“Despite a sharp decline in Henry Hub spot prices from the levels reached in the summer of 2008, natural gas production in the Barnett shale in Texas continued to climb through the middle of 2009 and appears to have reached an undulating plateau since then. Production growth in the Barnett shale comes from several large natural gas producers who continued to maintain strong production even in an environment of relatively low natural gas prices.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration’s Natural Gas Update.
Workers drilling utility pole holes are blamed for hitting a 36-inch natural gas pipeline in Texas that triggered an explosion, killing three people. More at Reuters.com.
A few landowner associations in Texas reached agreements with large natural gas producers in early 2008 but the producers never delivered leases to individual landowners. Now the landowners are organizing for a court challenge. More in the Star Telegram.
An article on the DallasNews.com website explores how infrared cameras might be used in Texas to identify natural gas industry facilities with illegal emissions.
The agenda for the Shale Gas Drilling & Completions 2010 conference to be held May 26-27 is now online. The conference will “deliver key insight into applying cutting-edge drilling and completions techniques used throughout diverse shale projects in the US & Canada. Leading shale producers will share real life examples of their drilling and completions success and challenges – including experience from the Barnett, Haynesville, Horn River, Marcellus, Woodford and Fayetteville shale plays.”
“Baker Hughes reported that the number of rigs drilling for oil in the United States has recovered since the low levels seen in June 2009. The rig count surpassed its previous post-1993 peak of November 2008 on February 1, 2010 (see Figure) and was 5 percent (24 rigs) higher as of March 12. Half of the overall increase in rig counts since June 2009 has been in the Permian Basin of West Texas, where rigs drill primarily conventional vertical wells. Just under one-fifth of the increase has occurred in the Williston Basin, straddling Montana and North Dakota, where horizontal drilling programs have rapidly increased production from the Bakken Shale.” Quoted from the EIA This Week in Petroleum.
How long will the new natural gas shale plays be producing gas? 20 years? 40? More? This topic was discussed at IHS CERA conference last week in Houston. Some believe that they will be producing gas for a long time.
A study of seismic activity near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by researchers from SMU and UT-Austin reveals that the operation of a saltwater injection disposal well in the area was a “plausible cause” for the series of small earthquakes that occurred in the area between October 30, 2008, and May 16, 2009.
Calvin Tillman, the Mayor of Dish, Texas gave a two hour presentation on how to prevent the harmful effects of natural gas drilling at the Elmira Heights Theater in Elmira Heights, New York. He encouraged local officials to “take control” of what happens in their jurisdiction. More at The Online Leader.
An article on the Oil and Gas Journal website reports that the Sumitomo Corporation of Japan is considering a stake in the Marcellus Shale gas play. Last year they invested in Barnett Shale acreage.
The Shale Gas Drilling & Completions 2010 conference will be held in Houston, Texas on May 26 through May 28, 2010. The conference will deliver “key insight into applying cutting-edge drilling and completions techniques used throughout diverse shale projects in the US & Canada. Leading shale producers will share real life examples of their drilling and completions success and challenges – including experience from the Barnett, Haynesville, Horn River, Marcellus, Woodford and Fayetteville shale plays.” Quoted from the conference website.
An article in the New York Times reports that members of the House Energy and Commerce panel will examine Exxon Mobil’s plans to acquire significant acreage in the Marcellus, Haynesville and Barnett gas shale plays as part of a deal with XTO Energy. Exxon is concerned about future regulations that will limit the use of hydraulic fracturing to develop these assets.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality conduced toxic vapor tests to detect hazardous emissions from natural gas drilling sites in the Fort Worth area. None of the 126 sites tested had contaminant levels that exceeded regulatory standards. More in a Star-Telegram article.
An article in the Star-Telegram explains how technology that was initially used to produce natural gas from the Barnett Shale of Texas is being used as a worldwide model for gas shale development.
Workers drilling utility pole holes are blamed for hitting a 36-inch natural gas pipeline in Texas that triggered an explosion, killing three people. More at 
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“Baker Hughes reported that the number of rigs drilling for oil in the United States has recovered since the low levels seen in June 2009. The rig count surpassed its previous post-1993 peak of November 2008 on February 1, 2010 (see Figure) and was 5 percent (24 rigs) higher as of March 12. Half of the overall increase in rig counts since June 2009 has been in the Permian Basin of West Texas, where rigs drill primarily conventional vertical wells. Just under one-fifth of the increase has occurred in the Williston Basin, straddling Montana and North Dakota, where horizontal drilling programs have rapidly increased production from the Bakken Shale.” Quoted from the 
A study of seismic activity near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by researchers from SMU and UT-Austin reveals that the operation of a 
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