Autoblog

100 years ago today, Middle East oil discovered

Chris Tutor — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:05:00 EST

For seven years, William D'Arcy drilled well after well in Persia, now known as Iran, looking for oil. With his funding running low, and his employers getting quite impatient, D'Arcy drilled one last well and hit a gusher on May 26, 1908. The rest is history.

Six years after the discovery of the vast Middle Eastern oilfields, D'Arcy and the Anglo-Persian Oil Co. almost went out of business. They literally had oceans of precious oil and, by then, a pipeline to remove it from its remote resting place. What they did not have, ironically, were customers. Cars were the toys of the wealthy, ships mostly ran on coal and so did electrical plants. Winston Churchill, however, saw the benefits of running his navy on oil and soon had World War I to fight. Black gold quickly became one of the world's most coveted resources.

Years later, the Anglo-Persian Oil Co. bought the government-seized assets of a German firm that sold oil in Britain before the war. That company was called British Petroleum, a name adopted later by Anglo-Persian and shortened to BP in 2000.

[Source: BP via Wired]

100 years ago today, Middle East oil discovered originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 May 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BP's Helios House: Greener than the fuel it sells

John Neff — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:13:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Green

Last Friday the covers were pulled off of a brand new gas station on the corner of Olympic and Robertson in L.A. Dubbed the Helios House by BP, the Frank Gehry-inspired structure is what the petroleum producer calls "a little better gas station," referring to the earth friendly features built into the structure. For instance, the pump palace is composed of recyclable uncoated stainless steel triangles, the rooftop is covered with 90 solar panels and collects rainwater to irrigate nearby ~~fauna~~ flora, the underside of the roof features low-energy lighting and the concrete base is mixed with pieces of recycled glass. Besides the materials used to build Helios House, BP employees will also go around and check each customers' tire pressure to ensure the most eco-friendly inflation pressure is acheived.

Environmental activists, however, are not swayed by BP's "green-washing", citing that the absence of alternative fuels like ethanol and biodiesel being offered at Helios House reveals a giant paradox with the facility. BP recognizes the inconsistency baked into its new building, and is considering adding alternative fuels in the future. As some activists point out, however, it's hard to criticize the oil company because at least the Helios House is a positive step, even if it is owned by what is traditionally considered an enemy of the environment.

Check out many more pics at LAist.com by clicking the Read link.

[Source: LAist.com, LA Times]

BP's Helios House: Greener than the fuel it sells originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK gasoline could go over £1 per liter

Stuart Waterman — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Earnings/Financials

A quick thrash of the calculator shows that £1 per liter works out to a sky-high $6.88 per U.S. gallon. This prediction comes from someone who knows whereof he speaks - Lord Browne, CEO of British Petroleum (pictured at right). In an interview with the BBC, Lord Browne said that prices could well pass the pound-per-liter benchmark if crude oil prices continue to rise, adding, "We're not passing anything like the complete effect of crude oil prices onto the consumer."

Meanwhile, BP reported first quarter profits of $5.265 billion.

With President Bush sweating at the prospect of $3 a gallon prices at U.S. pumps, he must be glad he's not in Tony Blair's shoes.

[Source: BBC. Image courtesy BP]

UK gasoline could go over £1 per liter originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BP launches $16-a-gallon fuel!

Stuart Waterman — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Technology

In what must be one of the most ill-timed product launches in history, British Petroleum has chosen a time of record pump prices to launch a new brand of ultra-premium fuel that retails for nearly $20 a gallon in the U.K. (that's about $16.32 per U.S. gallon).

BP's new Ultimate 102 boasts an octane rating of - you guessed it - 102, and is made in limited quantities by BP's Specialty Fuels Technology Centre, using the same techniques used to craft Formula 1 race fuel.

What's the point? The high-octane fuel typically boosts power output on modern performance cars by between 4 and 7.5 percent over BP's standard Ultimate 97, provided your ride is willing and able to remap its ignition and/or increase turbo boost.

Ultimate 102 has its own minisite here, and (this must be a first) the fuel will soon have its own blog here. The product is only available in the U.K., at least for now.

[Source: BP]

BP launches $16-a-gallon fuel! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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