“A new study by scientists at Duke University and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) finds no evidence of groundwater contamination from shale gas production in Arkansas.” Quoted from the Duke University press release.
More at Duke University.UK Oil and Natural Gas Report
The UK is the largest producer of oil and the second largest producer of natural gas in the European Union; however, they still are a net importer of both of these fuels.
More at Energy Information Administration.
May 1 to May 15 Most Popular
Why Natural Gas Cars are Selling Slowly [1]
What is Sunstone? [2]
Natural Gas Could Kill Fuel Diversity [3]
Large Hurricane on Saturn [4]
Who Becomes Dominant After a Mass Extinction? [5]
Diamond Dust over Saskatoon [6]
The Bone Worm [7]
[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/02/natural-gas-vehicles-havent-caught-on-yet-heres-how-that-could-change/
[2] http://geology.com/gemstones/sunstone/
[3] http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2013/05/opinion_increased_reliance_on.html
[4] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/m/news/index.cfm?release=2013-149
[5] http://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=127749&WT_mc_id=USNSF_51&WT_mc_ev=click
[6] http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2013/04/multiple-light-pillars.html
[7] http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/Releases/?releaseID=1351
More Debate on Exporting Natural Gas
Energy companies have submitted permit requests for 20 natural gas export projects. The projects will create jobs, income for natural gas companies and property owners, and improve our trade balance. Opponents believe that exports will increase price…
More at Bloomberg.
Utica Shale to Canada Pipeline?
A natural gas pipeline between the Utica Shale in Ohio and natural gas consumers in Ontario, Canada has been proposed by a group of transmission companies.
More at Ohio.com.
Shale Boom Not Happening Outside USA
A RigZone.com article explains why the natural gas from shale boom that has occurred in the United States is not making much of a bang in many other countries.
More at RigZone.com.
Why Natural Gas Cars are Selling Slowly
Natural gas is cleaner and more economical as a fuel for passenger vehicles than gasoline, but sales of cars that run on natural gas have been very slow. A Washington Post article explains the problems.
More at Washington Post.
Shell Bets Big on Natural Gas
Royal Dutch Shell [1] has made major investments in developing conventional and unconventional natural gas resources in several parts of the world, building LNG terminals to prepare it for distant markets, develop the first floating LNG facility and develop new methods to convert natural gas into liquid fuels.
[1] http://www.shell.com/global/future-energy/meeting-demand/natural-gas/shell-natural-gas.html
More at New York Times.
PA Supreme Court on Who Owns Shale Gas
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided not to overturn over 100 years of property transactions in a case involving the ownership of natural gas produced from the Marcellus Shale. Shale gas is not to be treated differently from natural gas produced fro…
More at Mondaq.com.
Natural Gas Could Kill Fuel Diversity
“All the natural-gas industry needs is a gizmo in the basement of your house to convert your natural gas into electricity. “
More at NJ.com.
Testing Water Wells Near Natural Gas Wells
The National Ground Water Association has published an information guide for people who have private water supply wells located near oil and natural gas drilling. They explain the types of water quality concerns that might be present and explain the o…
More at National Ground Water Association.
How Trucks Running on Natural Gas Lower Prices for You
The Christian Science Monitor has an article that explains how some trucking companies are turning away from diesel fuel in favor of natural gas and how that switch can mean lower prices (and cleaner air) for you.
More at Christian Science Monitor.
CNG Filling Stations in North Carolina
Utility companies, city governments, county governments, school districts, and trucking companies are building CNG fueling stations in North Carolina. In addition to serving their owners, the pumps are available to dispense CNG to the public.
More at NewsObserver.com.
Natural Gas Imports from Eastern Canada
The amount of natural gas being imported from eastern Canada into the United States has dropped to about 1/2 of the average of the previous five years.
More at Energy Information Administration.
A 90 Degree Shift in Drilling
As recently as 2008, most of the drilling activity in the United States was being done with vertical wells. Today most of the wells being drilled are horizontal.
More at Energy Information Administration.
Stranded Natural Gas
Stranded gas is natural gas in discovered conventional gas and oil fields that is currently not commercially producible for either physical or economic reasons. USGS has published a new report titled: Role of Stranded Gas in Increasing Global Gas Supp…
More at United States Geological Survey.
Landscape Disturbance and Shale Gas Extraction
The United States Geological Survey has published: “Landscape Consequences of Natural Gas Extraction in Allegheny and Susquehanna Counties, Pennsylvania, 2004–2010″. This document explains metrics used to assess the disturbance caused by drilling pads, access roads, pipelines and other gas related activities.
More at USGS.
Chinese Shale Investments
China has more oil and natural gas in shale than the United States but they have produced very little. Instead they are joint venturing with companies working in the United States to learn about the technology.
More at Business Week.
Chinese Shale Investments
China has more oil and natural gas in shale than the United States but they have produced very little. Instead they are joint venturing with companies working in the United States to learn about the technology.
More at Business Week.
Government Revenue from the Oil and Gas Industry
“The oil and gas industry pays the federal government approximately $86 million a day – or about $31 billion a year – in rents, royalties, bonuses and corporate taxes. That doesn’t even include the payments made at the local and state levels.”
More at ExxonMobil Perspectives.
Foreign Investments in US Shale
Since 2008, foreign companies have entered into 21 joint ventures with U.S. acreage holders and operators, investing more than $26 billion in tight oil and shale gas plays.
More at Energy Information Administration.
Promoting the Use of Natural Gas
Marvin Odum, president of Shell Americas, says that natural gas producers should promote the use of their fuel by using it to power their equipment and supporting LNG export to higher-price markets.
More at FuelFix.com.
Who Can Frack in France?
The oil and gas industry in France is disappointed that the government banned hydraulic fracturing while the geothermal industry is allowed to use acid fracking to develop their wells.
More at Bloomberg Business News.
A North Slope Shale Play?
Some oil industry experts believe that the potential exists for an enormous unconventional oil and natural gas field beneath parts of Alaska’s North Slope.
More at Globe News Wire.
Plummeting Gas Share from the Gulf of Mexico
The Energy Information Administration reports on the falling natural gas production rates from the Gulf of Mexico and the plummeting share of United States natural gas being produced in the Gulf.
More at Energy Information Administration.
The Surface Footprint of Energy
Exxon Mobil has an animation that compares the surface footprint of various energy production methods: wind, coal mining, nuclear power and unconventional gas.
More at ExxonMobil.
Iraq Oil and Gas Report
“Iraq has the fifth largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, and it passed Iran as the second largest producer of crude oil in OPEC at the end of 2012.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration country report.
More at Energy Information Administration.
Natural Gas is Reviving Manufacturing
An NPR article explores how low-cost natural gas is reviving parts of the manufacturing sector.
More at NPR.
Long-Term Natural Gas Exports
The Energy Information Administration has a database of natural gas export data that you can plot online or download for analysis in Excel or other programs.
More at Energy Information Administration.
The Methane Hydrate Gas Boom?
Methane hydrate is the world’s largest natural gas resource. Japanese engineers recently became the first to produce methane hydrate from a well in the floor of the Pacific Ocean. NPR asks if this could become another natural gas boom?
Related: What is Methane Hydrate? [1]
[1] http://geology.com/articles/methane-hydrates/
More at NPR.
Iran Oil and Gas Report
“Iran holds the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves and the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves. International sanctions are redefining the Iranian energy sector, and the lack of foreign investment and technology is affecting the sector profoundly.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration’s country report.
More at Energy Information Administration.
Tools for the Geologist
Need a new rock hammer, chisel, field bag, hammer holster, field book, hardness set, hand lens, topo map, gold pan or other geological tool? Check out the Geology.com store.
More at .
Israel as a Natural Gas Exporter?
A large natural gas discovery off the coast of Israel is now delivering its first gas. This gives Israel enough gas for domestic use and an export policy dilemma.
More at Jerusalem Post.
Small LNG Plant in Colorado
Noble Energy plans to build a small LNG plant in Colorado and use the liquefied gas in place of diesel fuel.
More at DenverPost.com.
Wastewater Injection and Earthquakes
“Scientists have linked a rising number of quakes in normally calm parts of Arkansas, Texas, Ohio and Colorado to below-ground injection. In the last four years, the number of quakes in the middle of the United States jumped 11-fold from the three decades prior.” Quoted from the Columbia University press release.
More at Columbia University.
PA Gas Production Up 69 Percent on Less Drilling
“Natural gas production in Pennsylvania averaged 6.1 Bcf/d in 2012, up from 3.6 Bcf/d in 2011, according to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection data released in February 2013. This 69% increase came in spite of a significant drop in the number of new natural gas wells started during the year.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration’s Today in Energy.
More at Energy Information Administration.
Exports of Natural Gas to Mexico
“U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico grew by 24% to 1.69 billion cubic feet per day in 2012 the highest level since the data collection began in 1973.
With imports now accounting for over 30% of its total supply, Mexico’s natural gas use is also at its highest level ever.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration.
More at Energy Information Administration.
India Energy Report
“In 2011, India was the fourth largest energy consumer in the world after the United States, China, and Russia. [...] India’s energy policy above all focuses on securing energy sources to meet the needs of its growing economy. Primary energy consumption has more than doubled between 1990 and 2011.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration country report.
More at Energy Information Administration.
Natural Gas Stations for Big Rigs
“The New Truck Stop” will feature natural gas pumps that will enable big rigs to take advantage of the abundant gas from shale.
More at National Geographic.
Singapore Oil and Gas Report
“Singapore’s strategic location between the Indian and Pacific Oceans has allowed it to become one of Asia’s major petrochemical and refining hubs.”
More at Energy Information Administration.
