I said while kneading the extra-heavy oil in the drum while wearing rubber gloves.
“It’s very sticky.”
The color is also dark, and it feels like oyster sauce or chunjang.
“Is this oil?”
At my words, the executive director of the Korea Petroleum Association nodded and said,
“yes. you’re right. It is extra-heavy oil that contains a lot of sulfur.”
I then checked other oils and said.
“This is a bit less sticky, so it’s heavy oil. And this…”
Only now did oil drip down like a liquid.
“This is light sweet milk.”
“you’re right.”
To be honest, I don’t know if this test will really work.
I usually use corruption magic only moderately for the purpose of extracting morale, and then burn the rest to get rid of it, because I’ve never over-matured like this before.
Poisonous gas magic also ends when the enemy is defeated, and it is the first time that the purpose of extracting poisonous gas is the same.
But for some reason, I feel like I’m going to succeed.
I said with a smirk.
“Somehow it feels familiar.”
how to say
You mean the oil smells like death?
Of course, I didn’t really feel cheated.
That strange sensation I felt while rolling on the battlefield countless times.
That’s what this oil feels like.
“Anyway, okay. Let’s experiment. by the way······.”
I looked around the factory where I was standing and said.
“Are these all necessary facilities for the heavy oil refining process?”
Toxic gas is literally toxic gas.
A deadly gas that can kill a person the moment they smell it.
Even this gas is heavier than air and spreads on the floor, so if you do it wrong, human life could be damaged.
The factory is an oil refinery run by a famous Korean conglomerate.
This is a comprehensive oil refinery capable of both heavy oil refining and crude oil processing, and where I am now is in charge of heavy oil refining.
Then the oil refinery worker nodded and said.
“you’re right.”
And seeing the facilities here, I could clearly understand why extra-heavy oil refining is so expensive.
A truly gigantic factory with pipes and huge barrels lined up in all directions.
“Isn’t it that purification is possible only after going through so many processes?”
I said with a satisfied expression.
“good. Let’s try.”
I transferred the extra-heavy oil to the drum I had prepared in advance.
A drum filled with corruption and toxic gas magic circles and connected to artificial essence.
It was made to calculate how much mana would be consumed for extra-heavy oil refining since I couldn’t supply mana every time.
After transferring all the ultra-heavy oil to the magic drum, putting it in a booth connected to the toxic gas treatment device, sealing the door and flicking your fingers, toxic gas spewed out from the ultra-heavy oil at high speed.
Then the oil refinery employee said with a surprised expression.
“Huh? Yu, the amount of toxic gas emitted is enormous!”
I guess so.
What people sometimes misunderstand is that the rate of natural decay is actually incredibly slow.
If you just leave a human corpse on the ground, it usually takes 1 year for it to rot and become completely white.
Even if buried in the ground, the rate of decomposition is slow enough to take up to seven years, so the body is usually disposed of by burning.
However, when time is compressed with magic, the amount of emission is bound to be overwhelming.
Of course, I’ve never corrupt it to this extent, though.
how long has it been like that
An oil company employee said.
“Toxic gas emissions have suddenly decreased!”
It’s almost over.
“Shall we take a look?”
The magic drum that stopped all magic and toxic gas treatment devices and took it out again.
And inside that magic drum…
“Success.”
As the hydrogen sulfide escaped at great speed, the sulfur was removed, leaving a liquid similar to the light sweet oil we saw earlier.
The managing director said with a bewildered expression as he stirred up the oil that had been super-heavy until just now.
“Is this really extra-heavy oil?”
“How is it?”
“This is a revolution. How can you turn extra-heavy oil into light oil in such a short period of time…”
What a success.
I thought while checking the magic power remaining in the artificial essence.
‘At this level of mana consumption… based on the energy purchase price of an underdeveloped country, it would be around 20,000 won. Then roughly 15 dollars.’
He said that since the current market price of extra-heavy oil is $15 per barrel, light oil could be produced for $30 in total.
I said with a bright smile.
“You spend $30 to make $100 light sweet oil? Is it a triple business?”
Of course, there will be labor and equipment costs, but that little money means nothing in front of triple sales.
“Executive.”
The managing director, who was still looking at the oil with a bewildered expression, answered.
“yes.”
“How much does a extra-heavy oil refinery typically cost?”
“…usually we see around $60 as a refining fee.”
“Then, the extra-heavy oil purchase cost is $75?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s why you eased Venezuela’s economic sanctions.”
As the current price of light oil is over $100, extra-heavy oil, which costs around $75 including refining and purchase costs, is sufficiently competitive in price.
But what if the price of oil plummeted to $50 instead of $100?
“Executive Director, what if the price of oil drops to the level of $50?”
“Of course, the extra-heavy crude oil trade is effectively stopped. The more you refine and sell, the more you lose.”
Even if it is only 50 dollars, virtually all the extra-heavy oil in the world will be as good as mine.
Because only I can refine and sell ultra-heavy oil with a profit even at the $50 level.
Besides, where is it?
“If oil prices fall that much, the price of extra-heavy oil will also be cheap, right?”
“As far as I know, there have been times when the price of extra-heavy crude oil has dropped to $5 during low oil prices.”
“nice.”
So if you add the $15 for magical refining, you’re saying you can make oil for $20.
I can refine and sell it for only 20 dollars when other refiners do not pay attention to ultra-heavy oil due to refining costs.
“This is really great.”
money is seen
see the money
“Aside from Venezuela, are there any other countries with large reserves of extra-heavy oil?”
“Canada is a prime example. Canada is also a country with the third largest oil reserves.”
“Canada was number three?”
It was also the first time I learned today that Canada is an oil producing country.
“yes. It is also slightly better than Venezuela, but it is not well known to people because it is a heavy oil containing a large amount of sulfur and the marketability is low, but the reserve itself is more than any other Middle Eastern country except Saudi Arabia.
It is perfect.
They buy heavy oil from Venezuela and Canada, refine it into crude oil, and sell it at high prices.
At that time, an oil refinery employee who was watching said.
“Me… Chairman Han? What do you plan to do in the future?”
ah.
Come to think of it, this must be a bad thing for refiners with refinery facilities.
But fortunately, I am a person who likes symbiosis?
“Of course, I will buy extra-heavy oil myself and refine it.”
“ah······.”
“But that’s crude oil, right? In the end, crude oil needs to be refined again and refined into gasoline, kerosene, diesel, etc., but I will not do that. It should be done by people who have done well in the past.”
I only make crude oil.
And the process of refining the crude oil should be handed over to refiners.
Just like handing over ore obtained from undersea mining to a smelter.
“of course.”
I said, tapping the heavy oil refinery with my finger.
“You may have to give up on this.”
where is this even
In the first place, the share of extra-heavy oil refining in the sales of oil refiners is not large, right?
So please give me this much.
Instead, I’ll provide you with cheap crude oil.
I said with a grin.
“ruler. Then, shall we move in earnest?”
*
Having instructed Deok-bae Kim to build a large-scale factory equipped with a toxic gas treatment system, I immediately contacted Young-tae Kim of the CIA and headed to Venezuela with him.
Canada also boasts huge reserves of heavy oil, but all the quantities already being drilled are contracted, so it takes time to sign a new contract and drill, while Venezuela is just a blank sheet with sanctions just eased.
“The current president is Juan Pablo, who was elected after an anti-American former president was ousted because of economic difficulties.”
I was silent for a while at Kim Young-tae’s words.
“Were you involved in that too?”
“Well… I won’t deny it. In the first place, the United States has strongly supported the current president, who is pro-American from the beginning.”
In the era of high oil prices, the United States eased sanctions because the pro-US president they pushed for was elected.
“Anyway, is it really okay for me to buy and sell Venezuelan oil? Isn’t the U.S. mitigating it to sell it?”
“What is urgent right now is inflation. It doesn’t matter that the sanctions were eased to put out the urgent fire right away. Besides, even if we import Venezuelan oil, we need to have a refining system that can handle it, but that takes too much time and money. On the other hand, Chairman Han ignored all other processes and only needed a toxic gas treatment facility, so wouldn’t oil be supplied to the market immediately?”
It doesn’t matter if I buy or sell, so lower the price of oil to prevent inflation?
It’s me then thank you
“I was surprised anyway.”
Kim Young-tae shook his head and said.
“In the world, making extra-heavy oil into light oil without any process.”
“It’s not that there is no process, it was made with great care.”
“You seem to be saying that if other refiners hear it, they will grab their backs and move on. ha. You are amazing. In the meantime, I’m joking, are you thinking of coming to America? I am confident that I will do well.”
I pretended to be joking, but I was half serious.
Nothing else, because the ability to control oil has appeared.
In fact, that’s why I was there to work in collaboration with the CIA.
To show myself that I am as cooperative with the United States as I am.
This project is possible because the United States lifted sanctions from Venezuela.
If the U.S. is twisted and imposes economic sanctions on Venezuela again, my plan to make a lot of money by supplying ultra-heavy oil at a cheap price will inevitably be disrupted.
“I can’t speak English.”
“I will stick by your side and translate for the rest of your life.”
“Uh ha ha. That’s a funny joke. Anyway, I am still comfortable in Korea.”
I have no intention of leaving my hometown, but I deliberately said “not yet” to leave room.
“It’s still…”
Kim Young-tae catches it right away, and his eyes shine for a while, and then returns to his original expression.
“Anyway, the U.S. welcomes President Han to enter Venezuela. However… I would like to have a discussion on crude oil pricing. As you know, aren’t we a bit sensitive to oil prices?”
Want to control inflation by lowering oil prices and at the same time strengthen control over oil prices?
what. I was able to do business thanks to the United States, so I’ll give you that much.
“You have to do that. Is that your friend?”
“hahahaha. That is very fortunate.”
As we hid our true feelings from each other and continued the conversation, a flight attendant came up to me and said.
“Chairman, we will be arriving soon.”
The plane I am riding with Kim Young-tae is my private jet that I bought second-hand so that I can intervene immediately anywhere after the Japanese crisis.
Of course, all the people here except Kim Young-tae were employees of the Seron Group.
At the flight attendant’s words, Kim Young-tae looked at me and said.
“Someone from our side will be with you. I will take you straight to the presidential palace.”
*
The presidential palace, guided by the CIA, had already prepared a welcome ceremony for me.
After taking photos for domestic political propaganda and interviewing Venezuela for a while, I started talking in earnest with President Juan Pablo.
“I will tell you directly. Exporting to other countries or companies? I understand. In my mind, I want to monopolize everything, but Seron doesn’t have that kind of processing power yet. but.”
I said with a grin.
“It would be best not to sign long-term contracts. Because all those companies are going to go out of business.”
Then Juan Pablo said with a look of interest.
“How can you be so sure?”
I said with a confident expression to Kim Young-tae’s interpretation.
“Because I have a way to refine extra-heavy crude at $15 a barrel.”
Venezuela was once an enormously wealthy country.
At the time when international oil prices rose endlessly due to oil shocks and there was no extra-heavy oil to sell.
But it was no different from a black curse.
Even if you stay still, a huge amount of money comes in, so the political world did not even think about fostering other industries and only promoted welfare policies to get elected.
However, after the oil shock ended and the era of low oil prices entered, the situation completely changed.
Exports of extra-heavy oil, which requires high refining costs, were ignored and exports were cut off.
The money line is dry, but money is still leaking out of pockets, and even US sanctions due to the anti-American regime.
Venezuela, a rich South American country, collapsed in an instant.
Of course, as a Venezuela who has experienced that, you know what I mean by the $15 tablet cost.
“I’m asking if it’s really possible for $15.”
The fact that the refining cost is $15 means that even if the price of oil halves, it will be able to compete with other oils.
“it’s possible. It’s a trade secret, of course.”
I said to Juan Pablo, who looked shocked.
“When Venezuelan oil is released in earnest, the price of petroleum will drop. Will refiners buy extra-heavy oil from Venezuela at that time? Absolutely not. I’d probably give up right away if the $70 line collapsed. Because the cost of extra-heavy oil refining is higher than the market price. But Seron is different. Even if oil prices fall to $30 or less, we can survive.”
Currently, the unit cost of production is $30, but if oil prices drop to that point, the price of extra-heavy crude oil will drop even lower than the current $15.
So even in the era of low oil prices, Seron can endure enough.
Refinement using magic is truly the king of cost-effectiveness.
I said with a confident expression.
“As you know, once you start drilling for oil, you can’t stop. The only way to stop it is to shut down that drilling rig and build another one.”
Oil drilling facilities use the pressure inside the ground to automatically eject oil.
Just like when you puncture your skin, blood flows out due to the pressure inside your body.
Of course, as there is no way to forcibly stop this, once it is pumped out, you have to continue to sell oil.
That’s why oil-producing countries can’t arbitrarily increase production.
Once you put a straw in, you have to keep pulling it out, but it’s difficult if it suddenly doesn’t sell.
Here comes Venezuela’s troubles.
They have to continue to sell, but ultra-heavy oil, which is only productive at high oil prices, is extremely sensitive to price fluctuations, so unlike other oil-producing countries, they have to worry about not knowing when another low oil price will come.
However, when Seron comes forward, the story changes.
“In such a situation, we are the only company that can unequivocally buy Venezuela’s extra-heavy crude oil without changing oil prices. And all the other refining companies will go out of business. Because there is no competition with us. So don’t sign long-term contracts and wait until our capacity is up.”
After thinking about my words for a while, Juan Pablo said.
“It sounds like a really good suggestion. But no matter how much Chairman Han is, how can he only listen to what is said and proceed with the work?”
I said looking at Kim Young-tae, who was interpreting.
“At a time like this, can you step out? A CIA endorsement would be perfect.”
Then Kim Young-tae laughed and talked with Juan Pablo for a long time before talking to me.
“It’s a way that exists, and we said we confirmed it. The president also agreed positively.”
“okay.”
Almost passed.
Let’s add a little more seasoning here.
“And Venezuela is in a bad economic situation right now because economic sanctions have just been lifted, right? Isn’t the biggest problem a lack of foreign currency?”
As Venezuela used to buy consumer goods and food abroad with the money sold from oil, foreign currency was cut off due to economic sanctions and mad inflation occurred, a situation that has continued to this day.
In other words, what Venezuela needed most was the dollar.
Selling oil is also to stabilize domestic prices by selling oil to secure dollars.
“Energy sales, we will introduce immediately. And we pay for energy purchases in dollars.”
Upon hearing my words, Juan Pablo’s eyes fluttered.
It is not enough to stably import ultra-heavy crude oil, so it gives money in dollars to the people suffering from economic difficulties.
Of course it’s good for me too.
If you buy mana cheaply from Venezuela and run the oil business with it, the price of refining will go down even more.
“I have only one requirement. In the future, Seron Essential Oil will increase the amount of refinement at a tremendous speed. Even if necessary, by taking over other refineries. And Venezuela wants to supply ultra-heavy oil with top priority in line with the amount of refinement of Seron essential oil. The moment when the refined amount of Seron essential oil grows to cover all of Venezuela’s production.”
I said with a confident expression.
“Venezuela will have a perfect export window that will not stop exports regardless of international oil prices. And you can use that money and the dollars earned from energy sales to develop the country.”
Venezuela, which needs a stable supply of dollars, and Seron Oil, which needs a stable supply of extra-heavy crude oil.
“I think Seron and Venezuela are very good partners. How are you, Mr. President?”
I held out my hand to the president and said.
“Would you like to join hands with me?”