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SYNM - Synthetic Petroleum fuels

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I've been aquiring a bit of SYNM - Syntroleum Corporation

Syntroleum specializes in the technology of synthesis of hydrocarbons

id est: they create "synthetic petroleum" fuels

the company owns the Syntroleum Process for Fischer-Tropsch (FT)
conversion of synthesis gas derived from biomass,
coal, natural gas, and other carbon-based feedstocks
into liquid hydrocarbons (like gasoline or jet fuel);

wow, with the price of gas so high recently,
the stock of such creators of new petroleum supplies
would most likely be worth their high stock price

well, actually SYNM stock has dropped from $20 in 2000
to recently less then $1

SYNM made a discounted prepayment of $3.75 million
to extinguish $6 million owed to Marathon Corporation

id est: SYNM settled the Marathon obligation at a 38% discount

SYNM has sold off their interests in all international oil and gas assets
resulting in a gain on the sale of discontinued operations of $10.1 million during 2007

SYNM has reduced cash used in operating activities
from $35.8 million in 2006 to $23.1 million in 2007,
and are projecting cash used in operating activities would be
$7.8 million in 2008 and $6.5 million in 2009.

On March 6, 2008, SYNM sold off their corporate offices and lab facilities,
receiving approximately $1.3 million for the property;
and SYNM has moved to leased office space in Tulsa,

Cost reductions associated with the sale of their office complex
will result in further annual overhead reductions of approximately $250,000

hmmm,

well with the stock price so low,
there wouldn't seem to be much
short selling potential left

and besides, this contest only rates long positions

however actually, as I started off stating,
I've recently been aquiring (long position) SYNM

hmmm,

since I've already given reason for the recent low stock price,

I'll now try to justify why I'm aquiring the stock for upside speculation

it seems that there had been some recent adverse weather in New Orleans,
creating some economic distress in the region

in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

a "GO Zone" bond program provided Louisiana with $7.8 billion
in tax-free borrowing capacity to distribute to private business developments
to help spur growth in hurricane-impacted parishes.

More than $4 billion of the approved GO Zone bonds
have not been issued and the allocations expire April 22

the Interest rates tend to be among the lowest cost available,
with rates priced at approximately two-thirds of LIBOR plus a credit spread.

well, SYNM would seem to be liquidating everything they can
so that they can put up $12 million of cash,
to set up a Dynamic Fuels project which will convert
poultry by-products from Tyson Foods into fuel

SYNM currently has a $1.1 million contract with the U.S. Air Force
to create 500 gallons of Bio-Synthetic Jet Fuel.

Operations have started at Southwest Research Institute's
1 bbl/day alternative fuels pilot plant in San Antonio, Texas.

the pilot plant runs provide process design validation
for the Dynamic Fuels project

The "feedstock" of the commercial process are duplicated at the pilot plant;
consisting of 45% poultry fat, 19% brown grease, 18% yellow grease,
9% floatation grease, and 9% miscellaneous fats;

converting the poultry byproducts into high quality jet fuel

oh, back to the Louisianna commercial plant

SYNM has hired a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey
to underwrite Go Zone bonds
for construction of the first plant in Geismar, Louisiana

SunTrust has significant experience with Go Zone bonds,
having sucessfully completed 7 transactions for in excess of $800 million

Tyson and Syntroleum have elected to pursue Go Zone Bonds
because the location of the project in Ascension Parish in Louisiana
qualifies the Geismar project for these special circumstance tax exempt municipal bonds,

which is the lowest-cost form of financing they have encountered.

On March 19, 2008, Dynamic Fuels filed an application
with the Louisiana State Bond Commission,
through the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (or LPFA),
to issue Revenue Bonds for up to $135 million
to finance the construction of the Dynamic Fuels plant in Geismar.

Upon approval, the bonds would satisfy financing obligations
for 100% of the budgeted commercial plant capital costs

The Geismar project ranks #6 in Louisiana investment attributes,
when compared to the 687 projects announced by the
Louisiana Department of Economic Development in fiscal year 2006

at current fuel prices: the pro forma cash operating margin
at the Geismar plant will be $1.10 per gallon,
or annualized $81 million per year.

the payback period on the plant would be just 2.2 years on a pre-tax basis,
so they are confident that this level of cash flow
can easily service $135 million of municipal bond financing.

the market capitalization for the entire Syntroleum Corporation
amounts to $85 million
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=SYNM

with potential earnings of $81 million per year
from the Dynamic Fuels Geismar project

the facts of this posting were obtained from the
Syntroleum April 2, 2008 Conference Call Script exhibit 99.1
(a copy of which is on file with the SEC)

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE:
I personally own a bit of SYMN stock
in addition to my virtual contest holdings

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USEG - US Energy Corp.

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I am speculating a bit on USEG - US Energy Corp.

I began research on the company
based upon their Uranium holdings

however according to Standard & Poor's:
"The uranium mineral assets and associated commercial assets were sold in 2007"

the companies stock price has been driven down quite dramatically recently

there were recent news reports about proposed changes in mining laws,
the company had been planning to develop a molybdenum mine

today (April 17, 2008) the company would seem to be selling
at a price less then the value of the cash the campany has

finance.yahoo.com
reports that the company has about $70 million in cash
(with only about $5 million of debt)

as for how to earn some income with the company's cash:
Standard & Poor's USEG Factual Stock Report (April 12, 2008)
"USEG is building a mid-size multifamily apartment complex in Gillette,Wyoming,"
"At mid-March 2008, the entire project was about 60% finished"

financial disclosure:
I believe that I should disclose that I personally own some USEG stock

the company is a very "small capitalization" company,
and such thinly traded stocks can sometimes get quite volatile in price

speculators should be very careful about such thinly traded small cap stocks

of the 24 million shares of USEG stock outstanding,
almost 50% of the stock is held by institutions and insiders

Comments: 2

tulip bulbs or gold?

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my current market outlook is that of
not being able to see much hope for
any significant market rally based upon
new inflows of investment money

it would seem to me that
"the Fed's" drastic interest rate cuts
have confirmed investment community fears
of an impending economy downturn;

however those radical interest rate cuts
does not seem to have alleviated much
of the current market apprehension.

http://WallStreetGecko.com

I'm still rather confident in the value of gold

the current downward price pressure on the commodity
might tend to offer favorable aquisition timing

in my contest portfolio I'm increasing my holdings of:
BVN - Compania de Minas Buenaventura SA

Comments: 1

$100 oil $1000 gold

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I continue to hold my opinion of
$100 oil and $1000 gold becoming the new norm
(the new floor support pricing)

as set forth in my previous blog
"the demise of comfortable markets"
(February 27 2008)

and as reptialian amplified by:
the WallStreetGecko

interesting trade strategies are being facilitated by
the existance of counter-opinion
expecting a retracement of the
recent high commodity pricing

I have added to my holdings of oil refiners
when their stock prices recently became more attractive

although pricing of gold mining companies
has remained too high for me to
consider such investment as being value timing opportunity

overall, it is rather depressing to consider that
reptilian concepts might be what works on Wall Street

greed is ... ?

although in attempts to be fair,
it might be reptilian survival instinct,
rather then reptilian greed,
which is fueling the higher commodity pricing

Comments: 1

the dimise of comfortable markets

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I need to post something so as to remain in this contest;

my Mom died a few days before Christmas,
and I haven't accomplished much of anything lately;

in American culture one is probably not supposed to admit it,
but I've lived home with my parents my entire life;
my Mom was 87 years old, and my Dad is now 90 years old;

well anyway, its been especially difficult for me emotionally

I believe that there is a philsosophical concept about
trying to shift negative experiences into something positive;
or to at least learn something from experiences in life;

and this is a stock market contest, so:

I guess that an analogy can be found
about the stock market environment,

people have a tendency to become rather complacent
believing that the comfortable market environment
will always be there;

it tends to be rather difficult to admit that things change;

actaully, it would seem that the entire universe
is rather dynamic in nature

one needs to continue breathing for life to continue

when the dynamics stop,
well the universe doesn't seem to favor such situation

I went to college for engineering
(and also banking finance and investments)
the concept of entropy is based upon such dynamics

well anyway, markets go up and down,
and the differences in opinion is required
for there to be 2 sides to every trade

I believe that I read an editorial in Barron's (DowJones) magazine recently
which explained the former president Harry Truman
was quoted as saying that what he wanted was
a one armed economist

all his economic advisors always viewed the economy as
"on one hand this", "but on the other hand that"

well, on the concept of trying to find credibility
in a society which would seem to be based upon
politics of each politician explaining how
the other candidate is no good,
but yet one of the various "no goods"
becomes the next "leader"

I'm personally chosing to believe the
one side of the opinion which seems to
predict economic "slowdown"
(I don't believe that the term "downturn"
is politically acceptable with the current political administration)

I also am anticipating inflation catching up with the
easy money policies which caused the housing bubble

I'm expecting $100/barrel oil pricing to hold,
and am also expecting $100/ounce gold to be the norm

my understanding is that even though
the price of oil has tripled ($30 to $100)
the higher pricing has not caused
any significant decrease in demand

I'm investing in oil refiner profits
such as VLO (Valero) and WNR (Western Refining)
as well as owners of oil COP (Conoco Philips)

although it might sound strange,
I am also investing in
airlines such as LCC (US Airways);
although airline profits are effected
by the cost of their fuel,
I don't expect an end to air transportation

I expect that people will get used to the higher oil prices
and those costs will eventually be passed along to consumers
(like I said, I'm also expecting inflation)

Comments: 1

bored with depressing market

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I don't know about you,

however the reptilian WallStreetGecko
WallStreetGecko.com
seems to be getting a bit bored
with the current depressing mood of the stock market

(the reptile is also currently giving golf tips)

what's the ole cliche?

never under-estimate the lack of depth of a retilian brain?

Comments: 1