#Pipeline Cleaner

[pipelineclea38]

Pipeline Cleaner

Unveiling the Magic of Pipeline Cleaners: Ensuring Smooth Operations and Environmental Protection

Introduction

In the intricate network of pipelines that crisscross our world, ensuring efficiency and safety is paramount. Pipelines serve as vital arteries, transporting liquids and gases crucial for various industries, including oil and gas, water supply, and chemicals. However, over time, these pipelines can accumulate deposits, corrosion, and other contaminants, impeding flow and jeopardizing operational integrity. Enter pipeline cleaners, the unsung heroes of the industry, dedicated to maintaining the health and efficiency of these essential conduits.

Understanding Pipeline Cleaners: What Are They?

Pipeline cleaners, also known as pigs or scrapers, are specialized devices designed to clean, inspect, and maintain pipelines. They come in various shapes, sizes, and configurations, tailored to specific pipeline types, diameters, and operational requirements. While the term "pig" might evoke images of farm animals, in the realm of pipelines, it stands for "Pipeline Intervention Gadget" or "Pipeline Inspection Gauge," highlighting its technical sophistication and utility.

The Role of Pipeline Cleaners

The primary function of pipeline cleaners is to remove debris, scale, wax, and other buildup that can impede fluid flow or compromise pipeline integrity. These deposits can arise from the transported fluids themselves, such as paraffin wax in oil pipelines, or from external sources like sediment and marine growth in underwater pipelines.

By traversing the length of the pipeline, either propelled by the flow of the product or driven by an external mechanism, pipeline cleaners effectively scrape, brush, or flush away accumulated contaminants, restoring optimal flow conditions. Moreover, they play a crucial role in preventing corrosion by removing corrosive agents and providing access for inspection and maintenance activities.

Types of Pipeline Cleaners

Pipeline cleaners come in a variety of types, each suited for specific cleaning challenges and operational environments:

Mechanical Pigs: Equipped with brushes, scrapers, or blades, mechanical pigs physically remove deposits from the pipeline walls as they travel through.

Gel Pigs: These pigs use a gel-like substance to dissolve and dislodge deposits, offering a gentler cleaning approach suitable for delicate pipelines or where solid debris is minimal.

Foam Pigs: Constructed of foam or similar materials, foam pigs are lightweight and versatile, capable of conforming to irregularities in the pipeline while still providing effective cleaning action.

Magnetic Pigs: Employing magnets, these pigs are particularly useful for removing ferrous debris, such as rust particles, from the pipeline interior, thereby reducing the risk of corrosion.

Smart Pigs: Utilizing advanced sensors and data collection capabilities, smart pigs not only clean but also inspect the pipeline for defects, corrosion, and other anomalies, providing valuable insights for maintenance planning and integrity management.

Benefits of Pipeline Cleaning

Regular pipeline cleaning offers a myriad of benefits, both tangible and intangible:

Enhanced Efficiency: By removing flow-obstructing deposits, pipeline cleaners improve fluid flow rates, reducing pumping requirements and energy consumption.

Extended Asset Life: Preventing corrosion and minimizing wear and tear on pipeline components through proactive cleaning can prolong the service life of the infrastructure, saving on replacement costs and downtime.

Operational Reliability: Clean pipelines are less prone to blockages and disruptions, ensuring consistent product delivery and operational continuity.

Environmental Protection: By maintaining optimal flow conditions and minimizing the risk of leaks and spills, pipeline cleaning contributes to environmental stewardship and reduces the potential for ecological harm.

Regulatory Compliance: Many regulatory agencies mandate regular pipeline inspection and maintenance, with cleaning being a fundamental aspect of compliance with safety and environmental standards.

Challenges and Innovations

While pipeline cleaning has long been a staple practice in the industry, it's not without its challenges. Cleaning highly corrosive or viscous fluids, navigating complex pipeline geometries, and ensuring minimal environmental impact are just a few hurdles that operators face. However, ongoing research and innovation continue to address these challenges, leading to the development of more effective cleaning agents, advanced pigging technologies, and environmentally friendly cleaning methodologies.

Conclusion In the realm of pipeline operations, cleanliness is not just a virtue; it's a necessity. Pipeline cleaners play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of these critical infrastructure assets, safeguarding against disruptions, minimizing environmental risks, and prolonging asset life. As the demand for energy and resources continues to grow, the importance of pipeline cleaning will only increase, underscoring the vital role these unassuming devices play in sustaining modern society's infrastructure backbone. Through ongoing technological advancements and a commitment to best practices, the pipeline industry will continue to rely on cleaners to keep the fluid flowing and the world moving forward.

[getreadytosmash]

Sometimes there's just lids on things u don't wanna open

[deathandthesoul]

Aidan used to borrow Spider-Man comics from other kids in high school and had to hide them from his parents

[swimmingcleaner]

The Secret Life of Acidifiers: Why They’re the Real MVPs of Modern Chemistry

Acidifiers—sounds menacing, right? Almost like some sort of clandestine vigilante group in a sci-fi movie. But these unsung heroes have a much more down-to-earth job: cleaning up our everyday lives, making them healthier and just a bit tangier. So let's take the plunge with a splash of humor and a pinch of knowledge.

What Are Acidifiers Anyway?

Think of acidifiers as the spice rack of the chemical world-things that bring low the pH level of whatever they're added to, making things more acidic. Acidifiers, in whatever they do-food, animal feed, industrial products-they are always game-on to balance, preserve, and enhance.

You must have stumbled upon their work without even noticing it. That piquant kick in your favorite soft drink? Acidifiers. The shelf life of your go-to salad dressing? Acidifiers again. They are the quiet perfectionists of the modern age.

Acidifiers in Food: Tangy Titans

In the culinary world, acidifiers are the secret ingredient that takes your taste buds on a rollercoaster. Citric acid keeps fruits looking fresh while adding a zing to soft drinks. And let's not forget acetic acid—the superstar of pickles! Without acidifiers, our food would be bland, boring, and frankly, a little spoiled.

Cleaning with a Punch

Beyond food, acidifiers are actually flexing their muscles in the cleaning aisle. Pair them with a trusty iodophor, and you've got yourself a germ-busting team that even your kitchen sink would thank you for if it could talk. Acidifiers help disinfect surfaces, making your home squeaky clean and bacteria-free.

And talking about cleanliness, let us not forget that they also help in fumigation! Acidifiers enhance the effect of some fumigants, and because of this, they are very vital in pest control. Bugs watch out; acidifiers are coming!

Animal Health and Feed: A Moo-ving Contribution

Farmers also owe it to acidifiers. These champs help keep animal feeds fresh and boost gut health in animals. Healtier animals mean better produces for us-think about a win-win situation!

Conclusion: The Unsung Heroes

Acidifiers may not have capes, but their contributions are nothing less than heroic. From food preservation to industrial cleaning and even fumigation, they keep life running smoothly—and hygienically!

So the next time you sip on a soda or wipe your countertop with an iodophor-based cleaner, give a little nod to the acidifiers. They've certainly earned it!

[blughxreader]

Ok but I just wanna know how Bruce would feel about knowing that your two new brothers broke some boundaries in the a/b/o fic, like he’s over here trying to make you comfortable in your new family while Dick and Jason are are activating their step sis kink

Haven’t touched much on Brucie in my abo fics, but he’s complacent!

Before “reconnection session,” where Dick and Jason forcibly pack bonded w Batsis, he was growing increasingly worried.

The man’s so kind to the people he saves, but he CANNOT, for the life of him, figure out how to emotionally navigate around you.

He knows he’s the villain in your eyes, so his attempts at kindling a bond with you are immediately hindered. He's tried being gentle, he's tried giving your life comfortable structure and clear expectations, but there's still been no progress.

Bruce is very slow on forcing emotionally binding things on you.

So upon finding out what Dick and Jason did over the weekend, he was... apprehensive.

What made his acceptance easier was because it was DICK who did it. Dick, the universally-accepted heart of the Bats. If anyone knew how to ease you into the family, it was him.

Bruce wasn't happy, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little relieved. (Especially when the pull of the pack bond started making you welcome their intimacy.)

Furthermore, when your body began resisting heat suppressants, Bruce knew he had to find a heat mate for you quickly.

As BEGRUDGINGLY as he accepted this new reality, he admits that having his sons, who he knows inside and out, be your heat mate is the best solution.

Jason has been working hard to curb his Pit Rage and bloodlust (and although he operates differently than Bruce, there aren’t any more duffle bags of heads). But he still has the core values and kindness he did as Robin.

Dick is a non-starter, honestly. Batman says that Nightwing is the cleaner, better version of Batman.

YET Dick also has a nasty habit of bottling up his emotions and being manipulative. Jason, who empathy and emotional perception for days (& who doesnt take shit from anyone), is a good counter.

Overall they’re a good combo that balance each other out. Bruce isn’t happy with the brother to heat-mate to potential husband pipeline, but its not the very worst thing that could happen.

As long as they put your needs before their own, he approves.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Heated:

Energy experts warned only a few years ago that the world had to stop building new fossil fuel projects to preserve a livable climate.

Now, artificial intelligence is driving a rapid expansion of methane gas infrastructure—pipelines and power plants—that experts say could have devastating climate consequences if fully realized.

As large language models like ChatGPT become more sophisticated, experts predict that the nation’s energy demands will grow by a “shocking” 16 percent in the next five years. Tech giants like Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet have increasingly turned to nuclear power plants or large renewable energy projects to power data centers that use as much energy as a small town.

But those cleaner energy sources will not be enough to meet the voracious energy demands of AI, analysts say. To bridge the gap, tech giants and fossil fuel companies are planning to build new gas power plants and pipelines that directly supply data centers. And they increasingly propose keeping those projects separate from the grid, fast tracking gas infrastructure at a speed that can’t be matched by renewables or nuclear.

The growth of AI has been called the “savior” of the gas industry. In Virginia alone, the data center capital of the world, a new state report found that AI demand could add a new 1.5 gigawatt gas plant every two years for 15 consecutive years.

And now, as energy demand for AI rises, oil corporations are planning to build gas plants that specifically serve data centers. Last week, Exxon announced that it is building a large gas plant that will directly supply power to data centers within the next five years. The company claims the gas plant will use technology that captures polluting emissions—despite the fact that the technology has never been used at a commercial scale before.

Chevron also announced that the company is preparing to sell gas to an undisclosed number of data centers. “We're doing some work right now with a number of different people that's not quite ready for prime time, looking at possible solutions to build large-scale power generation,” said CEO Mike Wirth at an Atlantic Council event. The opportunity to sell power to data centers is so promising that even private equity firms are investing billions in building energy infrastructure.

But the companies that will benefit the most from an AI gas boom, according to S&P Global, are pipeline companies. This year, several major U.S. pipeline companies told investors that they were already in talks to connect their sprawling pipeline networks directly to on-site gas power plants at data centers.

“We, frankly, are kind of overwhelmed with the number of requests that we’re dealing with, ” Williams CEO Alan Armstrong said on a call with analysts. The pipeline company, which owns the 10,000 mile Transco system, is expanding its existing pipeline network from Virginia to Alabama partly to “provide reliable power where data center growth is expected,” according to Williams.

[realmeganamram]

OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PLEDGE

It’s National Environmental Awareness Month, and all of us at SaaxoAmco Petroleum Corp. are dedicated to using our powerful access and responsibility to insure that the Earth is a healthier and cleaner place for future generations. To demonstrate our dedication, we would like to announce a new array of environmental-progress investment areas.

Carbon offset: For every pipeline that we build, we will plant one tree in a local park. We will then cut down the tree to make paper to send a memo to that town’s mayor to announce that we have planted the tree so that the public knows to come and look at the tree. Just in case the public doesn’t know exactly where the tree is, we will make hundreds of thousands of paper maps available to show the location of the tree before we cut it down, so that visitors won’t need to use their phones (whose batteries are the world’s leading cause of pollution, as per a bunch of studies). This will mean that it will soon take only four thousand trees to see a tree that used to be there! And get this. The mayor we told you about? She’s a woman!

Minimizing operational waste: At all of our offices, digs, and pipeline sites, we have forbidden our employees to drink bottled water. We have also forbidden them to drink any water whatsoever, so that it can be saved for the flowers and the beetles. In the words of our founder, J. M. Milligan, “We need to look out for the beetles, because they are the only things that will protect us from the Irish.” That sort of forward-thinking environmentalism has been part of our brief since 1863.

C-suite jet racing: Because we are so dedicated to the future of this planet, our C-suite will no longer use the company’s private jets to drag-race in the sky. Sure, it’s the most fun thing ever and life is barely worth living without it, but we’ll make the sacrifice.

Greenhouse-gas capture: I think we are capturing carbon dioxide. I haven’t followed up, but I’m pretty sure I heard a guy say that we were, like, seven years ago in the break room. As our founder, J. M. Milligan, said in 1870, “The Earth is a beautiful place and we should keep it that way. The only real downside is that Jews live here and poison all the bread and candy unless we make them live underground in special sewers.” We agree with the first part!

Biodiversity: SaaxoAmco is committed to fostering biodiversity, which is why we take responsibility for the roughly sixteen hundred new species of flora and fauna that were created when we dumped toxic sludge into the oceans. Who cares about old-fashioned animals like the “black bear” and the “bumblebee”? We can give you a snake with a human penis! The eco-possibilities are endless. And I don’t know what you’re imagining, but the penis is much bigger than the rest of the snake. You’re welcome, Mother Earth.

Oil on ducks: We pledge to stop putting crude oil on those baby ducks that you see in soap commercials. Those ducks are, as our founder, J. M. Milligan, loved to say, “slipperier than a drunk Italian with a pregnant wife.” He said this about oil-slicked ducks as recently as 1951. But we will not do this anymore.

Girlbosses: We pledge that at least fifteen per cent of SaaxoAmco executives will be women. Is that what we’re doing here? Is that what people are mad about right now? Feels like it can’t hurt, right?

Going green: We are making SaaxoAmco literally go green by dumping all the runoff from our pipelines straight into a shallow lake, where it turns the formerly clean drinking water a neon green. Also—and this is fun—it makes everything it touches form a human penis. There are lily pads with human penises, even some water spiders with human penises. We don’t understand it even a little bit, but did van Gogh question what made his masterpieces beautiful or what gave him a human penis?

Oceanic symphonic harmonization: This new SaaxoAmco project harnesses the boundless potential of resonating frequencies, psychedelic sonatas, and rhythmic ripples, in order to foster an otherworldly bond between marine life and the cosmos. Isn’t this good gibberish? Thanks to our panel of highly paid eco-experts, this fake process that doesn’t exist will save up to zero biospecies and sounds real!

Killing people: We care about saving the human race more than anything, which is why we pledge to kill more people than ever before. Human beings have huge carbon footprints, and by killing about seven thousand people a day (that’s about thirty-five hundred human penises) we will do the equivalent of planting a million and a half trees. We’ll do this any way we can—not just by polluting the planet but by taking to the streets with knives and bayonets if we have to. By the time SaaxoAmco is done, no one will have to live on a polluted planet Earth anymore. No one will have to live anywhere.

[kingme1002]

Which is better for the future hydrogen or electricity:

Hydrogen's Role in Humanity’s Future

1. Decarbonizing Hard-to-Electrify Sectors:

Hydrogen can power heavy industries (e.g., steel, cement), long-haul aviation, and shipping, where electricity struggles due to storage or energy density limitations.

It can replace fossil fuels for high-temperature processes and serve as a feedstock in industries like ammonia production.

2. Energy Storage and Transport:

Hydrogen enables large-scale energy storage, balancing intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar.

Its ability to be transported over long distances (e.g., pipelines, shipping) offers global energy-sharing possibilities.

3. Environmental Potential:

Green hydrogen (produced from renewable electricity) can drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sectors currently reliant on fossil fuels.

---

Electricity’s Role in Humanity’s Future

1. Direct Use for High Efficiency:

Electricity is the most efficient energy carrier for applications like residential power, heating, and most forms of transport (e.g., electric vehicles).

Advances in grid infrastructure, battery technologies, and renewable energy integration enhance electricity's scalability.

2. Widespread Applicability:

Electricity is already foundational for modern society and critical for digitalization, healthcare, and communication systems.

3. Immediate Decarbonization Potential:

Accelerating the shift to renewable electricity can rapidly lower emissions, given that most global energy grids are already partially electrified.

---

Humanity’s Ideal Future: A Synergy

The future isn’t about choosing hydrogen or electricity—it’s about leveraging their complementary strengths:

1. Electrify Where Possible:

Prioritize direct electrification for residential, commercial, and short-distance transportation sectors, as this minimizes energy losses.

2. Use Hydrogen Strategically:

Focus hydrogen on sectors that are hard to electrify, large-scale energy storage, and global energy transport.

3. Develop Both Sustainably:

Scale renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro) to power both direct electrification and green hydrogen production.

---

Which is Better for Humanity?

Electricity is humanity’s immediate solution for decarbonization, due to its efficiency, infrastructure, and versatility.

Hydrogen is humanity’s long-term ally for achieving a fully decarbonized world, particularly in sectors electricity cannot easily reach.

A sustainable future will likely rely on a hybrid energy ecosystem, with both hydrogen and electricity playing essential roles in creating a cleaner, fairer, and more resilient world.

[blazehedgehog]

With this new gen, some games have been allowing upgrades from the PS4/XBone versions to the PS5/SeX/SeS versions. Some do it for free like FFVII Remake, or the upcoming DBZ: Kakarot upgrade. But some you need the disc but still pay at a discount like with Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima. Do you think making people pay again is a bad movrle even if it is discounted?

If the upgrade is significant, like cleaner textures or improved geometry or whatever, then paying for the upgrade might make sense.

But that's the thing. I'm pretty sure modern Unreal Engine is designed so you throw cinema-quality assets at the thing and it only loads in what it's capable of. Like it dynamically scales the quality down for the developer without the developer having to do anything with it.

Like Final Fantasy VII Remake, right. On PS4, that game had texture problems, because the console simply runs out of VRAM (or whatever) to store all the textures, so you'll run into a door that's super blurry because there's just not enough space to store a higher quality texture for that door in memory. You play that on PS5, where the game has more breathing room, and suddenly not only does that door finally load in, but a lot of the game in general just looks better, because it can pull in versions of all those textures that are less compressed. They were always there, they just couldn't be loaded yet.

So even in cases like that, you can't really charge for an upgrade, I don't think. Games are made to a very high fidelity and then simply only display what the system is capable of.

And a lot of this comes from the PC space, right. The PC is and always will be the dominant platform for everything. A good PC will always be better than a console (and also ten times more expensive). But that means a lot of games are probably made for the PC first, where you can crank the settings sort of to infinity, and then the console versions get the game running on medium detail.

It's not until something like The Last of Us: Part 1, where the core engine pipeline is seeing significant tech upgrades, characters are getting expanded detail, areas are being fully remade, etc. where it makes sense to charge for a new product.

Like whether or not you approve of the art direction changes made in the PS5 remake doesn't matter -- the underlying technology running the game is completely new and different.

Versus, say, The Last of Us 2 Remastered, which is barely different and in my opinion kind of a ripoff.

That's because Part 1 on PS5 is closer to a full-on remake, whereas the Part 2 remaster on PS5 is just the original game with a couple extra graphical features turned on.

Part 1 makes sense to me as a separate, full purchase, but Part 2 Remastered does not.

[rajasthan-political-leader]

Jhotwara Development Work: Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore’s Vision for Progress

Jhotwara, one of Jaipur’s key constituencies, is undergoing rapid infrastructure development and modernization under the leadership of Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore. Addressing long-standing civic issues, major projects have been initiated to improve roads, traffic management, drainage systems, and public amenities. These efforts aim to transform Jhotwara into a model urban area, ensuring a better quality of life for its residents.

Key Development Projects in Jhotwara

1. Traffic Decongestion — Wider Roads & Smart Planning

✅ Expansion and resurfacing of major roads to ease traffic congestion. ✅ New overbridges and flyovers to ensure smooth traffic flow. ✅ Smart traffic management system with modern signaling and pedestrian-friendly crossings.

2. Road & Infrastructure Upgrades

✅ Renovation of broken and damaged roads, making them pothole-free. ✅ New street lighting installations to enhance safety at night. ✅ Beautification and expansion of public parks to promote green spaces.

3. Sewer and Drainage System Overhaul

✅ Laying of new sewer pipelines to prevent waterlogging and improve sanitation. ✅ Advanced stormwater drainage systems to tackle monsoon-related flooding. ✅ Regular maintenance of sewage treatment plants for a cleaner environment.

4. Water Supply & Cleanliness Mission

✅ Strengthening of water supply infrastructure to ensure 24/7 access to clean drinking water. ✅ More public toilets and waste management facilities under Swachh Bharat Mission.

5. Public Welfare & Urban Development Initiatives

✅ Better healthcare centers and dispensaries for accessible medical services. ✅ Skill development centers to promote employment opportunities for youth. ✅ Support for local businesses and vendors to boost economic activity.

Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore’s Commitment to Jhotwara

Speaking about the transformation of Jhotwara, Col. Rathore stated:

“For years, Jhotwara faced issues of traffic congestion, damaged roads, and poor drainage. Now, these problems are being resolved with long-term, sustainable solutions. Our goal is to make Jhotwara a benchmark for development in Jaipur, with world-class infrastructure and top-notch civic amenities.”

He also emphasized that these development projects are citizen-centric, ensuring that every household benefits from improved infrastructure and services.

Impact on Jhotwara’s Residents

🚀 Faster and smoother commuting with improved roads and flyovers. 🚀 Reduced waterlogging and cleaner surroundings with upgraded drainage systems. 🚀 Better access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. 🚀 Enhanced safety and security with streetlights and urban planning improvements.

Jhotwara on the Path to Becoming a Model Constituency

The ongoing and upcoming projects in Jhotwara reflect Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore’s vision for development and progress. His leadership ensures that Jhotwara’s infrastructure meets modern standards while preserving its local identity.

As Jhotwara transforms into a well-planned, traffic-free, and sustainable urban hub, the residents stand to benefit from improved living conditions and economic opportunities.

🚀 A Developed Jhotwara, A Stronger Rajasthan! Jai Hind! Jai Rajasthan! 🇮🇳🏗️🚗

[mariacallous]

A mere four days after the Chinese-owned Yi Peng 3, the chief suspect in the recent cutting of telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea, left the region, another ship cut cables in the Baltic Sea. Those orchestrating the string of suspected cable sabotage incidents are becoming decidedly brazen—and the consequences may affect not just communications, but crucial energy supplies, too.

As part of its green transition, Norway has decided that its oil and gas platforms should be powered by electricity from the mainland rather than gas turbines. That means most of Norway’s energy production depends on the impeccable functioning of electricity cables—and in turn, so does the rest of Europe, since Norway is now the region’s top supplier of natural gas. With just a few sliced cables, Russia—perhaps with China’s help again—could disrupt a continent.

The New Year’s festivities have brought a troubling reminder of the sorry state of our planet: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced in his New Year’s message that the past 10 years have been the ten hottest years on record.

Reducing the world’s carbon dioxide emissions is a critical necessity, and few countries are going about it more energetically than Norway. Last year, 24 percent of the country’s registered passenger cars were electric vehicles (EVs), an increase from 5 percent in 2017. Norway now tops the global ranking in terms of its percentage of EVs per 100,000 residents, and the 10 most-bought cars in the country in the first half of 2022 were EVs. What’s more, 95 percent of electricity consumed in Norway is renewable.

It’s only logical for Norway to turn next to its oil and gas sector, which supplies not only Norway, but large parts of Europe, too. Norway has become the go-to provider for the many Western countries now trying to wean themselves off Russian energy. In 2022, Norway became the EU’s biggest supplier of natural gas; in the first quarter of 2023, 46 percent of the EU’s pipeline natural gas imports came from Norway. Its exports of crude oil have also increased since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Norway is also the United Kingdom’s largest supplier of gas and crude.

It’s certainly safer to import fossil fuels from Norway than from certain other countries, and it’s almost certainly also cleaner, because the Scandinavian hydrocarbon giant is serious about making oil and production less environmentally harmful.

It does so, too, through its enormous sovereign wealth fund—the world’s largest—which places a strong focus on environmental, social, and governance investment, including the goal of carbon dioxide emissions reduction. Still, the country’s energy sector accounts for one-quarter of its national greenhouse gas emissions, and a lot of these emissions stem from the gas turbines that power the drilling platforms.

If the government’s plans succeed, by 2030, the carbon dioxide emissions from Norwegian oil and gas fields will be slashed by 50 percent. The country is going about the enterprise systematically. The industrial equivalents of electric charging stations are being built along the coast, from which point undersea cables transport electricity to offshore fields. Eventually, the government wants all offshore platforms to be powered by electricity from land rather than the gas turbines powering them today.

Perhaps surprisingly, some environmental groups have not been excited about the undertaking, arguing that it amounts to greenwashing of the country’s oil and gas sector. But the transition continues. Equinor, Norway’s state-owned energy giant, has already partially or fully switched the energy supply for four of its North Sea fields to electricity delivered from the mainland. The company claims that the carbon dioxide emissions consequently eliminated are the equivalent to 2.5 percent of Norway’s entire greenhouse gas emissions in 2021.

All this requires a battery of new undersea cables connecting the oil and gas fields and the mainland. (For the avoidance of any doubt: There are also electricity cables, internet cables, and telephone cables. Undersea cables don’t double as transmitters of other goods.)

Originally, electrifying Norway’s energy production seemed to be a terrific idea and an important contribution to the fight against climate change. But today, with unknown perpetrators sabotaging undersea installations at an accelerating rate, undersea cables and pipelines are suddenly at enormous risk.

Russia has clearly demonstrated that it’s willing to attack undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, and that it doesn’t mind leaving clear footprints. The Newnew Polar Bear, the Hong Kong-registered ship that remains the prime suspect in the apparent sabotage of one pipeline and two undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland in October 2023, had close links to Russia and dragged its anchor across the installations after leaving Russia’s Baltic port of Kaliningrad.

After its speedy exit from the Baltic Sea, the Newnew Polar Bear sailed on toward Russia’s Arctic coast via the Norwegian Sea. Then came the November 2024 incident involving two Baltic Sea cables and another Chinese-owned merchant ship that had just left a Russian port. And then, on Christmas Day, there was another incident involving the Cook Island-registered shadow tanker Eagle S, which was carrying Russian crude from St. Petersburg to Egypt, and a string of other mauled Baltic Sea cables.

Russian fishing boats, merchant ships, and research vessels equipped with unusual surveillance capabilities have also recently been found loitering near military installations along the Norwegian coast.

“The intelligence activity is conducted on top of the normal commercial activity,” Nils Andreas Stensones, the head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, told the country’s public broadcaster, NRK, in April 2023.

The Kremlin doesn’t seem to mind if its involvement becomes known. In fact, the more concern that it causes its neighbors, the more bang Russia gets for its buck. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, every vessel generally has the right to sail wherever it likes, so long as it doesn’t cause harm to the coastal state—but in the case of cable sabotage, the harm won’t be apparent until after the ship has sailed onward.

As I documented in my recent Atlantic Council report on the shadow fleet—the global collection of ships with unclear ownership, management, and insurance, as well as a habit of disguising their movements—over the past couple of years Norway has seen a substantial increase in shadow vessels sailing along its coast. Like the Eagle S, the shadow tanker that has become the prime suspect in the Christmas Day cable cuts, these vessels could also double as cable-cutters.

Indeed, at the behest of Russia, any vessel sailing along Norway’s coast could potentially drag its anchor across a few electricity cables—the equivalent of Russia having an off switch for a big part of Europe’s energy production. As with previous cable cuts, Russia could claim to have no knowledge of the matter. And as in the past, it would be difficult to prove that the crew intended to cause harm.

Luckily for Norway, the oil and gas fields’ existing gas turbines are an invaluable backup. But the country, whose location happens to offer excellent conditions for offshore windfarms, is also aiming to become a wind energy leader and is already home to the world’s largest floating windfarm. Such installations will also need a backup power source. It would be a painful irony if clean wind had to be powered by dirty gas—but it’s better than the prospect of hostile vessels cutting off wind power altogether.

In the meantime, the Royal Norwegian Navy and Coast Guard are likely to increase surveillance of the crucial electricity cables. The country’s fishers are likely to keep their experienced eyes on passing merchant vessels. Yet the rest of Europe’s residents, too, can help thwart the force of potential cable cuts along the coast of Norway by learning how to spend a few hours without power.

It’s not a big sacrifice. Just ask the Ukrainians, who have regularly had to go without power in recent years when Russia has hit their power plants.

[metalbergmanufacturing]

The Importance of Steel Factory in Modern Industry

Steel Factory play a pivotal role in modern infrastructure and industrial development. As the backbone of construction, manufacturing, transportation, and various other sectors, steel production is essential to creating the durable materials that shape our daily lives. From skyscrapers to automobiles, bridges to household appliances, steel is an indispensable resource that drives economic growth and innovation.

What is a Steel Factory?

A steel factory, also known as a steel mill, is a facility where raw materials such as iron ore, coal, and limestone are transformed into steel. These factories are responsible for producing different types of steel, each with varying characteristics and properties depending on its intended use. Steel factories utilize a combination of processes, including melting, casting, rolling, and shaping, to produce steel in the form of sheets, bars, coils, or beams.

There are two primary types of steel mills:

Integrated Steel Mills: These plants handle the entire production process, from refining raw materials to producing finished steel.

Mini Mills: These focus on recycling scrap steel and refining it into new steel products, contributing to sustainable manufacturing practices.

The Steel Production Process

The production of Steel Factory involves several key steps. The most common method is the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) process, while the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) method is used in mini mills for recycling scrap metal.

Ironmaking: The first step involves extracting iron from iron ore in a blast furnace. The furnace heats the ore along with coke (a carbon-rich substance derived from coal) and limestone, producing molten iron and slag (a by-product used in other industries).

Steelmaking: In the steelmaking phase, molten iron is combined with scrap metal and oxygen to reduce carbon content and impurities. This process, typically done in a basic oxygen furnace, creates liquid steel.

Casting: The liquid steel is then poured into molds to create solid shapes, which can include slabs, billets, and blooms. These are the raw forms of steel that will be further processed.

Rolling and Shaping: After cooling, the steel is rolled into thinner sheets or shaped into desired forms, such as bars or beams. These products are then ready for industrial use.

Finishing: Depending on the intended use of the steel, additional processes such as heat treatment, coating, or surface treatments may be applied to enhance durability, corrosion resistance, and aesthetic appeal.

The Role of Steel Factories in Infrastructure

Steel is a foundational material in modern infrastructure. Steel Factory supply the structural components needed for building everything from bridges to high-rise buildings. Steel’s strength, flexibility, and resilience make it the ideal material for supporting heavy loads and withstanding environmental stressors.

Construction: Steel beams, girders, and rebar are essential components in large-scale construction projects, providing stability to buildings and bridges.

Transportation: Steel factories produce materials for the automotive, shipbuilding, and railway industries. From the frames of vehicles to the tracks that trains run on, steel is integral to modern transportation systems.

Energy: Steel is used in the construction of oil rigs, wind turbines, and pipelines, playing a crucial role in energy infrastructure.

Steel Factories and Sustainability

As concerns about climate change and environmental degradation grow, steel factories are making significant strides toward sustainability. Many steel producers are shifting towards eco-friendly methods, such as using Electric Arc Furnaces to recycle scrap metal and adopting cleaner technologies that reduce emissions.

Innovations in Steel Manufacturing

Steel Factory are at the forefront of technological innovation. Advances in automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics have transformed the industry, increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Some key innovations include:

High-Strength Steel: New steel alloys are being developed that offer higher strength while using less material, making them more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

3D Printing with Steel: The rise of additive manufacturing has introduced the possibility of 3D printing with steel, which could revolutionize industries such as aerospace and automotive engineering.

Smart Factories: The integration of IoT (Internet of Things) devices allows for better monitoring of equipment and processes in steel mills, optimizing production and minimizing downtime.

Conclusion

Steel Factory are the cornerstone of industrial progress. They provide the raw materials necessary for countless industries, from construction to transportation and energy. As technological advancements and environmental concerns shape the future of steel production, these factories continue to adapt and innovate, ensuring that steel remains a vital part of modern life.

The next time you see a skyscraper, drive a car, or walk across a bridge, remember that it all started in a steel factory—a place where raw materials are transformed into the building blocks of our world.

Metal Berg Manufacturing Company Factory

Block 16 Plot 283, Green Estate, Amuwo Odofin Estate 102102, Lagos, Nigeria

+234 803 044 2676

[weneverlearn]

Dogs, a Poor Cow, and the wild life of Reminder Records

An interview with Reminder Records head, Jeremy Thompson

If your interest lies in the lost new wave (in the original sense of that overused term) of the late '70s/early '80s, you've no doubt heard of Reminder Records. For about four years now, the ever-busy imprint has been churning out high quality forgotten nuggets that bop around the peppier edges of the original punk explosion.

And this month brought their latest release -- previously unknown demos for Legendary Lovers, the fourth LP from the French punk band, Dogs. While the original 1983 album was well into the Dogs' cleaner new wave moment, these mangier demos show they were still doing the zippiest power pop with the best of them.

You can check out / order from The Legendary Lovers Demos right here.

Since he's always got another platter heating up in the Reminder microwave -- and he just went on a trip to Japan -- we figured we'd check in with Reminder head honcho, Jeremy Thompson.

Dogs, circa 1983 (photo: Bruno Trividic)

So first off, tell me how Legendary Lovers came about. Where'd you find the demos, how'd you clean them up, etc...

So the demos were recently found by Bruno Lecoeur. He was the original engineer for the sessions. I guess he thought he'd lost the tapes and just recently unearthed them and got in touch with me.

Did you know there were Lovers demos floating around before working with the band? 

I had first heard about them when I was putting together the first Dogs record last year. Robin WIlls told me that he remembered hearing them in the early ‘80's, and much preferred the sound of the demos to the LP. 

Your wife Mary (singer/guitarist for excellent modern power pop band, Baby Shakes) did the artwork, right? Did the band pitch in ideas? 

Yes! Mary did the art. She does all the Reminder stuff. We sent lots of drafts to Bruno Trividic (different Bruno) to keep them in the loop, but ultimately it was Mary's design.

While working on your Dogs releases, has anyone from singer Dominique Laboubée's family been involved? 

Yes, but indirectly. For this record Bruno Lecour has been in contact with everyone, getting approvals, etc. For the first LP, I was working with Lionel Hermanni, the owner of Melodies Massacre, and it was the same way. He'd communicate with everyone in the Dogs camp and get back to me with feedback, etc. I did send Catherine Laboubee, Dominic's sister, advance copies of the audio and art for this record to make sure she approved before going to press. 

Any more Dogs stuff in the Reminder pipeline?

Maybe yes, there is more stuff, but I need to go through everything and think about how to do it. 

Dogs, circa 1983 (photo: Bruno Trividic)

So tell me about your recent trip to Japan. What was the reason for going? 

We just went for vacation, for fun and to see friends. 

You DJ'd at Fifi's bar Poor Cow, right? How'd that go?

Note: Fifi was the co-founder of legendary Japanese garage punk band, Teengenerate, and other awesome bands. Oh, and did we mention that the amazing 2014 Teengenerate documentary, Get Action, is finally up at YouTube?!

It was really good! I brought a 45 box of some of my best stuff. Lots of people ended up coming, and I got to DJ with some really great people. Was great to be able to spend time with friends that we don't get to see very often. Poor Cow is a very special, one of a kind place. 

In 1995, when New Bomb Turks toured with Teengenerate, Fifi would lament how there were no late night bars in Japan, and how he was jealous of bars here and in some parts of Europe that stayed open until 2 a.m. or later. That was one of the reasons he started Poor Cow in his apartment. So, did he stay open until 2 a.m.? Admittedly, that was a long time ago we toured with them, and I haven't been back to Japan since – so did you see any other late night bars while in Japan?

Yeah [Poor Cow] were open really late. We did a separate DJ night in Osaka the night before, that was like an all-night thing, I think it ended at 5 or 6. Also very fun, the people we DJ'd with had really crazy records. A lot of super rare stuff I'd never seen in person. 

Really the only noteworthy bar we went to was Poor Cow. We spent most of our time [in Japan] sightseeing, record shopping. I did go to a few shows there, but the venues were very similar to places you'd see in NYC. 

Dogs, circa 1983 (photo: Bruno Trividic)

[deathandthesoul]

Apropos of words I just read with my eyes, I just remembered that when Aidan was a kid he would go absolutely apeshit during Easter with the egg scavenger hunts. He was always the best one at it and found the most eggs the fastest. Egg hunt champion to crime scene cleaner pipeline real

[swimmingcleaner]

The Magic of Iodophor: The Unsung Hero in Pipeline Cleaning

Pipeliner cleaners have most of us envisioning some futuristic chemical brew bubbling through stubborn grime. But if I told you the real hero here is a relatively unsung, slightly mysterious chemical called iodophor, you might well nod and say, "Yep, that's got a name that sounds like a wizard from a fantasy novel, and honestly, it might just be magical."

What is Iodophor?

Iodophor is basically the cool, less volatile cousin of iodine. It is a mixture of iodine and a surfactant, which is a fancy term for something that makes it spread around better. This concoction is a germ's worst nightmare, used extensively in sanitizing pipelines, brewing equipment, and even dairy machinery. Why? Because it's effective, easy to rinse, and doesn't leave behind weird flavors. Cheers to that!

How Does Iodophor Work?

Iodophor is the party crasher at bacteria's housewarming. It swoops in, disrupts their membranes, and poof! Goodbye, bacteria. Bonus: it doesn't overstay its welcome. Unlike harsher cleaners, iodophor is gentler on your equipment, ensuring no scratches or damage.

Why Pipeline Cleaners Love It

For pipeline cleaners, iodophor is like that all-in-one tool you wish you had in your toolbox. It's versatile, works in both cold and warm water, and requires minimal elbow grease. Plus, it's kind to the environment. You can sleep soundly knowing you're not sending toxic sludge down the drain.

A Pinch of Humor

Picture this: a pipeline so clean it could double as a waterslide. That’s the kind of sparkle iodophor brings to the table. And no, it won’t leave your coffee tasting like iodine—a win for both your taste buds and your peace of mind.

The Bottom Line

Iodophor would never wear a cape, of course, but it is cleaning's unsung hero. Magically, everyone from pipeline cleaners to the purists of all things hygienic and productive requires iodophor. Just remember: next time that pipe is positively glistening for the world, take a step back and honor the iodophor. The magic has won out.

[capitalism-is-parasitism]

Nationalize the grid

Regulators let utilities charge their customers enough money to cover what they spend on assets like combustion turbines and wires, plus a generous rate of return (up to 10 percent) for their investors. This longstanding arrangement incentivizes power providers to build expensive things whether society needs them or not, in lieu of lower-cost, cleaner options, and to invoke their duty to keep the lights on as a post hoc rationalization. PAYWALL (sorry): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/opinion/electricity-demand-surging.html MORE (because paywall): Nearly a decade ago, Dominion and Duke partnered to build a 600-mile-long pipeline across West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina, largely to supply their own new power plants. Back then, the companies cited their own forecasts of rising energy demand and claimed more gas supply was needed to back up intermittent wind- and solar-generated power coming onto the grid. But it soon became clear that there wasn’t any need for those plants, and most were canceled. The pipeline’s core premise had proved to be a mirage. And in 2020, faced with relentless grass-roots opposition, Dominion and Duke finally abandoned it…

But utilities aren’t like other shareholder-owned companies. They are granted the right to be monopolies in exchange for providing essential services to society. And regulators’ job is to hold them accountable to the public interest. This century-old model is in dire need of an upgrade, so that utilities can be compensated for achieving goals — such as using clean, affordable energy and building a resilient grid — that are in everyone’s interest.