Protests at Iran fuel rationing

[TexasLawyer]

Source: BBC

Wednesday, 27 June 2007, 03:39 GMT 04:39 UK

Protests at Iran fuel rationing
There were angry protests as people rushed to buy petrol

Iranians set fire to a petrol station in Tehran

At least one petrol station has been set on fire in the Iranian capital, Tehran, after the government announced fuel rationing for private motorists. Iranians were given only two hours' notice of the move that limits private drivers to 100 litres of fuel a month.

Despite its huge energy reserves Iran lacks refining capacity, forcing it to import about 40% of its petrol. Tehran is trying to rein in fuel consumption over fears of possible UN sanctions over its nuclear programme. Iran fears the West could sanction its petrol imports and cripple its economy.

The restrictions began at midnight local time on Wednesday (2030 GMT Tuesday).

The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says there is anger and frustration the government did not give people more notice.

<snip>

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6243644.stm

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. "Let Freedom Reign!"

[ohio2007]

18. obviously, there are "spies" behind this activity in the better neighborhoods of Tehran

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2859824

It's always a good to blame outsiders for internal problems


from the original BBC article;

Iranians were given only two hours' notice of the move that limits private drivers to 100 litres of fuel a month.

Despite its huge energy reserves, Iran lacks refining capacity and it imports about 40% of its petrol.

The country has a large budget deficit largely caused by fuel subsidies and the inflation rate is estimated at 20-30%.


snip
The restrictions began at midnight local time on Wednesday (2030 GMT Tuesday) and are set to continue for four months - with a possible extension to six months - the government said.

There is anger that the government did not give people more notice. Some MPs have called for an end to the rationing and parliament may postpone its summer recess to deal with the crisis.


snip
It is a dangerous move for any elected government, especially in an oil-rich country like Iran, where people think cheap fuel is their birthright and public transport is very limited, she says.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6243644.stm



I don't think they were chanting "DEATH TO AMERICA" for the government news cameras

[MADem]

2. Iran fuel rations spark anger, pump stations burn

Source: REUTERS via Yahoo! News

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Angry Iranian motorists queued for gasoline for hours on Wednesday after the world's fourth-largest oil exporter imposed fuel rationing, sparking chaotic scenes and the torching of at least two pump stations....12 gasoline stations were set ablaze in Tehran after the government's announcement late on Tuesday, but only two could be independently confirmed.

Some drivers had scuffled while waiting to fill up their tanks before the rationing started at midnight. Others openly criticized President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government..."We are swimming in oil and all they do is just put pressure on people," said taxi driver Hasan Mohammadi.

Despite its huge energy reserves, Iran lacks refining capacity and must import about 40 percent of its gasoline, a sensitive issue when world powers have threatened new U.N. sanctions in a row with Tehran over its nuclear program.

Seeking to rein in soaring consumption and costly imports, the government on May 22 raised the liter price by 25 percent to 1,000 rials (11 U.S. cents) but rationing was delayed....Iran had no choice but to curb consumption because of the burden on state coffers. All fuel, whether imported or domestically produced, is sold at heavily subsidized prices, encouraging waste and smuggling.









Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070627/ts_nm/iran_gasoline_rationing_dc_3

---

The last time I was in Iran, there were tremendous shortages, and lines that were a mile long at the pumps, but they weren't rationing back then.

This ain't good. Inflation is at seventeen percent. The economy is stressed to the max already.

Could you get by on a hundred litres a month? The traffic in Teheran is brutal, too--they'll burn half of that in traffic jams!

[Pawel K]

3. Look at those modern gas pumps

They look more advanced that what we have here in certain parts of the city.

Yet people here seem to think that Iran and the rest of the middle east is totally uncivilized.

[Miss Chybil]

5. Who thinks that? nt

[Pawel K]

9. Been to freerepublic in the past couple of years?

If you haven't I really dont blame you. But their types think everyone outside of this county lives 30 years behind.

[MADem]

7. I've lived outside the US for much of my life. I've seen many things over in the Middle East, Asia

and Europe that were commonplace there before they ever made it here.

What we have in America is room and good roads and reliable electricity and phone service. An infrastructure that is able to handle the population. A solid economy, a stable government (well, we used to have those things...).

But we don't always have the latest and greatest 'stuff' when it comes to consumer goods, not by any stretch. We aren't even fashion trendsetters. I can remember, years and years ago, leaving an America that was mired in Ozzie and Harriet fashions and conservative clothes and hairstyles, and to my great surprise, arriving in a Europe full of MINI SKIRTS!!! And shaggy hair on the lads! The Beatles were the latest thing, but they hadn't made it to the US yet. The only Americans who knew who they were, were the ones who'd been over there for awhile.

As another example, shelf-stable products, like milk in a box, and space age packaging, like CAPRI SUN drinks, were commonplace in Iran in the mid seventies. You didn't see ANYTHING like that in the US for decades after that.

Lots of times, we're the LAST to get new things. I swear, our attitude is "Make sure it doesn't kill the rest of those people FIRST...then, if it's safe, we'll have some, too."

I had interactive television in Europe in the early 90s. You could even play stupid games on it with the remote. The choices sucked, but the technology existed. And that was over-the-air TV, too--not cable or satellite.

In Japan, I bought some of the smallest electronics that my family had ever seen, back when in the US small had not yet taken hold--they were amazed. Nowadays, they're nothing great, but back in the day that tiny camera, miniature radio, that fancy walkman/discman, hadn't even gotten to the US yet.

[Pawel K]

10. I was actually born and raised in Poland

and I completely agree with what you are saying.

I have a good friend from Iran, he brings back lots of pictures and videos when he goes back there every few years. That country is simply beautiful.

[MADem]

16. It's funny how we think we're so doggone jazzy here, some of us

But minds WOULD be blown if they could see some of the neat stuff floating around in other parts of our world!

The thing that is great about Iran, aside from the people, who really are nice and regular and kind and welcoming (not fundy-crazy, like the stereotypical representations) is the countryside. The sky is so blue it HURTS, if that makes any sense. It is just saturated with blue. At night, it's like velvet, if you're away from the cities in the desert. Incredible. And some of the architecture is just dazzling, as well.

Hell, I sometimes wonder if I'll live long enough to ever see America and Iran be friendly once more.

[ohio2007]

21. those pumps are not as advanced as ours if you took a closer look

just because they are kept clean means nothing to the environment.
Those 'skinny' hoses are not the vapor recovery type that pull the gas fumes back to the underground tank to let the vapor condense back to a liquid state. The fumes are just released into the air.
...and look how they burned.

I bet those pumps didn't have impact breakaway shear fittings at their bases which automatically shut off and seal the fuel line to the dispenser.

But then, I doubt the Iranians have anything close to our EPA mandated standards for air quality preventative measures in high air pollution areas.
I heard a story on NPR radio how the Iranians don't even put the odor additive into their natural gas supply! You know..."that gas smell" isn't at all a natural part in the gas out of the ground.
ANother thing is when they heat their houses in the winter, they tend to set the thermostat to around 90-95 degrees !!!!

...the supply is so 'dirt cheap' you know

[Strelnikov_]

4. "Could you get by on a hundred litres a month?"

No problem.

Just looked at my mileage spreadsheet, and I have used 414 gal. of Diesel over 25 mo., or about 16.6 gal/mo average. Of course consumption surges somewhat in the summer, but I have the facilities to store 100 gal. when required.

[MADem]

6. You're not using a lot of gas. I do think the average Teherani who lives in say, Tajrish

and wants to go shopping at the bazaar in the south or go to the university which is some distance away or go visit family out of town at the weekend are going to have trouble.

26 and a half gallons (which is what 100 litres works out to) is two fill ups in a compact car, pretty much. Teheran is a huge, spread out city. A lot of people have family in the outlying villages, as well.

These restrictions noted are for GASOLINE, though. Not diesel. And they're in LITRES, not gallons. You too might have trouble if they rationed that over there, because they wouldn't give you the same amount, in all likelihood, as diesel goes further than petrol.

You've used just slightly more than 1567 LITRES of diesel in the last 25 months, if you convert those gallons to litres. That works out to sixty two litres a month. Now, if they got down to rationing diesel (which they haven't done yet, near as I know) because of shortages, I rather think you'd not get the same hundred litres that the gasoline folks are getting--you'd probably get about a third of that. And that wouldn't be enough....

[Strelnikov_]

13. You asked "Could you get by on a hundred litres a month?"

I answered in the affirmative. If I had a gasser, it would be a 41 mpg+ gasser (probably a Prius), so the same consumption pattern would apply.


I guess I did not understand your question.

[Pawel K]

11. That's good for you, but...

a lot of people over there don't really have the money to invest in cars with good gas mileage.

[roamer65]

8. There won't be traffic jams in Tehran for much longer.

If the rationing persists, people will find alternative transportation or use bicycles. People will always find a way to go where they want.

[MADem]

15. They'll start smuggling gasoline from Iraq!!

Hell, when things got bad during the revolution, people were running their cars (and ruining their engines) on kerosene!

[ohio2007]

19. b/c a reduction of traffic is a reduction of comerce.. The market inflation rate is 20%-30% already

Depression can't be far behind

[hogwyld]

12. We'll be rationing within a few years

Now that peak oil is here, Cantarell in Mexico is crashing, mos of OPEC hates our guts, and with China leading the way, it won't be long before we wish we could get 100 liters a month

[MADem]

17. Naaaaw, we'll make up with Cuba, and exploit their oil fields

Supposedly the Cubans have found oil off their coasts. Lots of it. They've contracted with the UK to do even more exploring: http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-2207--5-5--.html

Or, we'll pull a Kuwait, and do some slant drilling from the Keys.

Or we'll go steal someone else's....!

[ohio2007]

20. so much for peak oil. Russians are going to tap into new sources discovered

Kremlin lays claim to huge chunk of oil-rich North Pole

snip
According to Russia's media, the geologists returned with the "sensational news" that the Lomonosov ridge was linked to Russian Federation territory, boosting Russia's claim over the oil-and-gas rich triangle. The territory contained 10bn tonnes of gas and oil deposits, the scientists said.

Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper celebrated the discovery by printing a large map of the North Pole. It showed the new "addition" to Russia - the size of France, Germany and Italy combined - under a white, blue and red Russian flag.

snip

Mr Priamikov said the area was one of breathtaking natural beauty. It was much drier, colder and quieter than the western Arctic, he added. "I've been there many times. It's an oasis for marine life," he said. Asked whether it would be feasible to drill for oil, he said: "Yes".

snip

http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2113289,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12

claiming "peak oil" may be a strategy to keep oil prices high I'm beginning to thing

[NickB79]

23. 10 billion tons of oil is roughly equivalent to 2.5 years worth of global oil consumption

According to this website http://www.sizes.com/units/barrel_petr.htm, one metric ton of oil is equivalent to 7.33 barrels of oil. Now, the article stated 10 billion tons of oil AND natural gas were found by the Russians, but just for the sake of argument let's say it's all just oil. That means Russia found a reserve of 73.3 billion barrels of oil. Wow, that's a huge amount of oil, you might say, enough to push aside fears of a worldwide peak in oil production.

Think again. http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0129/p14s01-wogi.html

"The United States Geological Survey (USGS) puts yearly world consumption of oil today at about 30 billion barrels."

In reality, since there is natural gas in the equation, there is likely only 40-50 billion barrels of oil there, barely enough for 1.5 years of global oil consumption. And to rub salt in the wound, you will likely only extract 50-75% of the oil in the wells, as a large percentage of oil can never be recovered without very expensive operations that would only be economical if oil prices rose well over $100/barrel. Once all is said and done, this new Russian field will likely come in at or a little less than one year's worth of oil.

[Ian David]

14. I wonder if Jimmy Carter will have a chuckle over this? n/t

[Eugene]

22. Iran confirms arrests of some 80 suspects after fuel rationing riots

Source: Associated Press

Iran confirms arrests of some 80 suspects after fuel rationing riots

The Associated Press
Published: July 4, 2007

TEHRAN, Iran: Authorities have arrested some 80 suspects on
the charge of damaging gas stations and looting shops during
last week's protests against fuel rationing, state-run
television reported Wednesday.

Authorities could indict the suspects, mostly detained since
last Wednesday, after watching films by video surveillance and
security cameras in the looted shops and damaged gas stations,
state TV said.

The report was the first confirmation that people were arrested
for protesting the new fuel rationing measures. Announced last
Wednesday, the government's rationing drove angry Iranians to
smash shop windows and set fire to more than a dozen gas
stations in the capital, Tehran, and several other cities.

Iran is one of the world's biggest oil producers but has only
nine refineries and must import more than 50 percent of the
gasoline used by consumers.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/04/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Fuel-Rationing-Arrests.php

[Javaman]

24. I'm thinking the U.S. in about 5 to 6 years. nt

[dkofos]

25. I am amazed that it never occurred to the Iranians, with all their

Billions in oil wealth, that they might need to build a refinery or two.