The current fossil energy boom in the United States is natural gas from shale. The next one could be oil shales [1].
[1] http://geology.com/usgs/oil-shale/
More at TheHill.com.Wyoming Gas
Encana On Wyoming Fracking Study
Encana has responded to EPA’s draft report titled: Investigation of Ground Water Contamination near Pavillion, Wyoming.
More at Forbes.
Reactions to EPA’s Draft Report on Wyoming Ground Water Contamination
A number of people are reacting to EPA’s draft report: “Investigation of Ground Water Contamination near Pavillion, Wyoming” which links hydraulic fracturing to fresh water aquifer contamination. Hydraulic fracturing in they Wyoming study was done just 1200 feet below the ground while the fracturing done in the major shale gas plays in other parts of the country occurs and far greater depths.
More at FuelFix.com.
Ground Water Contamination by Hydraulic Fracturing?
EPA has issued a draft report titled: Investigation of Ground Water Contamination near Pavillion, Wyoming. From the conclusions: “Using this approach, the explanation best fitting the data for the deep monitoring wells is that constituents associated with hydraulic fracturing have been released into the Wind River drinking water aquifer at depths above the current production zone.”
More at EPA.
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.
Seismic Surveys of the Niobrara Shale
An article in the Casper Star-Tribune reports that companies interested in the Niobrara Shale of Wyoming and Colorado are using seismic surveys to understand the stratigraphy.
More at Casper Star-Tribune.
Wells in the Niobrara Shale are not Sure Bets
In most of the shale plays a newly-drilled well has a reasonable probability of producing the same mix of natural gas, oil and natural gas liquids produced by existing wells that region. However, wells drilled into the Niobrara of southeastern Wyoming are often dry – a problem that has drillers learning more about the geology or moving their activity to more predictable locations.
More at Trib.com.
Oil Shale Resources of the Green River Formation
USGS has published Assessment of In-Place Oil Shale Resources in the Eocene Green River Formation, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.
The publication summarizes the Green River Formation with detailed descriptions, maps, cross-se…
Australians Drilling the Niobrara Shale
Entek Energy Ltd., an Australian company is drilling vertical wells into the 1100-foot-thick Niobrara Shale in southern Wyoming. More in the Casper Star-Tribune.
Niobrara Shale: Higher Risk Than Expected?
Some companies are starting to doubt the initially optimistic opinions about the Niobrara Shale that has produced oil and natural gas in the Colorado, Western Nebraska and Wyoming area. Some recent wells have not been commercially viable and that has generated uncertainty. More at GulfNews.com.
Manufacturing Oil and Gas Reservoirs in the Niobrara Shale
Mark Northam, director of the School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming says that horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing allow drillers to “manufacture a reservoir” in the Niobrara Shale. More in the Billings Gazette.
New Drilling Technology Opens the Niobrara Shale
An article in the Billings Gazette explains how horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are opening a bonanza of oil and natural gas from the Niobrara Shale in Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming.
Forced Pooling in the Wyoming Niobrara Shale
An article on the Platte County Reord-Times websites explains the consequences faced by a “hold-out” landowner when forced pooling is instituted on a Niobrara Shale property.
Niobrara Shale Drives Lease Sale Record
Companies competing for select properties over the Niobrara Shale play in eastern Wyoming spent a record amount of money at a recent state lease sale held by the Wyoming Office of State Lands. More in BusinessWeek.com.
Fracking Fluid Chemistry Disclosure in Wyoming
On September 15, 2010 new rules that require oil and gas companies to disclose the chemistry of their hydraulic fracturing fluids went into effect. The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission reports that companies are providing the information as new wells are stimulated. More at Trib.com.
Oil Boom in Southeast Wyoming?
Economic development groups in southeastern Wyoming are advising business owners to prepare for an oil boom as leasing and production begin for the Niobrara Shale oil deposits. More in the Wyoming Business Report.
Oil from the Niobrara Shale: Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming
An article on the CNBC website reports that companies are working hard to get Niobrara Shale acres under lease in parts of Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska. They believe that horizontal drilling in the Niobrara will yield a bonanza of oil similar to the Bakken Shale of North Dakota.
Public Hearing Topic: Chemistry of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids
At a public hearing of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Wyoming Governor, Dave Freudenthal questioned Halliburton attorney, Thomas Jackson about the composition of hydraulic fracturing fluids. More in the Washington Post.
