Search found 619 matches

by Calvin
13 Jan 2008 02:18
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Oil & Natural Gas: News & Discussion
Replies: 1620
Views: 427127

1 MMCM = 35 MMSCF

40 MMCMD = 1300 MMSCFD

1 MMSCF = $8,000

1200 MMSCFD = $10MM/day = $3.6B /year
by Calvin
30 Dec 2007 21:42
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Oil & Natural Gas: News & Discussion
Replies: 1620
Views: 427127

Inside commentary on Essar is that they are a bunch of incompetents, with slow decision making, inefficient operation and maintenance related issues. FWIW
by Calvin
01 Oct 2007 05:03
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

Ramana - how does that square with Mulford's comments?
by Calvin
30 Sep 2007 10:48
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

ShauryaT: There are so many assumptions inherent to your post that I am not going to address them. Suffice to say that, for example, because you think elections should be fought on "national issues", doesn't mean that they should be. Some might aver that all politics is local. We can go on...
by Calvin
30 Sep 2007 03:47
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

The Indian public does not speak with one voice, on most issues, because, the republic, its current and past leaders, have done a poor job of uniting Indians as Indian, first. This is a ludicrous comment. The polity that are opposing this are not opposing it because they are not Indians, nor are th...
by Calvin
29 Sep 2007 23:40
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

...the leadership on the other hand may have their own interests behind pushing through any deal and may not necessarily always converge with the interests of public. 1. The "public" generally does not speak with one voice. 2. In a constitutional republic, the "majority" of the ...
by Calvin
29 Sep 2007 18:26
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

Just like the Kandahar surrender. abcc: Do you still think that this is a valid example, after the posts by Ramana and others above? "Sovereignty" has a very specific meaning. Wikipedia, as usual, has relatively acceptable primer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty#Sovereignty_in_in...
by Calvin
28 Sep 2007 16:32
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

You don't have to go too far - the withdrawal of Indian forces from an imminent war after the Parliament attack - This was a compromise of national sovereignty? Folks, lets not bandy words around. The phrase "national sovereignty" has very specific meanings to someone like KS. It has beco...
by Calvin
27 Sep 2007 05:56
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

It is fascinating to see the number of and type of bold statements being made by people who are not taking the trouble to read their own posts, and think about the implications of what they write. There used to be a time when you had to go to the University Library to actually gain access to journal...
by Calvin
27 Sep 2007 03:28
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

Until, we have some confirmation, that a part of the RGP reserve, is being actively enriched to WGPu and/or reactors are being used in low burn mode, the assumption that, India does not have enough fissile material, for all its scenarios, shall remain. Actually it is the opposite assumption that op...
by Calvin
26 Sep 2007 18:11
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

it is one thing to say that since we have enough we can stop; and another thing to say that we are getting capped by external forces.
So, this is about pride?
by Calvin
26 Sep 2007 17:15
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

Re: Backdoor FMCT - look at the RGP and do an estimate on how many weapons this means. Use 15 kg Pu per weapon to be conservative. Arun_S will say that 5 kg is more than conservative, but lets use the larger number. How much separated and unseparated RGP does India have? So, now what numbers of weap...
by Calvin
26 Sep 2007 16:24
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

What is banks on is that the resulting mayhem plus decaptiation will leave very few of the Indian nuclear assests operational to be able to strike post the event (consider that many assests; such as sub may actually be cut off). So, its survivability *and* "command and control". Neither o...
by Calvin
26 Sep 2007 15:28
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

so a deterrence if any should also be ready with that context in mind? Such that any of the parties does not think lobbing one at India is a shirt cut to take us out of the equation and then proceed with its usual games with others. It is. The DND was quite clear in this regard. This is why the lon...
by Calvin
26 Sep 2007 07:13
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

the lack of political will is mainly due to a total lack of a strategic thinking Of course, this is why we decided to pursue the 3 stage nuclear power program, the IGMDP, the ADS, LCA, Kaveri, PSLV, GSLV and other critical technology areas, despite fundamental technology denial regimes. This is als...
by Calvin
26 Sep 2007 06:32
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Large Infrastructure Projects: Inertia and Opposition
Replies: 325
Views: 76470

Should this be a zero sum game?
by Calvin
26 Sep 2007 04:44
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

Till 1994 China was a 550 Billion USD economy. Nothing much. To support an ICBM arsenal like that is expensive. The goal posts in this conversation continually move. CHina has never let "cost" come in the way of anything else they have done - why let "cost" define why they didn'...
by Calvin
26 Sep 2007 04:41
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

Pakistan and Israel cannot be our role model both have a limited kind of deterance against India/Middle east asia and that is it Both Pakistan and Israel demonstrate the asymmetry of deterrence against the parties they need to deter. It seems strange that after much discussion (nearly a decade wort...
by Calvin
25 Sep 2007 17:41
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

Else we could have tested all our nukes whatever next year itself.. Chandrayan could have carried a good strategic payload on Chandrayan..
What is keeping us from testing "all our nukes" is not any treaty obligation.
by Calvin
25 Sep 2007 16:08
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

- why did then US has 10000plus nuclear weapons and so does Russia. By your logic they should have been happy with couple of hundreds or for that mattero tens of advanced weapons and thats it . You are going to have think this through on your own. In my mind we today are no where near that kind of ...
by Calvin
25 Sep 2007 07:39
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

SunilUPA: That was a good document. Remember that the US' posture is not always applicable to other nations, although their thought process is instructive.
by Calvin
25 Sep 2007 06:43
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

With US if it comes to a nuclear showdown -knowing how they behaved in a past a huge inventory of all three types of triad and the political will may become essential to make the deterance effective and meaningful,like China is doing today or Soviet Union did and doing . Shankar: This is absolutely...
by Calvin
24 Sep 2007 15:21
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

-No it may not be ok for us .The weapon design we have is surely much better than Russian /us in sixties may be but far behind what is on top of the line they have today and that may include some of china designs too Shankar - In the unique calculus of nuclear deterrence, weapons that kill >100,000...
by Calvin
24 Sep 2007 07:13
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: Nuclear Discussion - Nukkad Thread
Replies: 323
Views: 123327

US and SU deterrent was then credible because both of them didn't possess TN weapons. Not at all. A TN weapon does not change the deterrence equation. We've some workable bomb designs (but at the 200kt level?) Yes So even in the worst case if we somehow get caught in the CTBT, FMCT kinda web, we'd ...
by Calvin
24 Sep 2007 07:09
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Large Infrastructure Projects: Inertia and Opposition
Replies: 325
Views: 76470

If we cannot directly address the real issues here, then perhaps we shouldn't address it at all.
by Calvin
24 Sep 2007 00:06
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Large Infrastructure Projects: Inertia and Opposition
Replies: 325
Views: 76470

The danger of LTTE benefitting from the nearby flow of shipping traffic past its nose is not being addressed here at all, and it needs to be.
Nobody seems to be doing the important assessment on this.
Then do it.
by Calvin
23 Sep 2007 19:53
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Large Infrastructure Projects: Inertia and Opposition
Replies: 325
Views: 76470

Please do not start launching ad hominem (or personal) attacks. If anyone feels compelled to do so, they will find their privileges revoked.
by Calvin
23 Sep 2007 19:51
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Large Infrastructure Projects: Inertia and Opposition
Replies: 325
Views: 76470

Shippers would only increase revenues if they increase the frieght charges to its costumers. Not at all. Shippers would increase revenues by increasing the utilization of their ships. One extra day out of 4 means that they could be shipping 25% more cargo than they would otherwise. Instead of makin...
by Calvin
23 Sep 2007 18:51
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Large Infrastructure Projects: Inertia and Opposition
Replies: 325
Views: 76470

The saving in sailing time of just about a day will not justify the incurring of over 8 times the cost of fuel saved. This is not exactly how a shipper looks at it. If they save a day, then that is an extra day for transportation. Assuming that a ship travels at 12mph. We can deduce the following: ...
by Calvin
23 Sep 2007 08:02
Forum: Science, Economics & Technology Forum
Topic: Large Infrastructure Projects: Inertia and Opposition
Replies: 325
Views: 76470

How does this affect India's economy? In the context of port delays, a day circum navigating Ceylon should not be that big a deal.
by Calvin
10 Sep 2007 16:10
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 9 Sept 2007
Replies: 239
Views: 89207

I thought that we were into discussing the message and not the messenger...the onus is on the person claiming that they are wrong by presenting proofs. Sanku - let us not play games. The message only has credibility in this case, because of the messenger. These guys are defined by the credibility o...
by Calvin
10 Sep 2007 16:06
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 9 Sept 2007
Replies: 239
Views: 89207

Do the tea leaves not tell that the team IAEA will come back with with Hyde+123 template at best And what then? We would be no worse off than before. We would still not be bound to anyone. We would not be bound to the Americans under 123 because we would not have bought anything from them. We would...
by Calvin
10 Sep 2007 16:04
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 9 Sept 2007
Replies: 239
Views: 89207

I would say, if the deal doesnot restrict our freedom to develop our own nuclear defense systems, does not prevent us from further research, gives us un-interrupted supply of nuke fuel for our power requirements, gives us freedom to negotiate and have bilateral deals with all NSG countries, the IAE...
by Calvin
10 Sep 2007 15:59
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 9 Sept 2007
Replies: 239
Views: 89207

BC not good enough for you as well Actually, since BC has been given to over-exaggerations, his credibility is not particularly high. It may be useful to have more than a couple of datapoints in this regard. Additionally, it may be useful to review claims from people that are not in the maximalist ...
by Calvin
10 Sep 2007 15:53
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 9 Sept 2007
Replies: 239
Views: 89207

the Hyde Act does not waive the need for India to seek and obtain US permission every time we wish to reprocess the irradiated imported fuel from our reactors The Hyde act governs what the US may do, under 123. Can someone point me in the direction of the language that has stimulated this claim abo...
by Calvin
10 Sep 2007 15:47
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 9 Sept 2007
Replies: 239
Views: 89207

The price we are being asked to pay by the US is too high: no testing, no reprocessing, no guarantees of future fuel supplies. Once we sign the deal, we will be at the mercy of the US and the Nuclear Suppliers Group for our energy security." It seems to me that the assertions are not entirely ...
by Calvin
10 Sep 2007 15:42
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 9 Sept 2007
Replies: 239
Views: 89207

Never mind what was the yield. Just make more of them and don't get on any FMCO bandwagon unless you have enough numbers. Ramana and Snow - excellent point, particularly since damage scales with 1/3 power of yield, it makes more sense to deploy more, smaller yield weapons. Practically, this means m...
by Calvin
03 Sep 2007 21:38
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 31 Aug 2007
Replies: 298
Views: 125992

RaviCV: Ad hominem attacks on anyone, particularly the PM will not be tolerated on this forum.
by Calvin
03 Sep 2007 18:37
Forum: Nuclear Issues Archive
Topic: India Nuclear News & Discussion - 31 Aug 2007
Replies: 298
Views: 125992

RaviCV - please explain why you think MMS is a Quisling.
by Calvin
03 Sep 2007 18:27
Forum: Strategic & Security Issues Archive
Topic: Distorted History - Causes, Consequences and Remedies
Replies: 320
Views: 118080

Kaushal - this is a wonderful effort. I am reminded of an essay I read a long time ago by GK Chesterton on "history and historians". A google search turned it up, and I quote it here, not only because Chesterton's wit and words and worthy in and off themselves, but because they suggest pre...