"Produce"

[peristaltor]

In the aftermath of Katrina, I heard an oil executive sum up the status of his industry. In referring to the off-shore oil platforms in the Gulf, however, he stated that these platforms would soon be able to "produce" again, depending upon the extent of the damage inflicted by the storm

Comments

[mcfnord]

the alternative is saying they're performing a 'service', but if that's the case, then what's all this black ooze they left me when i paid them? it's a product. wells do produce water. technically, sure, they provide a service of moving it from one place to another. but you can't argue with the physical character of the thing you take away from the transaction. whereas with a service, the end result may not be so clear.

people who sell me a Swiss watch: they didn't produce it! they provided the service of transforming raw materials! that distinction is not practical.

[peristaltor]

the alternative is saying they're performing a 'service', but if that's the case, then what's all this black ooze they left me when i paid them?"

The ooze is the product of their extraction, the extract. With the Swiss watch, those that sell indeed do not produce the watch, but do retail it, just as your local pumping station sells the refined crude.

My argument centers on levels of added value. To call the crude "product" is somewhat deceptive, though, I do admit, not entirely false. One generally associates the term "product" with varying levels of refinement, which gives the crude the more positive association with other refined and exchanged commodities. However, it is not refined; hence my reaction

[mcfnord]

My argument centers on the provision of matter at the transaction's conclusion, vs. the provision of a changed state, as with a service.

It is mind-boggling to me (having spent time driving freeways recently) how powerful this oil stuff is. It'll be kind of wierd when it's gone.

[peristaltor]

I don't disagree, but have to take exception to refining the commodity with words alone. It's crude. That's what it is. Raw material, extracted from the ground, put in a pipe or a ship bound for refinement into a product. Refineries and factories deliver products. Wells and mines do not.

And when this crude, that has been so kind, is gone, it'll be more than kind of weird.