Some people believe that the Cline Shale of West Texas could contain more recoverable oil than the Eagle Ford and Bakken Formation combined.
More at FuelFix.com.Texas Gas
Canadian and US LNG Export Projects Advance
Royal Dutch Shell received a license [1] to export LNG from a plant in British Columbia and in the United States Pangea LNG received permission [2] to export LNG from a planned location in Texas.
[1] http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/04/shell-lng-idUKL1N0B4D6T20130204
[2] http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/04/pangea-lng-brief-idUSL4N0B46OO20130204
Drilling for Gas Under an Airport
Consol Energy has reached an agreement that will allow it for drill for natural gas on 9,000 acres of land at the Pittsburgh International Airport. This isn’t the first time airport property has been drilled for natural gas. In 2006 land surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was part of a drilling deal.
More at Centre Daily Times.
Eagle Ford Output is Up 70%
Crude oil production from the Eagle Ford Shale of Texas was up 70% in November 2012, over the same month in 2011. Statewide, oil production in Texas was up to 2.1 million barrels per day – the highest level since 1987.
Related: Eagle Ford Shale [1]
[1] http://geology.com/articles/eagle-ford/
More at Bloomberg.
Japex Buys Stake in the Eagle Ford
Gas shale [1] plays in the United States continue to attract investments from worldwide companies. Japex (Japan Petroleum Exploration Company)
[1] http://geology.com/gas-shales/
More at Bloomberg.
Oil and Gas from Fractures in the Austin Chalk
“The Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk forms a low-permeability, onshore Gulf of Mexico reservoir that produces oil and gas from major fractures oriented parallel to the underlying Lower Cretaceous shelf edge. Horizontal drilling links these fracture systems to create an interconnected network that drains the reservoir.” Quoted from USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5159.
More at United States Geological Survey.
State Governments Want Natural Gas Vehicles
Twenty-two states are soliciting bids for natural gas vehicles that will be used in state government auto pools.
More at Business Week.
Texas: Injection Wells and Earthquakes
“Most earthquakes in the Barnett Shale region of North Texas occur within a few miles of one or more injection wells used to dispose of wastes associated with petroleum production such as hydraulic fracturing fluids, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin. None of the quakes identified in the two-year study were strong enough to pose a danger to the public.” Quoted from the University of Texas at Austin press release.
More at University of Texas at Austin.
Economic Impact of the Eagle Ford Shale
The San Antonio Economic Development Foundation has produced a report titled: Economic Impact of the Eagle Ford Shale. It contains a lot of information about production trends, comparing the Eagle Ford to other shale plays in the United States. (Download the Report [1])
[1] http://bit.ly/EagleFordShale
More at San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.
Helium: A Natural Gas Byproduct
“Helium is produced by the decay of uranium and thorium in granitoid basement rocks. The liberated helium is buoyant and moves towards the surface in porosity associated with basement faults. The helium then moves upwards through porous sedimentary cover until it is trapped with natural gas under beds of anhydrite or salt.” Quoted from the Geology.com article.
More at Geology.com.
65% of US Natural Gas from Five States
The leading states for natural gas production during 2011 were: Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Together they produced 65% of US natural gas.
More at Energy Information Administration.
Rouge Fractures
“The chances of rogue fractures due to shale gas fracking operations extending beyond 0.6 kilometres from the injection source is a fraction of one percent, according to new research led by Durham University. The analysis is based on data from thousands of fracking operations in the USA and natural rock fractures in Europe and Africa.” Quoted from the Durham University press release.
More at Durham University.
Activity in the Eagle Ford Shale Doubles
A report on drilling activity in the Eagle Ford Shale on the FuelFix.com website says that the number of new wells drilled in the first quarter of 2012 is double the number drilled in 2011.
More at FuelFix.com.
Economic Impact of the Eagle Ford Shale
An article on the MySanAntonio.com website explores the success and economic impact of the Eagle Ford Shale which produced nearly 5 million barrels in 2010 and over 20 million in 2011.
More at MySanAntonio.com.
Objections to Natural Gas Flaring
Drilling for oil in the shale formations of Texas and North Dakota often results in the flaring of natural gas – as some of these areas are not served by natural gas pipelines. Although this practice is somewhat of an industry tradition it is drawing increasing criticism because it wastes a non-renewable energy resource, is an economic loss, produces air pollution and contributes to climate change.
More at FuelFix.com.
State Crude Oil Trends
Five states account for over 50% of the USA’s crude oil production with production rapidly increasing in Texas and North Dakota.
More at Energy Information Administration.
Who Owns the Groundwater Below Your Farm?
While the ownership of oil and natural gas beneath a property has been rather well defined there are still significant uncertainties about who owns the ground water.
More at Statesman.com.
Haynesville Deceleration
Four years ago the Haynesville Shale began generating lots of jobs and income for northern Louisiana. Now many companies are redirecting their activities from dry gas to areas where natural gas liquids and oil can be produced from shale – walking away from the boom areas that previously experienced rapid growth.
More at Shreveport Times.
Permian Basin Oil Boom
An article on the FuelFix.com website looks at how growing production from shale in the Permian Basin of West Texas has surprised even the most experienced drillers.
More at FuelFix.com.
How Some Drillers Are Responding to Low Natural Gas Prices
An article in The Advocate explores who Encana Corporation and other natural gas drillers are responding to natural gas falling nearly $10 per thousand cubic feet since 2008.
More at The Advocate.
Eagle Ford Shale
The Eagle Ford Shale is a black shale with a high organic carbon content in central Texas. I has become one of the most important economic generators in central Texas.
More at Geology.com.
Texas: Fracking Chemicals and Water Consumption Reports
A new regulation will require drillers in Texas to report the chemicals in their hydraulic fracturing fluid and the amount of water used to frack each well.
More at The Texas Tribune.
Irrational Natural Gas Prices?
Lots of factors contribute to the natural gas prices paid by residential customers. Long term contracts and distant supply sources can hold residential prices high even though natural gas is locally in abundance. Residential customers in Arkansas, Lo…
More at Energy Information Administration.
Gas Fracking
Jadela Oil recently used 5000 barrels of liquid propane and butane to frack a horizontal well in Maverick County, Texas. When gas is used for fracking it can be recovered and sold or recycled instead of being a disposal problem.
More at Caller.com.
Gulf of Mexico – Energy Infrastructure
The Energy Information Administration has an interactive map that displays energy infrastructure features in the Gulf of Mexico region. It includes power plants, transmission lines, LNG terminals, natural gas hubs, pipelines, oil ports, refineries, ac…
More at Energy Information Administration.
Declining Production from the Barnett Shale
An article on the Star-Telegram.com website explores declining production from the Barnett Shale of Texas – the rock unit that supported the first important use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
More at Star-Telegram.
How Natural Gas is Taxed in 19 Different States
The Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research has prepared: Taxation of Natural Gas: A Comparative Analysis. This publication reviews the many methods of taxing natural gas 19 different states. You might be surprised at how many …
More at Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research.
Barnett Shale: 100,000 Jobs and $65 Billion
An article on the BizJournals.com website summarizes the economic impact of natural gas development in the Barnett Shale of Texas.
More at BizJournals.com.
35 Wells on One Barnett Shale Drilling Pad
Devon Energy has drilled over 4,700 wells in the Barnett Shale field since 2001. Today they are in the process of drilling 35 horizontal wells, all at different compass directions, from a single 12-acre pad. This is believed to be the largest number …
More at Star-Telegram.com.
Geographic History of Barnett Shale Drilling Activity
The Energy Information Administration has an interesting animated map on their website that shows the geographic spread of drilling activity in the Barnett Shale around Fort Worth, Texas. It also shows the introduction and spread of horizontal drillin…
More at Energy Information Administration.
BHP Billiton to Buy Petrohawk for $12 Billion
BHP Billiton, the world’s largest mining company headquartered in Australia, has agreed to purchase Petrohawk Energy for $12.1 billion. Petrohawk is an independent oil and natural gas company with a focus on exploration and production of shale plays within the United States. The company has significant activity in the Haynesville, Lower Bossier and Eagle Ford Shales of Texas and Louisiana.
More in the Petrohawk press release.
$3.5 Billion for Eagle Ford Acreage
According to a report on FuelFix.com, Marathon Oil will acquire 141,000 net acres of Eagle Ford Shale holdings in Atascosa, Karnes, Gonzales and DeWitt counties, Texas for $3.5 billion.
LNG Export from Sabine Pass, LA/TX
“DOE issued conditional authorization to Cheniere Energy’s application to export LNG from its Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana. Cheniere plans to retrofit the existing import terminal to give it liquefaction capability. Cheniere has been authorized to export up to 2.2 Bcf/d of natural gas from the facility for a period of 20 years.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration Weekly Natural Gas Update.
Eagle Ford Shale – Thousands of Jobs
The Houston Chronicle reports that oil and gas drilling in the Eagle Ford Shale of Texas has generated a need for workers – not only with the companies doing the drilling but also with the companies that provide technical services, materials, logistics support and more.
Eagle Ford Shale: Greatest Economic Driver in South Texas
In an article on the FuelFix website, David Porter, Texas Railroad Commissioner (the Railroad Commission regulates natural gas drilling for the State of Texas), says that the Eagle Ford Shale has the potential to be the greatest economic driver in the history of South Texas.
Impact of Barnett Shale Development on Groundwater Resources
The impact of hydraulic fracturing on ground water supplies is a concern in almost every area where the well stimulation method is employed. The Texas Water Development Board has published an informative study: Northern Trinity/Woodbine GAM Assessment of Groundwater Use in the Northern Trinity Aquifer Due To Urban Growth and Barnett Shale Development. Get the report here.
Which is the Leader? Barnett or Haynesville Shale?
The Energy Information Administration recently reported that production from the Haynesville Shale had surpassed Barnett Shale production. Now, energy statisticians are arguing over the numbers. More at Platts.com.
Eagle Ford Shale Landowners vs Army National Guard
The Texas Army National Guard wants to buy 22,232 acres of land over the Eagle Ford Shale and owners of the land under consideration don’t want to sell because they want to keep the land for potential oil and gas royalties. More in the Houston Chronicle.
Eagle Ford Shale – An Economic Engine
The Houston Chronicle is a close watcher of the oil and gas industry – especially in Texas. Here is a quote from a recent HC article…. “Development of the Eagle Ford shale [...] shows promise of being the most important economic generator South Texas has ever seen.
EPA vs Texas Railroad Commission
The Railroad Commission has jurisdiction of natural gas drilling in Texas and the commission disagrees with the United States Environmental Protection Agency on the cause of domestic water well contamination in North Texas. EPA claims that Barnett Shale drilling has caused the problem. More in the Washington Post.
