Daniel Fisher, a senior editor at Forbes has a blog post titled: “A New World of Cheap Gas“. In the post he explores the impact of new gas production on contract rates, natural gas uses, the impact on renewable energy technology, government policy and more.

An article in MetalMiner explores how the recovery in land rig utilization is moving at a faster than expected rate. Although the rig count is still significantly below the 2008 peak it is climbing at the most rapid sustained rate in more than a decade.

The new abundance of natural gas produced from shale plays in the 48 states is going to damage the economics of the North Slope, Alaska gas industry. An article in NewsMiner addresses the impact on production companies. An article on KTUU.com addresses the impact on pipeline projects.

Does the US have an unlimited supply of inexpensive natural gas from shale that will be quickly produced or will the resource be produced more slowly and sold for higher prices? An essay in the Financial Times explores this question.

An article in Reuters explains that Statoil has a deal with Tennessee Gas Pipeline to transport Marcellus Shale natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York City and parts of New Jersey. This connection to cities on the east coast is part of what makes the Marcellus Shale gas play so important.

An article on TheGlobeAndMail website reports on early results in the Utica Shale Gas Play in Quebec, Canada which could contain 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

An article in The Vancouver Sun reports on a Canadian shale gas play known as the “Duvernay” that is expected to bring hundreds of millions of dollars in auction revenues to the Province of Alberta.

An article on the MSNBC.com website reviews some of the investments that Asian countries are making in natural gas shales – both in the United States and in Asia.

An article in the Houston Chronicle explores why major oil companies have taken an interest in natural gas shales. Part of the reason is that the resource has a long lifetime.

The demand for coal could suffer significantly as climate change efforts look for cleaner energy production. Now some coal companies with significant mineral rights holdings are starting to consider going into the natural gas business. More in a Washington Post article.

An article on the Reuters website quotes Aubrey McClendon making an argument that developing shale plays outside of the United States will be difficult.

With the number of large companies taking stakes in the United States shale gas plays will a glut of natural gas develop? An article on the Reuters website reports that Aubrey McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy, says he does not see the world swamped with natural gas.

Exxon Mobil has made some major recent investments in onshore natural gas that have some people asking if the company is changing directions. An article on the Houston Chronicle website reports on comments by David Rosenthal, Exxon Mobil’s VP of Investor Relations that address these questions.

Just a few years ago Russia invested heavily in the Shtokman gas field in the Barents Sea with the intent of exporting that gas as LNG to the United States. Now the US has several giant shale gas fields and the Russians have all of that Shtokman gas plus opportunities to develop their own shales. More at the United Press International website.

In China, the Ministry of Land and Resources hopes to raise the country’s annual shale gas production to 15-30 billion cubic meters by 2020. More in a SmartMoney.com article.