What does it mean for American innovation to be backed by oil wealth?

Re:What does it mean for American innovation to be backed by... by ryanmarsh on Monday September 16, 2019 @11:50AM (#20985286)

I didn't know they were that cheap. A new refinery starts at about $5B.

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Re:What does it mean for American innovation to be backed by... by hedvig on Monday September 16, 2019 @12:36PM (#20985830)

Why the moaning about nuclear power plant cost if refineries sit at a similar cost?

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Re:What does it mean for American innovation to be backed by... by NullPrefix on Monday September 16, 2019 @01:02PM (#20986139)

Refineries return that money faster.

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Re:What does it mean for American innovation to be backed by... by blunte on Monday September 16, 2019 @01:43PM (#20986657)

Human lifespan is short. So things that affect one human lifespan quickly are scarier. Radiation scares people because it can kill them fast. Effects from oil and gas tend to take much longer.

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Re:What does it mean for American innovation to be backed by... by hummusoiler on Monday September 16, 2019 @11:55AM (#20985356)

What kind of things go into a refinery that form that price?

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Re:What does it mean for American innovation to be backed by... by hanniabu on Monday September 16, 2019 @12:06PM (#20985492)

Engineering costs, inspection costs, a lot of stainless steel tanks and tubing, a lot of stainless steel valves/clamps/misc attachments, a lot of stainless steel welding that needs to be certified, redundant failsafes, various safety devices/monitoring systems, etc. I'm sure some bribes are buried/hidden in these costs as well, such as if you allow this oil refinery we'll use your construction company and you can over charge us so any payoff is legal.

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