Sunday, July 24, 2005

 

FULL TEXT From THE BOHOL CHRONICLE, NOVEMBER 24, 2002 Editorial

FUEL ALTERNATIVE IN THE PHILIPPINE DEEP?

More than a decade ago, an assorted group of psychics and esoteric thinkers interested us in a theory about the existence of a so-called Philippine Gold in the deepest recesses of the so-called Philippine Deep off the coasts of Surigao in the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines.

It was easy to dismiss them then arguing that an impoverished, hungry people often see visions of deliverance, [not] unlike the oasis in the desert that never exist but would seem real to the thirsty and tired wayfarers.

But less than a year ago, a psychic respected even by practitioners of the paranormal and New Age philosophies, explained to us that the renewed, vigorous interest of the Philippine and the United States governments in the island of Mindanao was not just of the huge unfished oceans between Mindanao and Australia, nor the Muslim secessionist movement but more so due to the hidden underwater treasure that is found in the Philippine deep.

A recent research paper that started back in the year 1986, right after the unceremonious exit of Ferdinand Marcos and allies out of power, has been going the rounds again and has reportedly been re-presented once again to the Philippine government. Such a paper was reportedly lodged with the Philippine Senate just this month for intelligent evaluation.

This is concerning the so-called deuterium element or the hydrogen fuel that can be extracted through a technical process from the water. Since theoretically, the proponents say, the cost of such an alternative fuel to petroleum will only be US $4-7 per barrel compared to a war-nervous price of US $30 per barrel of petro oil, this will lighten up the burden of many food, chemical and metal industries dependent on petroleum oil.

Not only will this new fuel reportedly discovered by Dr. Jacob Biegelsen provide energy for land vehicles, airplanes and space ships, hydrofuel can also be useful for cooking, lighting and heating and even for reactors in electric power generators.

Back in 1986, already a consortium of mining firms from USA, Japan and Saudi Arabia seemed bent to target production of 12 million barrels per day of hydrofuel. If the Philippine government [would agree to] a 40/40/20 Government/Investor and Operating Cost scheme, it would net a US $7/barrel on an output of 12 million barrels a day, or the equation can generate a foreign exchange inflow of US $30-B which can erase all the country’s Foreign Debt in two years time.

With the almost limitless source from under the sea and give the fact that the hydro fuel costs only about a fifth of the cost of petroleum on a per barrel basis, this would emancipate the world from the tyranny of the Middle East nations and change the political equation of the world on the basis of new economic order generating therefrom. Geopolitics will turn a new page and the Philippines could be at the center of the dawning of this new energy power from the sea.

The reason is that the deuterium can only be sourced from the deepest trenches of the world’s oceans and with the Philippine Deep measuring a depth of 3 miles (deepest), 52 miles in width and 868 miles in length, the area will house the largest deposit of deuterium in the world. The deuterium element allegedly moves 12,000 kilometers from Central America to our trenches as the earth turns its axis in an unending motion.

According to the scientists it is at certain depths alone of more than 7,000 meters below sea level and more than 10,000 psi pressure (generated by the extent of the depth) will make the hydrogen [to] disengage from oxygen – developing hydro isotopes. (The Philippine Deep is said to be 7,000 to 10,000 meters deep.) At room temperature and under pressure, this electrolyzes into hydrogen gas.

Under the same principle as conversion of liquefied petroleum and liquefied natural gas into pure gas, the hydrogen gas can also be converted into fuel, so the proponents aver.

According to the technical side of the proponent, the Ram Jet Suction technology or hydrodynamic power will be used in pumping deuterium from the depths of the 7,000 meters and below sea level.

On the financial side, it was pointed out that the investment vs. capacity ratio of the hydro fuel is much lower than the petro fuel kind at only US $200 million per 1 million barrels of fuel. Based on the 12 million barrels per day output, that will be a foreign investment of US $2.4 Billion in the country, a huge amount by any standard of measure. About 350,000 Filipinos will be hired at international pay scale. Export processing zones will sprout near the eastern coasts of Mindanao.

It is interesting to note that as early as 1874, Jules Verne predicted that hydrogen from water will be the fuel of the future and probably people then laughed themselves silly and suggested Jules was seeing visions. Yet even as early as World War II, Germany reportedly used V-2 rocket bombs propelled by hydrogen. So then, isn’t hydrogen fuel really a distinct reality now – 50 years after that war?

Most of all, this can really be manna from heaven, a discovery of new found wealth of energy consistent with the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy that our schools taught us in the elementary.

A golden age may yet to come for this forsaken Pearl of the Orient Seas?

A consummation devoutly to be wished.

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