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Its partial skeleton includes the only known skull remains from any European stegosaur that had a row of bony plates along its back and a spiked tail probably used as a weapon. The plant eating creature has been called, Miragaia longicollum, after the village it was uncovered in near Lourinha and because of its long neck. Stegosaurs are normally known for their short forelimbs and short necks, and are generally considered to be low browsers. But this new dinosaur has a higher neck vertebrae count than most of the sauropods renowned for their small heads on very long necks that were the largest and heaviest dinosaurs that ever existed. Dr Octavio Mateus, of the New University of Lisbon, said: “Stegosaurs are traditionally reconstructed as feeding on low vegetation because of their small heads, short necks and short forelimbs. “We describe a new stegosaurian dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal that challenges this traditional view. “Miragaia longicollum possessed at least 17 cervical vertebrae, more than possessed by most sauropod dinosaurs, famed for their long necks. “This new discovery indicates a previously unsuspected level of ecological diversity among stegosaurs.” Dr Mateus, whose findings are described in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, said several elements of the skull of Miragaia longicollum were found, “representing the first such material recovered from a European stegosaur.” He added: “The most notable feature of M. longicollum is its long neck, with at least 17 cervical vertebrae. “The specimen here described represents one of the most complete stegosaurs in Europe and the first that includes cranial material.”

The Volkswagen Passat Lingyu is the latest fuel cell vehicle to join the testing program at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento, Calif., according to an announcement issued last week by the German carmaker.

Volkswagen recently imported 16 of the zero-emissions fuel cell electric vehicles that were developed in partnership with scientists from Tongji University and debuted at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The Lingyu uses hydrogen to power an electric motor, and produces only water and oxygen as emissions.

The Passat Lingyu can achieve up to 90 mph and a range of 146 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. It has already undergone more than 50,000 miles of testing in China, according to John Tillman, spokesman for Volkswagen.

In its new home in California, the Passat Lingyu will be tested by an internal fleet of drivers in city and highway scenarios to determine how consumers use the car and to uncover any issues in a regular driving cycle, Tillman said. At this time, the vehicles are not available for the general public to drive, but Volkwagen is working on logistics to put the next generation of fuel cell prototypes into consumer hands for testing.

The Lingyu joins eight other Volkswagen fuel cell vehicles at the Caliornia Fuel Cell Partnership, including the Audi Q5 FCEV, the Touran HyMotion FCEV, the Tiguan FCEV, and the Caddy Maxi FCEV.

Other fuel cell vehicles participating in the California Fuel Cell Partnership include the Chevy Equinox, Daimler F-Cell FCV, Ford Focus FCV, GM HydroGen3, Honda Clarity, Hyundai Tucson FCEV, Kia Borrego FCEV, Kia Sportage FCVs, and Toyota FCHV.

SANT’AGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy — Lamborghini is once again allowing enthusiasts the chance to get in the driver seat of one of its vehicles with its annual Driving Academy program, to be held at the Adria and Vallelunga racetracks in Italy once per month (except August) from April through November.

The on-track driving school features two programs: a Track Academy course and a more intense Advanced Academy for the more experienced participant. The entry-level Track Academy course includes theory sessions and drills to practice handling and safety at the wheel of a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. The advanced course concentrates on improving vehicle control as well as enhancing the driver’s track performance using an in-vehicle telemetry system. Advanced Academy students will take the reins of a Gallardo LP560-4 and a more powerful Murciélago LP640.

Participants will learn the ropes of the all-wheel-drive Lamborghinis by practicing driving with ESP turned on and off, studying how to deal with understeer and oversteer — and, of course, learning how to drift.

It will cost the equivalent of about $5,000 to get on the track, and that price includes accommodations and an in-car video of your driving experience.

Jose Mourinho left the San Siro without a glance towards Sir Alex Ferguson last night but the enigmatic Portuguese denied he had blanked the Manchester United manager.

The Inter Milan coach exited his dugout without exchanging pleasantries with his opposite number at the end of the 0-0 draw in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie, but insisted Ferguson would not have expected anything more.

The time to come together and shake hands will be when the tie is over in a fortnight, according to the former Chelsea boss.
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“My dugout is a special dugout because we have a door which gives me the chance to leave it directly,” Mourinho explained.

“Yesterday I left a £300 bottle of wine in the hotel with a note saying we would meet each other after the game at Old Trafford.

“I am always close to him and we are always friends and I will be there for him after the second game.”

Mourinho has not forgotten Ferguson’s taste in wine from the days when they locked horns in the Premier League, but knows his side will have to be on form at Old Trafford for his post-match drink with Ferguson to be a celebratory one for the Inter coach.

“We have got to take the first chance which comes our way,” he added.

“We need 100 per cent efficiency, that means the first chance we get must be a goal.”

Mourinho predicts extra time and penalties could be required to separate the teams.

“When two great teams are playing, it is difficult that one of them is better for 90 minutes,” he said.

“This is top-level football for me. They dominated the first half, but we dominated the second and this is football.

“I cannot say that it was a psychological problem for us in the first half - the problem was Manchester United, who played well.

“But we knew that in some moments of the game it would be hard for us.

“We were the better team in the second half and it took them until the 67th minute to get past us.”

Even when United did get past the defence, they met their match in goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who made four good saves to deny Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Julio Cesar is fantastic,” Mourinho said.

“He showed some great quality in the first half with two or three saves of huge importance to the team.

“He did not have much to do in the second half, but he still had the same quality and calmness and was very important for us.”

STUTTGART, Germany — Mercedes-Benz is recognizing the 30th birthday of the G-Class SUV by offering two special editions of the company’s oldest production vehicle.

The EDITION30.PUR is based on the 224-horsepower G280 CDI. It comes standard with a rubber-coated floor, spray-protected controls and drains in the footwells to ease cleaning. The cargo compartment features a wood floor with tie-down points and rails for securing gear. The PUR edition can also be equipped with one of Mercedes’ two off-road packages to add flexible wheel arches, brush guards and a hood that can be walked on for access to the roof rack.

The second model, the EDITION30, is based on the long-wheelbase G500 that makes 388 hp. It aims for a blend of comfort and luxury with platinum black paint, lightweight alloy wheels, unique leather and wood trim.

Both G-Class special editions will be available for order in Europe in March.

In 30 years of building the G-Class, Mercedes-Benz has sold 200,000 units. The iconically boxy truck has won the Paris-Dakar Rally, served as transport for the pope and sees military use around the world.

Mozambique said on Monday it had found two new natural gas fields in the southern Inhambane

province which, if commercially viable, would supply domestic and regional markets.

“If it is viable, this discovery will make it possible to respond to domestic demand for

natural gas,” Mineral Resources Minister Esperanca Bias said.

“We have a list of projects that could possibly be supplied, such as generating electricity,

setting up a fertiliser factory and use in vehicles.”

Gas exploration at the Njika-1 well in Mozambique began on Oct. 1, 2008. The project is a

joint venture between South Africa’s Sasol , Malaysia’s Petronas and the Mozambican

government.

Under Mozambican law, the consortium that has discovered the gas reserves has six months to

assess its findings and present a report to the government.

Sasol, the world’s biggest maker of diesel from coal, owns 50 percent of the project,

Petronas owns 35 percent, while the government of Mozambique holds 15 percent through

national oil company Empresa Nacional De Hidrocarbonetos De Mozambique (ENH).

The two blocks, 16 and 19, were granted to the consortium in June 2005.

Mozambique currently has available around 140 million gigajoules of gas at the Pande/Temane

reserves in the same province, used to supply both the domestic and regional markets.

Sasol has invested $1.2 billion to explore these gas fields, and plans to spend an

additional $146.8 million to increase gas exports to South Africa by 20 percent in 2009.

Venezuela’s Ministry of Energy and Mines revealed today that it has increased the number of

heavy oil blocks in the country’s Orinoco Belt up for bid to seven from the original four

announced at the end of last month.

The ministry said that it has had expressions of interest in participating in the bidding

for the Orinoco blocks from 21 companies. They will be able to obtain a maximum of 30%

interest in the blocks, since Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) will hold at least 70%.

The seven blocks are situated in the Carabobo concession area, which is believed to harbor

very large reserves capable of producing between 200,000 and 400,000 b/d of heavy oil. The

original four blocks are the Carabobo 1 Norte, Carabobo 1 Central, Carabobo 2 Norte, and

Carabobo 4 Oeste.

Rafael Ramirez, Venezuela’s minister of petroleum and president of PDVSA, said that

companies interested in investing in the Carabobo blocks must submit a funding plan, but

that they can be assured that their investments in Venezuela will be secure under the

country’s new fiscal regime, which guarantees the conditions for hydrocarbons development

are permanent. Development of the blocks involves the construction of two upgraders by 2014

that are to be located in southeastern Venezuela’s Anzoategui state and be capable of

producing 200,000-240,000 b/d. Ramirez said Venezuela will invest US$ 6 billion to build

each upgrader, and that the amount is under review and could vary because of the cost of

materials.

Data packages will be available after 27 November, with bids due between 9 and 22 January

2009, bids opened on 16 April, and winners announced on 7 May. Contracts are expected to be

signed on 4 June.

The diagnosis for the health of the US economy continues to worsen with new data showing it

is shrinking at the fastest rate for seven years and house prices falling by a record

amount.

Revisions to the Commerce Department’s gross domestic product (GDP) reveal a fall of 0.5pc

in the three months to September, against an initial reading of 0.3pc.

The decline was the weakest GDP reading since the third-quarter of 2001, when the US

economy, already hurting from a mild recession, was hit by the aftermath of the September 11

terror attacks. One of the reasons for the revision was a fall in corporate profits, which

fell by 3pc after tax to $1.3 trillion in the quarter, down 9.9pc on the year.

To add to the gloom, the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index showed house prices falling by

17.4pc in September, the biggest yearly fall since the survey began in January 1987.

The index, which is based on prices from 20 major metropolitan areas, showed a 16.6pc

decline in the third-quarter from the same quarter a year ago down from 15.1pc posted in the

second quarter.

“The turmoil in the financial markets is placing further downward pressure on a housing

market already weakened by its own fundamentals,” said David Blitzer, chairman of S&P’s

index committee.

The worst-hit city in September was San Francisco, where prices fell 3.9pc, followed by Las

Vegas and Miami, both down 2.6pc.

“This is a pretty gloomy report,” said Karl Case, co-developer of the index. “Unemployment

is rising rapidly, a primary factor that causes foreclosures to rise and home prices to

decline,” he added.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said the US economy has

probably fallen into a recession that will continue until the middle of next year.

“The US economy is likely to have already entered a recession and the near-term prospect is

for further weakness,” the free market organisation continued in a statement.

IHS Global Insight chief economist Nariman Behravesh said that he expects the US economy to

contract by around 4pc in the fourth quarter, as output will continue to contract in the

first and second quarters of next year.

“We are in the early stages of one of the worst recessions in the post-war period, even

factoring in a massive stimulus programme” he continued, with reference to the potential

$300-500bn stimulus package President-elect Barack Obama is believed to be considering to

boost American development.

The only positive note for the US economy came from the Consumer Confidence index, which

improved slightly in November from a record low in October. The Conference Board’s consumer

confidence index stood at 44.9 in November, up from 38.8 in October – the survey is based on

an index of 1 to 100, with anything over 50 being positive.

Russia on Tuesday indicated that it may cut oil production in tandem with Organization of

Petroleum Exporting Countries to support prices. Analysts, however, said Russia’s output is

likely to continue to fall, in any case, as producers cut capital spending.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in New Delhi, India, Russian Energy Minister

Sergei Shmatko said Moscow would actively coordinate with OPEC to determine production

levels and protect its interests as a major producer.

“(It includes) the exchange of information on market development and the finalizing of

investment programs. We can’t rule out cutting production as well,” Shmatko said.

OPEC member states meet Saturday to discuss lowering production, with oil prices now around

a third of the record levels they reached in July.

The cartel has already made two output cuts totaling 2 million barrels a day in separate

decisions in September and October. Venezuela, OPEC’s third-biggest producer, supports a

third cut.

“OPEC is discussing measures to protect the current oil market and reduce production,”

Shmatko said.

“Today, oil prices are not determined in a traditional way, that is, by demand and supply,

but influenced by the economic slowdown and speculation on hydrocarbons,” he said.

Russia asked to broaden its cooperation with OPEC at a meeting in Vienna earlier this year

and said during a recent visit to Moscow by OPEC Secretary-General Abdalla Salem El-Badri

that it may store some oil to buoy prices.

But with Russia’s oil output down 0.5% in the first ten months of the year to 9.8 million

barrels a day, and with further declines likely, such steps may not be necessary.

“The fact that Russia’s oil production is already in a decline comes in very handy for the

government,” said Chris Weafer, chief strategist at investment bank UralSib, which sees

Russian output falling 2%-5%, or up to 400,000 barrels a day, next year.

Indeed, companies like OAO Lukoil Holdings , TNK-BP Ltd. and OAO Gazprom Neft have all

reined in billion-dollar capital expenditure programs for 2009 as Russia grapples with its

worst financial crisis in 10 years and global crude prices hover around $50 a barrel.

Helping lift oil prices higher would improve Russia’s relationship with OPEC. But higher

prices are also vital for budget revenue and for Russia’s trade balance.

Russia’s 2008 budget is based on an average oil price of $70 a barrel, which, despite the

recent weakness, should be achievable.

But next year envisages $95 a barrel which, if not achieved, would put pressure on budget

spending and the ruble.

Shokri Ghanem, head of the Libyan National Oil Co., told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday that

Russia had a very important role to play in determining oil prices. “It has a very good

stake in the market.”

Asked if there were ongoing talks between OPEC or its members and Russia over a joint cut,

he said Russia “has an interest” in coordinating with OPEC. “It’s normal there should be

contacts” between this country and the oil-producing cartel, he said.

But Ghanem said he didn’t know whether OPEC members would call on Russia to lower output.

“Members will share views on the market Saturday. We don’t know” what the outcome will be.

Independent refiners in northern China, which ran fuel oil mixed with Sudanese crude to cut

costs when margins were bad, has shied away from the Singapore-supplied blend as profits

return with cheaper residue fuels.

But traders who had gained from selling the cocktail feedstock may find business again in

the same patch when China cuts retail pump prices, forcing the margin-sensitive “teapot”

refiners to fall back on lower-quality but cheaper raw material.

“We see other companies doing this trade, and we see demand from time to time from China for

this sort of material, which we think would continue for the short to medium term,” Mike

Scott, a director at European oil trader Trafigura, told Reuters.

Apart from refining margins, which also depend on oil product prices, he said demand for the

blended fuel hinged on the cost and availability of Russian M100 fuel, the staple feedstock

of “teapot” refineries.

Another factor is the supply of Venezuelan fuel oil offered by state oil firms to the

teapots.

The teapots in northern China turned to Singapore for supply earlier this year when their

feed of Russian straight-run M100 was diverted to Japan, where refiners were hankering after

cheaper feedstock.

The Singapore blend, a mix of Iranian 280-centistoke (cst) fuel oil and Sudan’s Dar Blend

crude oil, though inferior in quality, came close to the Russian M100 grade, traders had

said.

Unlike state-owned refiners Sinopec Corp and PetroChina , which are subject to political

pressures, the teapots operate mostly based on economics and are more sensitive to market

price fluctuations.

“It’s always about the pricing. They may not need to buy the cheaper blend anymore and can

go for higher quality feedstock,” said a Singapore-based trader.

SINGAPORE SUPPLY

China’s teapot refineries, which account for about a fifth of the country’s total refining

capacity, ramped up runs recently to meet improved demand from wholesalers stocking up on

motor fuels before an expected fuel tax hike, sources had said.

The refineries have been running at minimal rates or even ceased operations from July to

September, when record oil prices and poor products demand turned margins into the red.

Official Chinese data showed monthly fuel oil shipments from Singapore hit the highest this

year in April, at a total 583,754 tonnes of “No. 5-7 fuel oil” and “Other diesel and fuel

oil” — a category traders said might include fuel oil-crude mixtures.

The volumes from Singapore plunged below 200,000 tonnes in August and September and tumbled

to just 24,621 tonnes in October, as teapots faced high feedstock prices and heavy

stockpiles accumulated before the Olympics.

In particular, Singapore’s October supply of “other” fuel oil shrank to almost one-twenty

the volume in September at 9,488 tonnes, customs data showed on Monday, a figure that should

pick up if teapots turn to more blends from the city-state.

LID ON DEMAND

China’s pump prices are expected to be cut before the end of the year, a move that will

squeeze margins for the teapots and force them to look at cost-cutting solutions, some of

which Singapore blenders can offer.

But analysts were bleak on the outlook for overall fuel demand even after a price cut, which

they said meant business opportunities for mixed blends from Singapore would be limited.

“The demand side will put a lid on this trade,” said Victor Shum, an analyst with energy

consultancy Purvin & Gertz.

Analysts generally do not see a meaningful recovery in Chinese oil demand until second-half

2009, as the economic slowdown and impact from a massive stimulus plan will take more months

to properly unwind.

Margins could also be squeezed to a point where some teapots would choose to shut

operations, a path many had chosen over the last few months.

“If China cuts domestic diesel prices — and there’re expectations it will do so soon –

that will also narrow margins for the teapots and further limit the trade,” Shum said.

But other than Trafigura, there are other Singapore traders that seem to be betting the

mixed fuel oil blend will provide future business prospects.

Swiss energy trader Glencore International leased out most of its landed fuel oil tanks in

Singapore while taking up floating storage, a move some industry sources said signalled an

intent to supply more fuel oil-crude mixtures.