this Council had for this community and the region.”

Tom Beck, President and CEO of SHEC LABS said, “This project, “SHEC Station #1”, when completed will have the capacity of producing 1.2 million kg of renewable hydrogen per year and will prevent 81.1kt of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e) emissions from entering the atmosphere, every year!” Mr. Beck goes on to say, “The life expectancy of this plant is well over 40 years, in 40 years there will be a new landfill in this city that we can sequester the methane from to create renewable energy. Imagine if every city had this insight, the world would start to become a different place.”

“This is a very important piece of a global environmental puzzle that will now be showcased in the city of Regina,” said Ray Fehr, Vice President of Marketing for SHEC LABS. “This technology is a stepping stone that can change the way energy will be produced in the future and ultimately the way we all live our lives. It takes vision and looking outside the box to find solutions to nagging environmental problems and I feel the City Council of Regina should be commended for having these qualities.”

Hydrogen is seen as “The Fuel Of The Future” by many. When Hydrogen is used in a fuel cell to create electricity it combines with oxygen from the air and the only by-product is pure water. Hydrogen is a main component in gasoline, fertilizer production, hydrogenating edible fats and oils and host of other industries. Today the most common method of hydrogen production is the steam reformation of our depleting supplies of natural gas causing greenhouse gases to be exposed to our atmosphere. The technology to be demonstrated at “SHEC Station #1” in Regina solves numerous problems such as the destruction of harmful green house gasses as well as the production of clean, green, high purity, renewable hydrogen. It also displaces the use of our diminishing resources of natural gas for hydrogen production.

About SHEC LABS - (Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation)

SHEC LABS, a research and development company now embarking on commercialization, is a world leader in providing solutions for the production of clean, renewable energy for the emerging hydrogen economy. SHEC LABS, founded in 1996, has developed technologies to more economically harness the power of the sun, reduce the temperatures required for the disassociation of water, more economically produce hydrogen from fossil fuels and produce hydrogen from biomass sources.

Additional information about SHEC LABS may be found online at
http://www.shec-labs.com

Related Articles can be seen on our web site at:
http://www.shec-labs.com/press/articles_recent.php

Press images are available at:
http://www.shec-labs.com/press/images.php

SHEC LABS – Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation
Tel: (306)956-2225 Fax: (306)956-1144
Contact Us at: http://www.shec-labs.com/contact.php

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:59 AM | Comments (0)

Atex Directive Drives Oil Field and Hazardous Area Supplier of Non-Spark Tools

A new company, Hi-Co Technologies, established to supply energy industry and hazardous area specialities, reports keen interest in their non-spark hand tools because of the pending ATEX directive on safe working practices in explosive areas. Hi-Co holds UK distribution rights to Carltsoe non-spark tools, Jaeger non ferrous castings and Lubchem low temperature lubricants. The company has been founded by Mike Wilkerson and John Bain who together have more than 50 years experience in the industry.

(PRWEB) December 7, 2005 -- A new company, Hi-Co Technologies, established to supply energy industry and hazardous area specialities, reports keen interest in their non-spark hand tools because of the pending ATEX directive on safe working practices in explosive areas. Hi-Co holds UK distribution rights to Carltsoe non-spark tools, Jaeger non ferrous castings and Lubchem low temperature lubricants. The company has been founded by Mike Wilkerson and John Bain who together have more than 50 years experience in the industry.

Mike Wilkerson explained, “The ATEX directive requires employers to conduct risk assessments and classify at-risk areas as Zone 0, 1 or 2. Within these areas, steps must be taken to use equipment with a low probability of creating a source of ignition. This equipment must be independently certified as ATEX compliant and carry the Ex hexagon mark. Carltsoe tools are certified as fully compliant.”

Carltsoe tools are manufactured in Denmark to an ISO certified quality system, under which all tools are individually tested before shipment. Copper Beryllium or Aluminium Bronze are the main alloys used, but other alloys may be used where this is more appropriate. The tools have been tested and accepted by OSHA, DIN, NATO, ISO and other notifying bodies. This equipment is already used in offshore and land facilities operated by Esso, Exxon, Stat Oil, BP and other leading energy companies.

All non-spark tools can be supplied drop-protected for use at height. Guaranteed for life, the tools are non-magnetic, corrosion resistant and have a no quibble replacement guarantee. “Our aim in establishing the new business is to become a key supplier of specialist tools, components and lubricants to the energy sector and we will be expanding the range of products further as we identify new needs and quality suppliers,” explained Mike.

The company aims to launch its web site early in 2006, but companies needing advice on the right products to meet the requirements of their risk assessments can call Mike on +44 (0)1467 894 100.

More information:
Mike Wilkerson Hi-Co Technologies Ltd
21 Crichiebank Business Centre, Mill Rd, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB41 9BU, UK
Tel. +44 (0)1467 894 100 Fax +44 (0)1467 894 101

High res image can be downloaded from: www.clickintopr.com/editors/articleDetail.asp?pjID=231

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:58 AM | Comments (0)

Russia Uses Its Powerful Position to Eliminate the Buying Price for Kazakhstan Gas, Which is 300% Cheaper

Research and Markets (researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28968) has announced the addition of Kazakhstan: Energy Cooperation With Russia – Oil, Gas and Beyond to their offering.

Dublin (PRWEB) December 7, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28968) has announced the addition of Kazakhstan: Energy Cooperation With Russia – Oil, Gas and Beyond to their offering.

Analyzes the control exerted by Russia's private sector and government upon Kazakhstan's natural resource-driven economic development.
Examines Kazakhstan's attempts to diversify its energy export avenues.
One of a series of reports which examines the emergence of a Russian foreign energy policy based on acquisitions of energy assets in the post-Soviet space by Russian entities and analyzes the political and economic implications of a new liberal Russian energy empire.
Factual case studies, written by leading authorities on Russian hydrocarbons and critical energy infrastructure protection, on how acquisitions are being made with conclusions drawn on Russian negotiating practices in the transfer of ownership of foreign energy assets.

As the Soviet Union collapsed, Kazakhstan stumbled into independence. With no past history of independent statehood, Kazakhstan moved quickly to secure its sovereignty, fuelled by bountiful energy resources, discovered during the Soviet era and developed by Western consortia.

However, Russia, with its private sector and policy makers working in tandem, has exerted a significant amount of control over Kazakhstan's economic freedom. Russian oligarchs have raided some of Kazakhstan's choicest natural resources and Russia used its monopoly on gas export pipelines to artificially diminish the buying price for Kazakhstani gas, which was 300% lower than the selling price of Russian gas in Europe. Russia and Kazakhstan also conducted tough negotiations in dividing the Caspian Sea shelf. While Kazakhstan has managed to maintain good relations with Moscow overall, its insistence on exporting energy resources to China and Europe directly, and its hopes to export through Iran, all indicate that President Nursultan Nazarbaev is conducting a successful balance-of-power policy.

This unique study will assist energy industry professionals, policy experts, and decision makers who seek to make sense of the dynamic changes that have overcome not only the Russian energy complex but also in understanding the confluence of Russian private and public sector interest in controlling downstream assets in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe regions.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28968

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:57 AM | Comments (0)

The Russian Oil and Gas Industry Relies on Belarus to Export Its Supplies to Western Europe

Research and Markets (researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28971) has announced the addition of Belarus: Oil, Gas, Transit Pipelines and Russian Foreign Energy Policy to their offering.

Dublin (PRWEB) December 7, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28971) has announced the addition of Belarus: Oil, Gas, Transit Pipelines and Russian Foreign Energy Policy to their offering.

Analyzes the impact upon Russian energy exports if Russia abolishes energy subsidies to Belarus or the Belarusan authoritarian regime is forced out of power.

Explains the significant role that Belarusan pipelines play in energy exports to Western Europe.

One of a series of reports which examines the emergence of a Russian foreign energy policy based on acquisitions of energy assets in the post-Soviet space by Russian entities and analyzes the political and economic implications of a new liberal Russian energy empire.

Factual case studies, written by leading authorities on Russian hydrocarbons and critical energy infrastructure protection, on how acquisitions are being made with conclusions drawn on Russian negotiating practices in the transfer of ownership of foreign energy assets.

Belarus relies on Russia for about 85% of its total energy needs. These subsidized energy supplies help to keep authoritarian Belarusan President Aleksandr Lukashenka in power, while Russia needs Belarus' oil and gas pipelines to export its supplies to Western Europe. How will energy exports from Russia and Belarus' transit capabilities impact Western energy investors if this interdependent relationship ends? Lukashenka may eventually be removed from power by his opposition, or Russia may end its support of the Belarusian economy through the energy subsidies.

Belarus: Russian Foreign Energy Policy aims to prepare the investor for just such a window of opportunity by providing essential information on transit, infrastructure and investment issues. The report will analyze both the state of the current infrastructure, as well as the possibilities this transit opens to Belarus as well as Russian and Western investors, particularly as the Yamal Pipeline nears completion. In addition, the report looks at the current conflict between Belarus and Russian investors for control of the country's gas transit system and oil refineries.

This unique study will assist energy industry professionals, policy experts, and decision makers who seek to make sense of the dynamic changes that have overcome not only the Russian energy complex but also in understanding the confluence of Russian private and public sector interest in controlling downstream assets in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe regions.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28971

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:56 AM | Comments (0)

December 06, 2005

Three Under-30 Entrepreneurs Exceeding Their Expectations

Three under-30 entrepreneurs from Canada discover they can overcome the preference clients have for older consultants through hard work and clearly demonstrating their skills. Much to their surprise, their company, Nexreg Compliance Inc., is on pace to record a profit in their first year.

London Ontario, CA (PRWEB) December 6, 2005 -- Mike Harvey, Nick Demko, and Mike Moffatt have a lot in common. They're each under the age of 30 and they each attended high school in London, Ontario, Canada. All three graduated from the University of Western Ontario - Moffatt and Harvey in 1999 and Demko in 2001. Most importantly, they are co-owners of Nexreg Compliance, a company founded in 2005.

Nexreg Compliance Inc. is a London based consulting firm which assists companies who manufacture or distribute chemical products to comply with health and safety regulations. They are not just knowledgeable of Canadian regulations; the majority of their work has been in helping companies comply with the laws of the United States and the European Union.

Nick Demko details the kinds of services Nexreg supplies to their clients:

"If you sell a chemical product, such as a can of spray paint or a household cleaner, there are government health and safety requirements that need to be met with respect to the safety text on the label. Manufacturers are required to provide information on safety and handling procedures and precautions for the industrial chemicals they sell. Many companies do not have the capabilities to create legally compliant product labels and safety information, so they outsource the work to experienced third-party consultants."

Mike Harvey, 29, and Nick Demko, 27, each had several years' worth of experience in the industry before founding Nexreg Compliance. Mike Moffatt, 28, however, knew very little about regulatory compliance prior to Nexreg but provides a great deal of business experience to the company. Moffatt is the owner of Neoclassical Economics Inc., an economic consulting firm, and he is completing his Ph.D. in Business Administration at the Richard Ivey School of Business.

Despite Demko and Harvey's experience in the industry, the trio was worried that their young age may work against them. Mike Harvey explains:

"Clients typically prefer consultants with a few grey hairs, as age is associated with wisdom and experience. There is a stigma against younger companies and entrepreneurs, but if you work hard and demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and experience, you can overcome it."

If potential clients are hesitant to do business with a company run by three young entrepreneurs, Nick Demko hasn't noticed it:

"The response has been phenomenal. We've worked with a number of large U.S. and Canadian companies who are household names. It's surreal to go to shopping in a store and see products on the shelf with labels that you had a hand in designing."

This positive response has been great for Nexreg's bottom line, as Moffatt details:

"Like many start-ups, we had hoped to break even in our second year and start showing a profit in our third. Instead we're on pace to make a small profit this year, and our prospects are outstanding for 2006. To say I'm thrilled with how well things have gone would be an understatement."

Is there a downside to becoming profitable so quickly? Mike Harvey laughs as he states:

"We've been a lot busier than I expected we'd be. But I guess it beats the alternative!"

About Nexreg Compliance Inc.:
Nexreg Compliance provides regulatory consulting, technical translation, and authorship services for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and consumer, industrial, and cosmetic product labeling.

Mike Harvey, President of Nexreg Compliance, can be contacted at (519)488-5126. More information is also available on the web at http://www.nexreg.ca.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:56 AM | Comments (0)

A Four Hour Fire Rating Is Achieved With The Tyfo® Advanced Fire Protection System

Fyfe Company has conducted an extensive research and development project that concluded with a Four Hour Fire Rating for Tyfo® Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) with the Tyfo® Advanced Fire Protection (AFP) System. The Tyfo® AFP System created by Fyfe Company is a two part system designed to, not only minimize heat exposure, but to also provide flame and smoke spread protection as well.

(PRWEB) December 7, 2005 -- Fyfe Company has conducted an extensive research and development project that concluded with a Four Hour Fire Rating for Tyfo® Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) with the Tyfo® Advanced Fire Protection (AFP) System. The Tyfo® AFP System created by Fyfe Company is a two part system designed to, not only minimize heat exposure, but to also provide flame and smoke spread protection as well. (http://www.fyfeco.com)

“Five Years ago FRP structural strengthening was limited by strict fire regulations for occupied buildings. Now Fyfe Company has overcome those limitations by inventing a new fireproofing material consisting of a cementatious component coupled with a hardened rock outer layer that provides up to a 4 hour fire rating with UL Approval and excellent flame and smoke spread protection,” said Ed Fyfe, President of Fyfe Company LLC (http://www.fyfeco.com)

The research conducted was to find cost effective means to provide fire protection for the Tyfo® Fibrwrap® Systems. Working in conjunction with the National Research Council in Canada and Underwriters Laboratories, Fyfe Company (http://www.fyfeco.com) was able to conduct testing on reinforced concrete columns, beams and slabs while under load and exposed to fire.

A major concern regarding the use of composites for structural strengthening is fire. Elevated temperatures during a fire can cause epoxy resins to soften or burn seriously compromising the structural strength provided by the FRP materials causing failures that could jeopardize the building, building occupants as well as the fire fighting crews.

The Tyfo® AFP System has received Underwriter’s Laboratory Certification to meet the requirements of ASTM E-119 and ASTM E-84 (ASTM is the organization that develops the industry’s standards for fire resistance in buildings). Technical data sheets can be downloaded at http://www.fyfeco.com.

About Fyfe Company and the Tyfo® Fibrwrap® Systems:

Fyfe Company is the manufacturer of the Tyfo® Fibrwrap® Systems. These FRP Systems are used to repair, strengthen and upgrade existing concrete, masonry, steel and wood structures. During the past fifteen years our Tyfo® systems have been used on over 7500 projects throughout all regions of the world.

• Systems available in glass, carbon, aramid and hybrid configurations.

• Over 500 structural tests have been performed on the Tyfo ® materials at over 50 universities and private labs worldwide.

• The Tyfo® System has been subjected to major seismic events in Los Angeles, Taiwan, Athens, Seattle and San Salvador.

• The Tyfo® Systems have received International Code Council Acceptance as well as acceptance from NSF, Underwriters Laboratories and many other agencies and ministries.

• Company Offices located in five countries, representatives in over 50 countries.

Contact:
Edward R. Fyfe – President
6310 Nancy Ridge Drive, Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92121
Tel. 1.858.642.0694
Fax 1.858.642.0947
http://www.fyfeco.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:55 AM | Comments (0)

December 05, 2005

Keyera Selects Quorum TIPS as Production Accounting and Contract Management Solution

Quorum Business Solutions, Inc. announces that Keyera Facilities Income Fund has selected Quorum TIPS software as its production accounting and contract management solution.

Calgary, Alberta (PRWEB) December 5, 2005 -- Quorum Business Solutions, Inc. (Quorum) a leading provider of software solutions for the oil & gas industry announces that Keyera Facilities Income Fund (TSX:KEY.UN; KEY.DB) has selected Quorum TIPS software as its production accounting and contract management solution. Keyera joins AltaGas and Pengrowth as the third Canadian installation of Quorum TIPS, North America’s leading complex allocations software solution.

As one of Canada’s largest midstream operators, Keyera's business consists of natural gas gathering and processing as well as the processing, transportation, storage and marketing of NGL and crude oil. Keyera’s aggregate processing capacity exceeds 1,600 mmcf/d. In addition, Keyera holds interests in over 2,200 kilometres of natural gas gathering pipelines and 12 field compressor stations.

“We selected Quorum TIPS over a number of commercial products because we believe it will handle the more complex gas allocations and billings while providing us better access to production accounting information,” says Laurie Scott, Manager of Gas Plant Accounting at Keyera. “In addition, Quorum’s deep domain expertise in midstream operations & accounting, track record of successful product delivery and its active User Group support helped solidify our decision.”

The implementation of Quorum TIPS, as well as the Quorum Query & Reporting Module is now underway with the project scheduled to be complete by September 2006.

About Quorum Business Solutions, Inc.
Quorum Business Solutions, Inc. is a product-centered consulting company that develops, implements, and supports a suite of business software solutions for the energy industry with a unique approach to providing a longer product life span. Founded in 1998, Quorum now has over 200 staff operating out of offices in Houston, Dallas, and Calgary. Quorum has over 45 clients, among which 25 Fortune 500 Companies are represented.

The Quorum Energy Software Suite is a set of integrated business applications designed for companies that produce, gather, transport, process and market oil, natural gas and other energy commodities. The inherent integration of the suite allows the products to work together to facilitate straight through processing from wellhead to burner tip. The Quorum Upstream Suite includes products for land & lease management, integrated mapping/GIS, production & revenue accounting, core financials (GL, AP, AR), cost accounting (JIB, AFE, FA), division order, volume management, and gas marketing. The Quorum Midstream Suite includes TIPS, the de facto industry standard solution for gas plant accounting, and products for measurement, division order & disbursements, gathering management, liquids marketing, and enterprise contract management. The Quorum Pipeline Suite includes products for pipeline transaction management, pipeline integrity management, and right-of-way management.

For more information, visit Quorum’s web site at www.qbsol.com or call 713-430-8601.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:59 AM | Comments (0)

Making Ore While the Sun Shines; Miners Scramble to Take Advantage of Favorable Market Conditions

New book, The Maintenance Scorecard, ISBN 0831131810 (Published by Industrial Press), addresses the unique issues of extracting further economic value from physical assets within the mining industry.

(PRWEB) December 5, 2005 -- The commodities boom is now an established fact rather than a noticeable blip on the radar. Prices in some sectors are reaching all-time highs, copper and iron ore, while others, such as gold, are enjoying a long awaited resurgence. The book, The Maintenance Scorecard, ISBN 0831131810, addresses the unique challenges that this situation creates for mining companies throughout the world.

Normally high prices would be cause for concern as observers within the industry would be quick to point out. However, this time things are different. The demand profiles within the commodities have been irreversibly changed due to the growth in both India and China, making this boom one that could continue at least for the next five years.

The presence of high levels of sustained demand has placed the mining industry under pressures that it has not felt for up to twenty years in some cases. Like all boom periods at the end there will have been winners and losers. The winners will be those companies who were able to deliver value to their shareholders through aggressively exploiting the current opportunities.

The short answer for many organizations is to increase capacity, drive up production levels while maintaining, or reducing, the costs of producing every tonne, ounce, or pound of product that is sold. At first glance, this appears to be an obvious solution. Except hat every mining organization wishing to take full advantage of the current favourable climate has also thought of this!

On current stated requirements there are simply not enough productive units (be they trucks, shovels, loaders or shipping facilities) to satisfy all the expansion demands of the worlds miners during this boom cycle. There is a similar story when looking at the resources available in the area of parts and consumables for these machines. For example there is currently a world shortage in tyres for the largest of open pit ore haulage trucks. This places miners under the unique pressure of increasing productivity levels with existing physical assets, and ensuring that similar regimes are in place for new assets when they finally arrive.

In the past similar pressures existed from the cost reduction standpoint, however today the pressure comes from the increased demand perspective. The difference being that in the past approaches aimed at achieving this were aimed at cost reduction, thus increasing profit margins, today the goal is increasing potential revenue through exploiting the opportunities offered within the market place.

Advances in technology have allowed miners to be more productive generally. Today haulage and digging units are far larger than they were ten years ago, also much of the world modern mine sites are more highly automated and mechanised than the were even five years ago. This is where the challenge for today’s asset managers is far greater than in the past. The loss of one productive unit today, has a far greater impact than it would have had a decade ago, similarly; higher levels of automation and mechanization mean that there are now many more “mission critical” components in many transporting and refining processes throughout the world. Both older mines and newer mines are also dealing with increasingly complex geology; this places even fur-ther pressures on modern asset managers within the industry.

For companies to answer these challenges, and be able to take full advantage of cur-rent market opportunities, there is going to need to be a vast change in the operating practices of many of the worlds leading mining houses. This can be summarised into two general areas:

a. A need for a different view of costs of asset management, focussing more on unit rather than on direct costs, and

b. A need to survive with lower capitalization throughout the industry in general.

Since the middle of the 1980’s analysts have lauded mining houses for aggressively driving costs out of the industry. This need has been one of the driving factors behind such things as automation, mechanization and increasing unit size. However, the result of this today is that while these organizations still need to be making progress along the cost optimization path, their ability to do so through traditional rationalization methods, such as reductions in human resources and inventory optimization, are greatly reduced.

During these periods the focus was on driving whole-of-life costs of machinery to an absolute minimum. Today, this approach is no longer enough, in fact it can even be counter productive in the current high-demand environment. Asset managers need to establish the link between performance and costs if they are to achieve greater levels of productivity while maintaining low unitary costs. This requires an altogether dif-ferent focus on the whole-of-life asset management procedures than those fostered during the late 1980’s and through to the end of the twentieth century.
Deterministic, or static, costing models will need to be replaced with proactive, comprehensive and forward looking, models in order for miners to be able to drive out greater economic value from their physical asset base.

This is far more than merely representing the whole of life profile as it exists within maintenance systems and goes into such areas as; accurately forecasting corrective actions and their costs, modelling the changes in operating environment, driving asset decisions by condition assessments rather then anachronistic age or usage based thinking, and providing minimum safe levels of asset management interventions for a varying levels of performance and risk. All the while looking at improving the integrity and quality of the asset information portfolio to support a move towards stochas-tic or probabilistic support of decisions. (Something that is often not possible today)

In the past asset management was seen as something carried out by predominantly the maintenance department, however modern organizations realise that it is a combination of equipment design and acquisition, operations and maintenance that go into creating a sustainable high performance and low cost whole-of-life profiles.

This is a change from low costs to high cost effectiveness, possibly taking the hit on direct costs to guarantee sustainable low unit costs, and through ensuring that there is a balance between capital and revenue spending to produce the lowest overall costs for the company for a given level of performance and risk.

If miners are going to take full advantage of current market conditions, while having physical limitations on the rate and amount of expansion that they can undertake, then they will need to accept a reduction in capitalization of their physical asset base relative to production levels, and will need to manage this change aggressively.

Daryl Mather is a specialist in asset management, risk and reliability. This article is based on his new book “The Maintenance Scorecard” ISBN: 0831131810. He currently assists selected companies to achieve strategic advantage.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:59 AM | Comments (0)

ICIS, the World’s Largest Information Provider for The Chemical and Oil Industry, Announces The Chemical Sites Virtual Expo & Conference, Live Dec. 7, 2005

The free online event brings together a panel of international experts to discuss issues crucial to decisions covering chemical industry investment, plant location, risk management and the supply chain. Highlights: Joe Chang, Finance Editor of Chemical Market Reporter, will discuss the chemicals cycles, and Cesar Castro of Innocentive will look at the advantages to be gained from outsourcing your Research and Development (R&D)

NEW YORK, NY (PRWEB) December 5, 2005 -- The first online global chemicals conference and exhibition will take place on December 7, run by ICIS, the world’s largest information provider for the chemical and oil industry. The event is free to delegates from all parts of the chemical industry, worldwide.

The ICIS Chemical Sites Expo and Conference brings together a panel of international experts to discuss issues crucial to decisions covering chemical industry investment, plant location, risk and the supply chain.

“An online event is a great concept for delegates because they can participate in the conference and navigate round exhibition booths from their office desks or sitting rooms,” says Alan Tyler, Director, ICIS Conferences. “There’s no need for all the hassle or expense of flights and hotels and they can participate from whichever time-zone they happen to be.”

After each presentation there will be a live Q&A session in which all delegates are welcome to participate. Among the highlights of the event, Joe Chang, Finance Editor of Chemical Market Reporter will discuss the chemicals cycles in a presentation on ‘the Madness of Crowds,’ and Cesar Castro of Innocentive will look at the advantages to be gained from outsourcing your R&D effort. Other presentations will look at chemical sites in the Netherlands, Singapore and Germany and risk consultancy AON will look at the supply chain and risk management.

Presentation topics include:
- Clustering – the benefits of operating in a chemical hub
- Plant and site security in a post-9/11 world
- Utility Supply - Integrated Utilities or DIY?
- Connectivity – Making logistics work for your plant
- Benchmarking - How to improve your manufacturing process.
- Site location and the supply chain
- Financial Support – How Tax/Subsidy issues can impact your investment decision
- Manpower and workforce training
- Outsourcing Research and Development – Can it work for you?

In addition to a full day of conference presentations, stretching from the afternoon in Asia to the morning in North America, the ICIS Chemical Sites Expo and Conference includes an exhibition where chemical companies and their suppliers have taken interactive booths to promote their products and services. Visitors will be able to navigate round the exhibition hall online and interact with exhibitors in real-time.

There is also a Resource Room containing a wealth of information on the form of white papers and technical summaries appropriate to the subject matter of the to Chemical Sites Expo and Conference.

To register for a free delegate place go to: http://events.unisfair.com/rt/icis/index.jsp?code=PR1

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:58 AM | Comments (0)

The Russian Company Lukoil Emerges as the Leader in Acquisitions Abroad

One of a series of reports which examines the emergence of a Russian foreign energy policy based on acquisitions of energy assets in the post-Soviet space by Russian entities and analyzes the political and economic implications of a new liberal Russian energy empire.

Dublin (PRWEB) December 5, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28925) has announced the addition of Russian Involvement in Eastern Europe's Petroleum Industry: the Case of Bulgaria to their offering

Analyzes how Lukoil has managed to emerge as the categorical Russian leader in successful acquisitions abroad, and how the Russian takeover of Neftochim, the Black Sea refinery which accounts for 14% of Bulgaria's GDP and for 25% of the national budget.

One of a series of reports which examines the emergence of a Russian foreign energy policy based on acquisitions of energy assets in the post-Soviet space by Russian entities and analyzes the political and economic implications of a new liberal Russian energy empire.
Factual case studies, written by leading authorities on Russian hydrocarbons and critical energy infrastructure protection, on how acquisitions are being made with conclusions drawn on Russian negotiating practices in the transfer of ownership of foreign energy assets.

Russian energy companies are rushing to acquire assets abroad, and as Russia's hydrocarbon sector continues to prosper, Russian companies will maintain the potential to acquire an even larger role in the world. This report examines why and how Russian companies have entered foreign downstream and mid-stream energy markets over the past seven years. Special attention is paid to Lukoil's performance, as it has emerged as the largest oil company in the world and is leading successful acquisitions abroad. At the same time, an understanding of the motives of and role played by the Russian authorities is crucial to any examination of penetration of energy markets abroad.

Bulgaria: Russia's Involvement in Eastern Europe's Petroleum Industry provides instructive analysis of Lukoil's acquisition of Bulgaria's Neftochim refinery – the largest asset acquired by a foreigner in Bulgaria, as well as the largest refinery taken over by Lukoil abroad. In addition, the report provides a detailed examination of Russian involvement in Bulgaria's fuel marketing sector with a particular focus on the privatization of Bulgaria's main retail outlet owner – Petrol AD.

This unique study will assist energy industry professionals, policy experts, and decision makers who seek to make sense of the dynamic changes that have overcome not only the Russian energy complex but also in understanding the confluence of Russian private and public sector interest in controlling downstream assets in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe regions.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28925

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:57 AM | Comments (0)

OnCallPSN hosting Hydrogen Process & Technology Forum at the NE Indiana Innovation Center on December 7th - Featuring ForeverGreen Enterprises

Beginning next year, Northeast Indiana will be in the business of helping to create a cleaner and healthier environment. ForeverGreen Enterprises, Inc. has recently announced it will begin construction on a new hydrogen manufacturing plant early next year in DeKalb County, bringing the topic of hydrogen production into the spotlight.

(PRWEB) December 4, 2005 -- Beginning next year, Northeast Indiana will be in the business of helping to create a cleaner and healthier environment. ForeverGreen Enterprises, Inc. has recently announced it will begin construction on a new hydrogen manufacturing plant early next year in DeKalb County, bringing the topic of hydrogen production into the spotlight.

To provide an opportunity to learn about these exciting new technologies, OnCallPSN Professional Services Network is hosting a Hydrogen Technology and Processing Conference from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7, at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, located in the new Certified Technology Park at 3201 Stellhorn Road.

ForeverGreen’s executives and engineers will conduct an invitation-only session from 9 to 11 a.m. and a public session from 1 to 3 p.m. The purpose of the conference is to raise awareness of hydrogen’s many applications and the technologies that ForeverGreen will use to produce it.

ForeverGreen Enterprises selected OnCallPSN to provide the rapid start-up and support services necessary to launch and sustain their new manufacturing business.

To reserve a seat at the conference, please RSVP to Rob Drummond.

About Us: To learn more about OnCallPSN, Please visit www.OnCallPSN.com.
For more information about ForeverGreen Enterprises and hydrogen processing please visit www.fgehydrogen.com.

Contact Info: Rob Drummond, President
OnCallPSN
Phone: 260.407.1712
Fax: 260.407.6800

Additional: Interview opportunities are available from 12:30 – 1:00 pm and photo opportunities are available from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, December 7, at the NIIC, 3201 Stellhorn Road. For more information, contact Rob Drummond at 260.407.1712.

Company: ForeverGreen Enterprises, Inc.
Country: United States
Contact: Brendan Tobin
Website: www.fgehydrogen.com
Phone: 866.849.4491

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:56 AM | Comments (0)

Vulcan Wins Offshore Block

St. John’s, Newfoundland (PRWEB) December 4, 2005 -- Vulcan Minerals Inc. (“the Company” TSX-V: VUL), is pleased to announce that it is the successful bidder for parcel 7 offshore Western Newfoundland pursuant to Call for Bids NL05-1 by the Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB). Vulcan submitted a joint bid on a 50/50 basis with a private company. Pursuant to the call for bids the Company and its partner have 15 days to post a security deposit of $128,000 for the offshore license representing 25% of its work commitment bid amount of $512,012. The security deposit is refundable if the work commitment is carried out. The exploration license will have an initial 5-year term extendable for 4 additional years if a well is drilled in the initial term.

Parcel 7 covers 395,000 acres of the Anticosti basin in the Gulf of St. Lawrence immediately adjacent to the West Coast of Newfoundland (see map at http://www.vulcanminerals.ca/press/default.html ). The area is prospective for petroleum in Lower Paleozoic sediments as evidenced by the oil and gas discovery at Port au Port #1, (100 km south), numerous onshore oil seeps and petroleum production in similar rocks through Appalachia extending down to Texas.

The parcel contains in excess of 1,200 line kilometres of seismic data acquired by Mobil Oil in the 1990’s. A preliminary in-house assessment of interpreted seismic data filed with the CNLOPB confirms the presence of several large structures at least one of which potentially exceeds 150 km2 in areal size.

Vulcan and its partner will commence a detailed analysis of all geological and geophysical data towards securing partners to drill the block. Given the environment of escalating energy prices, Western Newfoundland (both offshore and onshore) provides the opportunity for significant new petroleum discoveries. The Company is currently drilling Hurricane #2 onshore Western Newfoundland and expects to be completed by Christmas. Onshore seismic surveying is also ongoing as the Company aggressively advances its exploration program.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:55 AM | Comments (0)

Thousands Now Sell Their Property Notes And Trust Deeds Who Never Knew They Could

How to get cash for your property notes in 1 easy step! Sell your mortgage notes the fastest and easiest way. Find out what your trust deed note is worth.

Winter Park, FL (PRWEB) December 3, 2005 -- DeBartolo & Associates, “A Premier Company In The Cash Flow Business” now has an easy way for note holders to sell their real estate notes by simply filling out a short form online getting results usually in 72 hours.

Thousands of individuals and businesses in the United States are receiving annuity income streams from privately held mortgages, structured settlements, etc. If they are like most sellers, they would have preferred to have received all of their money at settlement. However, they were willing to hold a mortgage or deed of trust in order to expedite the sale of their property.

If they did this to expedite the sale of their property, chances are, they could now use a lump sum payment instead of monthly payments. Our company DeBartolo & Associates has access to over 300 investors who can purchase in one lump sum, mortgages, land contracts, deeds of trust and more. They can get the cash they need in thirty days or less!

If they did this as an investment, they may have experienced some of the downfalls of note ownership; late or even worse, missed payments and, their money is often tied up for a long period of approximately 30 years. Initially that may have been ideal for them, but short-term financial problems or needs can occur. Our association can also purchase just a part of their mortgage deed or trust. They can get the cash they need now, in one lump sum, and start receiving their monthly payments again at a later date!

We at DeBartolo and Associates would like to show them how fast and easy it is to convert notes into cash. All it takes is simply going to our web site: http://www.acquirecashfornotes.com than clicking on the $100,000 bill at the bottom of the screen and putting their information into the form pertaining to their individual note to see how much money can be received for that particular paper or portfolio.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:54 AM | Comments (0)

Stephen Galowitz Joins Ridgewood Renewable Power as Vice President, Business Development

Stephen Galowitz has joined Ridgewood Renewable Power as Vice President, Business Development. Mr. Galowitz has wide experience in senior positions in energy service and development companies including as founder and President of Delta Pressure Generation Systems, LLC and as President of UtiliSave, LLC. Ridgewood Renewable Power is a leading private equity firm engaged in the business of developing, owning and operating a worldwide portfolio of clean energy generating assets and other infrastructure projects.

Ridgewood, NJ (PRWEB) December 3, 2005 -- Ridgewood Renewable Power LLC is pleased to announce that Stephen Galowitz has joined the Company as Vice President, Business Development.

Mr. Galowitz has wide experience in senior positions in energy service and development companies including as founder and President of Delta Pressure Generation Systems, LLC and as President of UtiliSave, LLC. The addition of Mr. Galowitz will strengthen and expand Ridgewood Renewable Power’s resources and capabilities in developing new renewable energy and infrastructure projects and to the increasingly important area of monitoring and influencing legislative initiatives.

“As companies and state/local governments look for efficient, market-driven mechanisms for encouraging sustainable development, Stephen’s fluency with these complex areas will be invaluable in addressing the difficult challenges ahead. Also, Stephen’s innovative thinking and business development experience will be of great value as we pursue a broad array of renewable energy projects that take advantage of Ridgewood’s unique experience, skills and competitive position in the market.” said Randy Holmes, Ridgewood Renewable Power’s President and COO.

Ridgewood is focused on domestic and international markets where strong and growing governmental and popular commitment to the environment has created very attractive investment opportunities in renewable power and similar infrastructure projects.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to leverage my experience and relationships using Ridgewood’s deep bench of talented management and considerable financial and operational resources,” said Stephen.

About Ridgewood Renewable Power
Ridgewood Renewable Power www.ridgewoodpower.com is a leading private equity firm engaged in the business of developing, owning and operating a worldwide portfolio of clean energy generating assets and other infrastructure projects. Ridgewood Renewable Power owns and operates renewable power and infrastructure projects in New York, Virginia, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, and California and internationally, in the United Kingdom and Egypt.

Ridgewood Renewable Power has the expertise to manage projects with diverse fuel sources, including hydro, biomass, natural gas, and landfill methane gas. In addition to power plants, Ridgewood has invested in waste-handling and water purification projects.

Ridgewood Renewable Power is a member of the Ridgewood family of companies, founded in 1982, that also includes:
• Ridgewood Energy, a private equity fund investing in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas assets in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Ridgewood Capital, a venture capital firm providing expansion stage venture capital for semiconductor, communications, software and energy technology sectors.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:53 AM | Comments (0)

December 02, 2005

First Environment To Open Canadian Office Peter Clarke, Climate Change Expert, to Lead New Operation

First Environment is opening a Canadian office near Toronto that will offer services to Canadian companies looking to capitalize on new laws, regulations and programs that will help Canada comply with the Kyoto Treaty. The new office will be led by Peter Clarke, a recognized specialist in emissions management, emissions credit trading, life cycle assessment, and sustainable manufacturing.

Boonton, NJ (PRWEB) December 2, 2005 -- First Environment has announced the opening of a Canadian office near Toronto that will offer services to Canadian companies looking to capitalize on new laws, regulations and programs that will help Canada comply with the Kyoto Treaty.

The new office, located at 1100 Burloak Drive, Suite 300, in Burlington, Ontario, will be led by Peter Clarke, a recognized specialist in emissions management, emissions credit trading, life cycle assessment, and sustainable manufacturing.

Tod Delaney, president of First Environment, said, “Peter Clarke brings to our Canadian operations an extraordinary level of expertise and a commitment to customer service that is the hallmark of First Environment. Under his leadership, First Environment is poised to assist Canadian companies take advantage of market forces to reduce their impact on climate change.” First Environment will offer a full suite of environmental and engineering services in Canada. More information about First Environment, including the Canadian operation, is available on the company's website.

Clarke has been trained by Environment Canada to conduct third party validation and verification studies under the country’s greenhouse gas offset system. He also is approved by the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED-accredited professional, and trained as a lead auditor for ISO 14001.

He worked most recently for Energy Advantage, Inc., in Burlington, ON, where he managed all aspects of the company’s environmental services. He is a frequent presenter on topics such as corporate social responsibility, waste management, and the financial benefits of energy and environmental awareness. He has spoken to the Marine Fuel Efficiency and Emissions Conference, the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association, the Emissions Marketing Association, and the Canadian Air Transportation Association.

About First Environment
First Environment is a global strategic environmental management and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Boonton, New Jersey. The firm is widely recognized for its creative and economically viable approaches to resolving environmental challenges faced by private and public sector clients. First Environment has earned international recognition as an authority on emerging environmental issues based on its involvement in international greenhouse gas standards development, endorsement of the CERES principles and designation as the first environmental consulting firm in the Western Hemisphere to obtain ISO 14001 certification for its own EMS.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:18 AM | Comments (0)

First Environment President to Present at International Climate Change Conference in Montreal

Tod Delaney, Ph.D., president of First Environment, Inc., will present at several side events being held at the Eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP-11), the annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Boonton, NJ (PRWEB) December 2, 2005 -- Tod Delaney, Ph.D., president of First Environment, Inc., will present at several side events being held at the Eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP-11), the annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Delaney is a recognized expert in greenhouse gas management and has been involved in international environmental policy development for nearly two decades. Greenhouse gas has been determined to be one of the major contributors to global warming and climate change. First Environment is a recognized specialist in emissions verification.

In his role as chair of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), Delaney will be the moderator at an event on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) reform. The Clean Development Mechanism is one the “flexible mechanisms” or policy tools included in the Kyoto Protocol that encourages developing countries to lower their greenhouse gas emissions through reduction projects.

During the COP, Delaney also will join an expert panel that will discuss the new voluntary international standard series ISO 14064 for greenhouse gas accounting and verification.

“Climate change is one of the most important issues of the 21st century,” said Delaney. “I’m pleased that I and the First Environment team will be able to make a contribution to the worldwide discussion and decision-making about this critical topic.”

Delaney and other senior executives from First Environment also will participate in a number of other special events sponsored by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), and the Environmental Markets Association (EMA). First Environment recently joined IETA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the establishment of effective systems for the trading of greenhouse gas emissions by businesses. First Environment will be an exhibitor at IETA’s Carbon Market Days at the COP, Dec. 3-5.

Delaney’s involvement in environmental policy and climate change includes helping to develop the standards for environmental reporting, the creation of standards for verifying greenhouse gas emissions, promoting renewable energy and sustainable practices that foster the “triple bottom line” for companies. The triple bottom line refers to a way of measuring corporate success by assessing financial, environmental and social performance. His recent efforts to promote clean development and emissions management include two speaking engagements. In August, he spoke at a conference on renewable energy, and in November, he gave a presentation in Brazil to industrial members of the Brazilian Standards Organization on the ISO 14064 Climate Change standards.

The COP 11, to be held in Montreal, Canada from November 28 to December 9, 2005, is expected to draw more than 10,000 participants, the largest number since the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997. The Kyoto Protocol went into effect this year, and the Montreal sessions also include the first Meeting of the Parties (MOP 1) involving the signatories to the treaty.

About First Environment
First Environment is a global strategic environmental management and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Boonton, New Jersey. The firm is widely recognized for its creative and economically viable approaches to resolving environmental challenges faced by private and public sector clients.

First Environment has earned international recognition as an authority on emerging environmental issues based on the firm’s involvement in international greenhouse gas standards development, endorsement of the CERES principles, and designation as the first environmental consulting firm in the Western Hemisphere to obtain ISO 14001 certification for its own EMS. For more information, go to the firm’s website.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:17 AM | Comments (0)

Energy Group Encourages Alliances with Agricultural Sector

The Effects of Rising Oil and Gas Prices on Fuel and Fertilizer Expenses in Production Agriculture-An Energy Industry Perspective.

Tulsa, OK (PRWEB) December 2, 2005 -- "The Energy Advocates encourages alliances with the Agricultural sector," stated Mark A. Stansberry, president of the national organization. Stansberry was the keynote speaker at the fall meeting of the OSU County Extension Agricultural Educators in Wilburton on Tuesday. The topic of his presentation was "The Effects of Rising Oil and Gas Prices on Fuel and Fertilizer Expenses in Production Agriculture-An Energy Industry Perspective".

"We believe that both the energy and agricultural sectors can benefit greatly by working together through alliances especially in the area of research and development along with technology."

"America's agricultural energy use is definitely diverse. Petroleum products are needed to power cultivation and harvesting machinery. Natural gas is important for nitrogenous fertilizers, for example."

"The USDA forecasts that U.S. farmers will spend this year a total of over $23 billion on fertilizer, fuel and oil, and electricity."

"The Energy Advocates was formed in 1974 due to the 'OPEC Oil Embargo' to provide information on energy issues. America was 30% dependent on foreign oil then and is now well over 60% dependent."

"America is close to 80% dependent on imports of heavy crude and diesel for that supply. There is very limited capacity to produce diesel in this country. In fact, most of our country's refineries operate on light oil".

"The demand for diesel is continuing to increase. We have not built a refinery in over twenty plus years. Venezuela, not a friendly American ally, is a major source of heavy oil."

"Trains and 18-wheelers are fueled by diesel. Most of our agricultural products are being transported by rail and highways."

"Therefore, we must look at ways of providing solutions. The American energy and agricultural sectors have a great opportunity to work even closer together for a better energy future."

About The Energy Advocates:
Since 1974, The Energy Advocates, a national organization, has provided energy education nationally. The Energy Advocates strongly support all forms of energy. Its’ primary mission is to inform the general public about our vital energy industry and energy policy issues. To learn more about energy issues, and The Energy Advocates, visit www.energyadvocates.org.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:16 AM | Comments (0)

Open House and Library Dedication

The Energy Advocates Library has been named in honor of Mac Alloway, due to not only his years of service, but his very generous donations to the library itself.

Tulsa, OK (PRWEB) December 2, 2005 -- The Energy Advocates will be hosting an open house and library dedication on Wednesday December 17th, 2005. The dedication is for the recently named A.M. “Mac” Alloway Energy Advocates Library. Mac Alloway is the current Chairman of the Board, and also has a rich history with the Energy Advocates.

“Mac is one of the key reasons that the Energy Advocates is not only a viable source for energy related issues” declares Mark Stansberry, current President of the Energy Advocates. “He has been there through the Advocates infancy and is still standing strong in leadership of the organization today.”

The Energy Advocates Library has been named in honor of Mac Alloway, due to not only his years of service, but his very generous donations to the library itself. “There have been many donations by various members of the Energy Advocates as well as by family of advocates that have recently passed. In Mac’s words, ‘This library is not only a memorial for those that have passed and the history of our industry, but it is a great resource for the future of our industry.’” Said Stansberry.

Who: Energy Advocates
What: Open House/Library Dedication
Where: 1437 South Boulder Ave., Suite 160 Tulsa, OK 74119
When: December 7th, 2005 from 1 pm until 3pm

The event will take place on December 7th at the Energy Advocates headquarters, located in Tulsa, OK at 1437 South Boulder Ave., Suite 160. The event begins at 1pm and goes until 3pm. There will be refreshments provided. For more information, please call the Advocates at (918) 599-7767.

About The Energy Advocates: Since 1974, The Energy Advocates, a national organization, has provided energy education nationally. The Energy Advocates strongly support all forms of energy. Its’

Primary mission is to inform the general public about our vital energy industry and energy policy issues. To learn more about energy issues, and The Energy Advocates, visit www.energyadvocates.org.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:15 AM | Comments (0)

Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc. Selected by Ferguson Beauregard to Extend Wireless Technology to the Wellhead

Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc., an award winning company, has been selected to collaborate on the design and development of Ferguson Beauregard’s wireless strategy for oil and gas production automation.

(PRWEB) December 2, 2005 -- Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc., an award winning company, has been selected to collaborate on the design and development of Ferguson Beauregard’s wireless strategy for oil and gas production automation.

Ferguson Beauregard, a Dover Company, is a leading provider of automation products and equipment for optimizing gas production at the wellhead. Its integrated solutions include measurement and control, electronic metering, telemetry, and host SCADA systems.

“AES has demonstrated superior capabilities for product engineering from concept to manufacturing. AES and Ferguson Beauregard expect to develop a variety of new products over the coming months that will provide an economical solution for monitoring and controlling production at the wellhead,” said Steve Cannon of Ferguson Beauregard, Manager of the Automation Business Unit.

“We are excited to be working with such a world renowned company,” said Bill Conley, Founder and President of AES. “Ferguson Beauregard is a cutting-edge leader of energy solutions, and AES’s expertise in embedded and wireless technology will only further enhance Ferguson Beauregard’s technology base in production automation.”

About Ferguson Beauregard:
Ferguson Beauregard (www.FergusonBeauregard.com) has more than 25 years of success in plunger-lift technology. It is recognized as the market-leader in delivering innovative production solutions from self-contained plunger-lift systems and electronic controllers to fully integrated, remotely managed production automation systems and develop new solutions for optimizing well performance. Copyright ©2005 by Ferguson Beauregard, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc.;
Advanced Embedded Systems Inc. provides engineering consulting as well as finished products for the sensor and wireless industry. AES specializes in product designs incorporating embedded processors and RF communication. Formed in 1994, AES is a an award winning company with expertise in microcontroller/microprocessor based wireless and wires embedded systems. Advanced Embedded Systems may be contact directly; fax request to 1-520-616-0069, www.advancedembedded.com. Copyright ©2005 by Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:14 AM | Comments (0)

CRC Software Announces Launch of PolymerLogix Pilot Program at Power-Gen International 2005

CRC Software, Inc., today announced the launch of its PolymerLogix Pilot Program and will be showcasing this new program at POWER-GEN International 2005. PolymerLogix (www.polymerlogix.com) is CRC Software’s flagship offering, a web-based application that delivers industrial coating project ROI through creation of contract documentation and customized bid packages.

(PRWEB) December 2, 2005 -- CRC Software, Inc., today announced the launch of its PolymerLogix Pilot Program and will be showcasing this new program at POWER-GEN International 2005, held from December 6 through December 8 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. PolymerLogix (http://www.polymerlogix.com) is CRC Software’s flagship offering, a web-based application that delivers industrial coating project ROI through creation of contract documentation and customized bid packages.

The goal of the PolymerLogix Pilot Program is to enable CRC Software to gather frontline feedback regarding the quality of output documentation, assurance that the whole product solution is being delivered to end users and project owners within the power and utility industry, in addition to implementation of recommended feature enhancements. The results of the PolymerLogix Pilot Program will afford CRC Software several successful case studies of PolymerLogix utilization, as well as any and all modifications needed to formally launch PolymerLogix to the Power/Utility Industry in the first quarter of 2006.

“Project owners within the Power and Utility Industry are in need of an economical alternative to material manufacturers, consultants and third-party contractors when it comes to generation of industrial coating bid packages and contract documentation. PolymerLogix answers this need,” explains Ken Rose, CEO of CRC Software. “Our focus with the PolymerLogix Pilot Program is acquiring as much voice of the customer research as we can. While we are confident in the fact that PolymerLogix has been developed by thought-leader coating and lining consultants that have specified over $250 Million during the past two decades with a success rate of between ninety-eight and ninety-nine percent, our management team understands that we cannot rest on our laurels because of this. You can never get enough face-to-face time with customers.”

Through the PolymerLogix Pilot Program, CRC Software will visit the project owner’s facility to assist with project definition and utilization of PolymerLogix to create the necessary contract documentation and bid package. CRC Software will also offer any project-specific consulting to be offered at no further cost to the Pilot Customer. Upon completion of the project-planning phase, CRC Software will then schedule a meeting to gather feedback regarding the utilization of PolymerLogix and thoroughness of deliverables.

“We are very excited about launching this program, especially at such a powerful venue as POWER-GEN International 2005”, said Josh Letourneau, Vice President of Marketing for CRC Software. “In addition to offering unique value to pilot partners through project planning ROI and pro-bono consulting, our PolymerLogix Pilot Program will allow us to ensure that our offering is viably meeting our value proposition and exceeding customer expectations. This is also an important step forward in establishing our presence within the worldwide Power/Utility and FGD markets where we see traction and an increasing demand for our solutions.”

CRC Software will be present at booth 6327 at the POWER-GEN show and will be entertaining conversations with several end user constituencies, including material manufacturer sales forces, architectural and engineering firms, and facility project owners that have industrial coating projects scheduled for the first quarter of 2006.

About CRC Software
CRC Software is a technology startup based in Wheeling, WV and seeks to provide software and web-enabled solutions for high-performance linings and coatings project owners worldwide. The company’s PolymerLogix® Project Suite is the flagship offering geared at delivering industrial coating project ROI through on-demand creation of contract documentation and customized bid packages. PolymerLogix deliverables include a complete Scope of Work; Schedule ‘A’ Forms, Commercial Specifications, Technical Specifications, Material Recommendations, and Budgetary Projections. Company headquarters are located in Wheeling, WV, with a branch office in Atlanta, Georgia. http://www.polymerlogix.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:14 AM | Comments (0)

Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc Selected by Ferguson Beauregard to Extend Wireless Technology to the Wellhead

Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc., an award winning company, has been selected to collaborate on the design and development of Ferguson Beauregard’s wireless strategy for oil and gas production automation.

(PRWEB) December 2, 2005 -- Ferguson Beauregard, a Dover Company, is a leading provider of automation products and equipment for optimizing gas production at the wellhead. Its integrated solutions include measurement and control, electronic metering, telemetry, and host SCADA systems.

“AES has demonstrated superior capabilities for product engineering from concept to manufacturing. AES and Ferguson Beauregard expect to develop a variety of new products over the coming months that will provide an economical solution for monitoring and controlling production at the wellhead,” said Steve Cannon of Ferguson Beauregard, Manager of the Automation Business Unit.

“We are excited to be working with such a world renowned company,” said Bill Conley, Founder and President of AES. “Ferguson Beauregard is a cutting-edge leader of energy solutions, and AES’s expertise in embedded and wireless technology will only further enhance Ferguson Beauregard’s technology base in production automation.”

About Ferguson Beauregard:
Ferguson Beauregard (www.FergusonBeauregard.com) has more than 25 years of success in plunger-lift technology. It is recognized as the market-leader in delivering innovative production solutions from self-contained plunger-lift systems and electronic controllers to fully integrated, remotely managed production automation systems. and develop new solutions for optimizing well performance. Copyright ©2005 by Ferguson Beauregard, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc.;

Advanced Embedded Systems Inc. provides engineering consulting as well as finished products for the sensor and wireless industry. AES specializes in product designs incorporating embedded processors and RF communication. Formed in 1994, AES is a an award winning company with expertise in microcontroller/microprocessor based wireless and wires embedded systems. Advanced Embedded Systems may be contact directly; fax request to 1-520-616-0069, www.advancedembedded.com. Copyright ©2005 by Advanced Embedded Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:13 AM | Comments (0)

December 01, 2005

W-Collect Inc. Signs Letter of Intent to Acquire Granite Energy, Inc.

W-Collect to participate in oil and gas sector.

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) December 1, 2005 -- W-Collect Inc. (OTCBB: WCLT.PK) (the Company), today announced that its board of directors has unanimously approved a transition into oil and natural gas development. The company has entered into a letter of intent to acquire Granite Energy, Inc. Granite Energy is a privately held corporation with multiple natural gas and oil lease options.

“After extensive due diligence, including examination of financial statements and lease options we have determined Granite to be a very unique opportunity to enter the oil and natural gas sector,” stated Colin Takara, W-Collect, Inc.’s President.

Terms of the transaction will be announced following the completion of the acquisition, and the subsequent recapitalization of the company.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Statements in this press release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, risk factors inherent in doing business. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "forecasts," "potential," or "continue," or similar terms or the negative of these terms. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The company has no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact Information:
Colin Takara
801-716-0510

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:18 AM | Comments (0)

Will Your Holiday Party End up in an Employee Lawsuit? HR.BLR.com Offers Tips for Avoiding Problems

HR.BLR.com, the HR web site has produced a free white paper loaded with tips for avoiding problems at employer sponsored holiday parties.

Old Saybrook, CT (PRWEB) December 1, 2005 -- One of the decisions many organizations face this time of year is whether to host a holiday party for employees. If the decision is made to hold a party, HR managers need to make sure that it is worth the effort and not a problem source. HR.BLR.com, State HR Answers and Tools, has just published a white paper that can help with both issues.

A recent poll at the Business & Legal Reports Inc. (BLR) website found that a clear majority (70 percent) of HR managers say their organizations usually host a holiday party. And according to the HR managers, their parties are for the most part “not bad” or “excellent”. Only 19 percent either say their party is boring or embarrassing.

Asked, “How would you rate your company's holiday party?” visitors to HR.BLR.com answered as follows:

Not bad - 33%
What holiday party? - 30%
Excellent - 19%
A snooze fest - 14%
A showcase of embarrassing behavior - 5%

548 HR managers voted in this November poll.

How to Avoid Problems, with Alcohol at the Top of the List

HR.BLR.com’s editors recently posted a White Paper describing how to avoid the major problems that can occur at holiday parties. It gives advice on how to control alcohol-related problems - slips and falls, unwanted sexual advances, automobile accidents, and aggressive behavior. There is also a discussion of drink tickets, whether to include guests, whether to hold the event on or off premises, and how to use party “chaperones”. Another unusual idea is a “party disclosure/waiver”, which both educates employees on their personal responsibilities and helps employers reduce liabilities.

The White Paper, ordinarily restricted to HR.BLR.com’s paid subscribers, is available at no charge, no registration required, as BLR’s holiday gift to the HR community. Simply go to http://hr.blr.com/display.cfm?id=16817&source=PRS&effort=66 to read the White Paper.

HR.BLR.com provides compliance analysis on state employment laws to help HR managers, along with thousands of tools such as job descriptions.

About BLR
Old Saybrook, Conn.-based BLR produces plain-English compliance and training resources for HR, compensation, safety, and environmental managers. For more information and a free catalog, call 800-727-5257 or visit www.BLR.com.

Contact:
HR.BLR.com Managing Web Editor
Chris Kilbourne
860 510-0100x2290

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:17 AM | Comments (0)

Mentorgen Partners with Haskell Consulting

"Smart Grid" software and technology company engages with power utility expert.

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) December 1, 2005 -- Mentorgen, LLC, an OSS/BSS software development, integration and services company located in Columbus, OH has announced an Executive Consulting Agreement with Allan Haskell, P.E. an industry expert in the power utility field.

The growing vision for the Smart Grid is to make the existing power grid work more efficiently -- so much more, in fact, that it could reduce the need for additional power plants, or for costly redundant systems designed to work "just in case" of peak demands. Mr. Haskell is charged with assisting in the development of new and innovative applications for Mentorgen’s cutting edge Smart Grid technology.

Allan has spent his entire 41 year career in electric utility operations, planning and engineering. During his 32 year tenure at the Cincinnati Gas & Electric, he developed many innovative optimization techniques in a variety of areas including fuel procurement, generation resource planning and load management strategies. In 1987, he was appointed Director of General Engineering at CG&E. At about that time he was also charged by the Chairman of CG&E to create and lead Enertech International and Power International, the two international subsidiaries of CG&E. The mission of these two subsidiaries was to plan and execute independent power projects in Eastern Europe and along the Pacific Rim. He retired from CG&E in 1995 and joined Fosdick & Hilmer Engineers, a premier consultancy in Cincinnati. There he started a new division that developed state of the art control and automation systems. In 2001 he formed his own firm to do independent consulting in the power industry.

“We are very pleased to have Allan join the Mentorgen team. He brings specific and important expertise to our development and integration process and we are excited about the domain influence he brings to our overall business strategies development,” said Mentorgen CEO Heidi Laughery.

About Mentorgen

Mentorgen is a software development company serving broadband service providers, power utilities and value chain partners who serve the Federal government. The Company was formed in 2000 to address a recognized problem of immense proportion in these industries: the lack of an effective framework for the rapid and flexible integration of business critical applications. Mentorgen’s solution to that problem is our next generation OSSM platform. OSSM True Integration technology underpins the full range of Mentorgen product solutions, providing relief for the complex operations and business support problems of enterprises in our target markets, which include the following:

• Out-of-the-Box Telecommunications access and service support products for Wireless Broadband/WiMax Service Providers, Municipalities and BPL Service Providers
• Utility Management Platform and Applications
• Professional Services and Services Platform

For more information, contact:
Mentorgen, LLC
400 West Wilson Bridge Road, Suite 105
Columbus, OH 43085
Phone: 1-877-ITS OSSM (1-877-487-6778)
www.mentorgen.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:16 AM | Comments (0)

Data Feeds Improvements in Physical Asset Management

Asset-centric organizations throughout the world are under increasing pressure to increase the economic value they are able to extract from their physical asset base. Sophisticated asset data strategies allow for leverage of IT investments to dramatically improve performance.

(PRWEB) November 30, 2005 -- Asset-centric organizations face many and varied challenges throughout the world. These include competition from low wage countries, regulatory and legislative changes, demand outstripping supply, (as in the mining industry), as well as increasing difficulties arising from reductions in capital investment and increases in automation and unit sizes.

Responding to these challenges over the past five years has forced many companies to continue the cost reduction drives that were commenced during the eighties and nine-ties. However, the ability for large-scale asset-centric companies to continue to derive benefits through traditional methods of rationalization is limited at best, and counter-productive at worst.

These companies are looking for other, more sophisticated means of reducing direct costs, raising unit efficiencies and improving asset yields throughout their economically useful life. These are significant challenges that will require a dramatic change in thinking regarding how they are going to power decision making in the coming years.

Currently, most organizations are either working with or planning to work with, large-scale enterprise asset management or enterprise resource planning systems for driving inefficiencies out of their administration functions. Yet many of these systems are yet to realize the full benefits offered by such data capturing and analyzing systems.

One of the, as yet, untapped areas is in the area of asset reliability and performance management. While some organizations excel in this area, others will need to strive hard to catch up within the very near future. When managed correctly asset data can power such decisions such as how and when to extend asset life, determining the re-turn on investment of asset acquisitions or interchanges, analyzing whether risk pro-files are being adequately managed, and determining which assets are not being maintained or operated in a manner that supports the minimum whole-of-life cost profiles.

However, by itself computer generated data can only ever deliver part of the answers that are required. Even using sophisticated modeling tools the fact remains that data will always contain areas of integrity deficiency. In managing assets, for example, decisions taken on failure data need failures to occur before first, not the most ethical or effective way of managing asset failures!

To produce valuable asset information there is a need to take into account both sides of the equation. That of asset data, and that of asset knowledge, which is contained within the experience of the workforce, the manufacturers, and similar equipment users throughout the industry. Once these two sides of the equation can be gathered then the organization can look towards powerful uses of asset information such as knowledge engineering and other modern techniques.

The process to capture both sides of the asset information equation, data and knowledge, is where the challenge commences for asset centric organizations. Particularly those with distributed asset bases such as electricity distribution, water networks, rail infrastructure and gas pipelines. Capturing data means ensuring that all processes are in place to ensure that all failure, routine and ad hoc tasks are captured in a manner that will allow it to be managed effectively initially, and analyzed comprehensively later. For this work there is a need to focus very thoroughly on what asset information will be needed to support corporate goals, not merely to make current processes electronic. This is a key failing of large-scale enterprise asset information systems.

Once the processes are in place then the focus needs to be on data-capture. “Feeding the beast” is not something that most technicians particularly enjoy having to do, even in the modern age. Solutions such as mobile data collectors, barcode solutions and other mass data capture technologies can drive improvements through this area dramatically.

However the problem of knowledge capture remains. This requires a more comprehensive process. This process needs to enable people to contribute their experience, understanding, judgment, and suggestions in a structured and controlled manner.

Even though the benefits of doing so are immense, particularly for newer plants and those in hazardous environments, the techniques aimed at doing this often falls through the cracks of asset-centric organizations. Squeezed between IT initiatives and capital spending planning, the value of knowledge gathering and use does not strike many executives as the obvious choice for powering improvements.
Yet the fact remains, without a focus on knowledge as well as data the asset information portfolio will always be deficient and will always be focused on what has happened, rather than managing asset performance in a proactive manner.

If structured correctly, a knowledge gathering process could become a valuable improvement initiative in itself. Creating benefits as it is being rolled out, not least of which is the transfer of knowledge from within those involved as well as to the organization as a whole.

Within modern asset management there are a range of initiatives that support this form of knowledge collection. Methods such as reliability-centered maintenance, whole-of-life progression management, problem elimination logic and technical change management processes are all examples of collaborative working practices.

If companies are not including these techniques, or similar improvement initiatives, within their asset management strategies then they are facing the very real possibility of missing a large potential area of increasing economic value from the physical asset base. And in the modern industrial environment, this could be a fatal flaw.

Daryl Mather is a specialist in asset management, risk and reliability. This article is based on his new book “The Maintenance Scorecard” ISBN: 0831131810. He currently assists asset-centric companies to achieve strategic advantages throughout the world.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:15 AM | Comments (0)