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Geology News
Natural Gas Current Events

The American Petroleum Institute has a video that explains the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing processes. It explains the drilling, fracturing, equipment, materials and environmental concerns.

This is an excellent video from an authoritative source.

The American Petroleum Institute and PriceWaterhouseCoopers have prepared a report titled: “The Economic Impacts of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry on the U.S. Economy: Employment, Labor Income and Value Added”.

The Wall Street Journal has an article titled: “America’s Natural Gas Revolution: A ’shale gale’ of unconventional and abundant U.S. gas is transforming the energy market.”

A few years ago a number of LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals were being planned to bring foreign natural gas into US markets. Then natural gas drillers began tapping shale reservoirs such as the Haynesville of Louisiana, the Barnett of Texas and the Marcellus of the Appalachian basin. The US natural gas and energy situations have been changed.

“At the end of 2008, domestic natural gas proved reserves reached their highest level since the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) began reporting them in 1977.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration.

The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline could be Canada’s largest construction project or it could be a casualty of an abundance of natural gas flowing from organic shales in many parts of the United States.

An article in the New York Times reports that Chesapeake Energy’s CEO said that they will not be drilling wells in watersheds that supply water to New York City. There are plenty of opportunities elsewhere.

A report from the Energy Information Administration summarizes the current state of oil and gas development in the Arctic Ocean. The large number of shale plays in the United States and other areas will compete strongly with Arctic natural gas and may reduce incentives to drill there.

Allen Brooks has prepared a summary of trends in natural gas prices and the United States natural gas market for EnergyTribune.

Gazprom, the largest producer of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company is building a pipeline to carry natural gas to Germany along the floor of the Baltic Sea. The sub-sea line will not cross countries who might tamper with the gas supply for political reasons.

From a speech given on October 8, 2009, by Peter Voser, CEO, Royal Dutch Shell…. “Shell is increasingly focusing on natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel. By 2012, natural gas will likely make up around half of our production.”

Boeing and Skyhook hope to use giant blimps to lift heavy cargo such as oil rigs and pipeline equipment into Canada’s far north. The method might not only be cheaper than overland transport but would also have a lower environmental impact.

Shell plans to build a FLNG (Floating Liquefied Natural Gas) plant off the West Australia coast which will enable the company to develop its Prelude and Concerto gas discoveries.

Tom Walters, a division president at ExxonMobil, believes that global natural gas demand is starting to grow and, if sustained, will produce opportunities for LNG facilities and pipelines.

An article in the Star-Telegram explains how technology that was initially used to produce natural gas from the Barnett Shale of Texas is now employed or being planned in many parts of the world.

The North Carolina Geological Survey has a new publication: “Shale Gas Potential in Triassic Strata of the Deep River Basin, Lee and Chatham Counties, North Carolina with pipeline and infrastructure data.” This is a two-page summary in a .pdf document.

The Oil and Gas Journal reports on a company in New Brunswick, Canada that has used propane instead of water to fracture a subsurface natural gas reservoir.

In 2008 New York state government stopped issuing drilling permits to companies developing the Marcellus Shale. Now, one year later, new regulations are available for review. Many companies spent millions for short term drilling rights to see valuable time on their leases expire. The permitting break was to give the state time to revamp the regulations in response to new methods of drilling which had taken them by surprise.

Image by U.S. Geothermal, Inc.

University of Utah researchers will use a method similar “hydraulic fracturing” done by the natural gas industry to stimulate the yield of a geothermal well at a US Geothermal, Inc site near Malta, Idaho. Increasing the number of fractures in the rock should enhance its ability to deliver steam.

Conoco plans to develop up to one million acres of gas shale in the Baltic Basin of northern Poland. The gas shales there are located near growing demand areas of the European Union.

An article on the PennLive.com website reports that a landowners group negotiated a deal with Chesapeake Energy that will pay them $5750 per acre plus royalties for a 37,000 acre package. This is the highest per acre Marcellus Shale payment that we have seen.

Chevron reports a large natural gas discovery in northeastern Bangladesh that is thought to be the largest gas discovery there in a decade.

The Energy Information Administration offers email subscriptions that allow you to receive messages when they publish a new energy update. There are a wide range of topics that you can subscribe to – some for specific types of energy (such as natural gas) and some for geographic-based information (such as Kansas energy topics).

An article in the Calgary Herald explores Canadian natural gas trends. Conventional production has been falling rapidly in response to costs. And, while unconventional production is climbing, it might not climb fast enough to replace the rate of conventional decline.

An article at National Public Radio explores how natural gas has been “rediscovered” in the United States. “The Potential Gas Committee, reported in June that natural gas reserves in the United States are actually 35 percent higher than believed just two years ago, and some geologists say even that estimate is too conservative.”

Nick Rahall, Chairman of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced a bill that could change the rules for leasing and paying royalties on mineral, oil and natural gas activities on public lands.

“The development of natural gas off Western Australia is entering a new era after Chevron Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Chevron Corp., announced that it will proceed with the development of the world-class Chevron-operated Gorgon Project. It will be one of the world’s largest natural gas projects with much of the gas exported to Japan and South Korea.” Quoted from the ChevronAustralia website.

Shales have been the target of intense leasing and drilling in North America and that interest is spreading to many parts of the world. ConocoPhillips plans to start drilling in Poland next year.

As Congress debates an energy bill opinions are mixed over the use of natural gas and coal as an electricity-generating fuels. Which opinions are defending home state economics and which are defending the planet?

“EIA projects the monthly Henry Hub natural gas spot price to average $2.32 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in October, the lowest monthly average spot price since September 2001. Natural gas inventories likely will set a new record high at the end of this year’s injection season (October 31) reaching more than 3.8 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). The projected Henry Hub annual average spot price increases from $3.65 per Mcf in 2009 to $4.78 in 2010. However, upward price pressure next year is limited by the sensitivity of natural gas use in the electric power sector to higher natural gas prices and continued expansion of U.S. natural gas production from shale formations.” Quoted from EIA.