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America’s leaky natural gas system – Peak Oil – Climate Change – Global Warming

The first thorough comparison of evidence for natural gas system leaks confirms that organizations including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have underestimated U.S. methane emissions generally, as well as those from the natural gas industry specifically. Natural gas consists predominantly of methane. Even small leaks from the natural gas system are important because methane is a potent greenhouse gas – about 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. A study, “Methane Leakage from North American Natural Gas Systems,” published in the Feb. 14 issue of the journal  Science , synthesizes diverse findings from more than 200 studies ranging in scope from local gas processing plants to total emissions from the United States and Canada. “People who go out and actually measure methane pretty consistently find more emissions than we expect,” said the lead author of the new analysis, Adam Brandt, an assistant professor of energy resources engineering at Stanford […]

Posted On : Published By : ASPO-USA
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Study concludes that NG leakage higher than reflected in inventories; transportation fuel climate benefits questioned

A review of 20 years of technical literature on natural gas (NG) emissions in the United States and Canada comprising more than 200 papers has concluded that official inventories consistently underestimate actual CH4 emissions due to leakage from the natural gas system. “Atmospheric tests covering the entire country indicate emissions around 50 percent more than EPA estimates,” said lead author Adam Brandt at Stanford University. The study, which is authored by researchers from seven universities, several national laboratories and federal government bodies and other organizations, is published in the journal Science.

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Chevron's Pennsylvania Natural Gas Well Still Burning After Blast

A fire at a Chevron Corp natural gas well in western Pennsylvania was being left to burn on Wednesday after an explosion early Tuesday left one worker injured and another missing, state officials said. Flames shot from the head of the Lanco 7H well, which is 50 miles south of Pittsburgh in the Marcellus shale region and emergency workers were unable to get near on Wednesday. The fire could continue indefinitely as gas flows up the well from underground, said John Poister, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. "There’s a large amount of gas in the well, and it could burn, if we just sat there and watched it, for months or years," Poister said. Chevron said it did not know how long the fire would continue. Putting the flames out will probably involve some sort of smothering, possibly with foam […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Chevron’s Pennsylvania Natural Gas Well Still Burning After Blast

A fire at a Chevron Corp natural gas well in western Pennsylvania was being left to burn on Wednesday after an explosion early Tuesday left one worker injured and another missing, state officials said. Flames shot from the head of the Lanco 7H well, which is 50 miles south of Pittsburgh in the Marcellus shale region and emergency workers were unable to get near on Wednesday. The fire could continue indefinitely as gas flows up the well from underground, said John Poister, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. "There’s a large amount of gas in the well, and it could burn, if we just sat there and watched it, for months or years," Poister said. Chevron said it did not know how long the fire would continue. Putting the flames out will probably involve some sort of smothering, possibly with foam […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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GDF Suez sees opportunity in U.S. LNG nod

A U.S. decision on gas exports opened the door for French company GDF Suez to enhance its position in the growing U.S. natural gas market, the company said. Gerard Mestrallat, chairman for GDF Suez, said he welcomed Tuesday’s decision by the federal government to allow consortium Cameron LNG, LLC to export liquefied natural gas produced in the United States from a Cameron Parish, La., terminal to countries that don’t have a U.S. free-trade agreement. "The decision of the Department of Energy to grant non-FTA approval opens a major opportunity for GDF Suez to further develop long-term LNG sales in a fast-growing global market," he said in a statement Wednesday. GDF Suez in May signed a joint venture agreement with U.S. natural gas company Sempra and Japan’s Mitsubishi and Mitsui to develop the Cameron LNG project. The U.S. Energy Department said Tuesday the decision, which […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Getting real about regulation – why it won’t make fracking safe

The British government has acknowledged the potential harms of fracking for unconventional gas – yet claimed that regulation in Britain is more stringent than in other countries and that it is therefore possible to prevent negative impacts. In this article I will show that over a century of health and safety regulation in the UK gives no ground for confidence. On the contrary there has repeatedly been shameful disregard for public health and environment. Industrial and commercial interests have repeatedly overridden the right of the public to be protected and there is already evidence that we are seeing the same tragedy replayed – potentially on a more destructive scale than ever before. The truth is that in some cases British regulation is inferior to other countries – that is why the British government are fighting the European Commission to prevent European regulation of shale gas extraction. In the light […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Electric companies relying too much on natural gas

There’s something to the old saying about not putting all your eggs in one basket, yet that’s what we are doing in the case of electricity generation. Nearly all new electricity generation projects are using natural gas. This lack of diversification increases risks for the future. Why is this happening? There are two reasons. The first is that companies and policymakers are making long-term decisions based on short-term considerations. Natural gas prices fell in 2012 to historical lows. It is foolish to expect that natural gas prices will remain at this level for the 40-year-or-longer life of a new electricity plant, yet that is basically what people are assuming when they commit to gas-fired generation plants based on this price. The foolishness of this is already evident. The price of natural gas rose more than 25 percent last year and has increased over […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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The Golden Age of Gas… Possibly: An Interview With The IEA

Page added on February 11, 2014 The potential for a golden age of gas comes along with a big “if” regarding environmental and social impact. The International Energy Agency (IEA)—the “global energy authority”–believes that this age of gas can be golden, and that unconventional gas can be produced in an environmentally acceptable way. In an exclusive interview with Oilprice.com, IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven , discusses: The potential for a golden age of gas What will the “age” means for renewables What it means for humanity The challenges of renewable investment and technology How the US shale boom is reshaping the global economy Nuclear’s contribution to energy security What is holding back Europe’s energy markets The next big shale venues beyond 2020 The reality behind “fire ice” Condensate and the crude export ban The most critical energy issue facing the world today Interview by. James Stafford of […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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CNPC: PetroChina Makes Huge Gas Find in Sichuan Basin

PetroChina, Asia’s largest oil and gas producer, has found 308.2 billion cubic metres of technically recoverable gas in southwest China’s Sichuan basin, according to parent CNPC, one of China’s largest gas discoveries in more than a decade. China, the top energy user and fourth-largest consumer of gas, is racing to increase supply of the cleaner-burning fuel by boosting domestic exploration and raising imports, as demand is forecast to nearly quadruple between 2011 and 2030. The Moxi block of An’yue field was officially certified to hold 440.4 bcm of proven geological reserves, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) said in Monday report on its website (news.cnpc.com.cn), citing PetroChina’s Exploration and Development department. PetroChina is now building a production facility able to pump 4 bcm a year under phase-1 development, which is to be followed by another 6 bcm/year in a second phase, CNPC said. CNPC […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Chesapeake Energy Predicts 2014 Capex Decline

Chesapeake Energy Corp. expects to spend less on capital improvements in 2014, as the natural-gas company works to trim costs after years of liberal spending. The company projected $5.2 billion to $5.6 billion in 2014 capital expenditures, representing a 20% reduction from the midpoint of 2013’s outlook. After adjusting for 2013 asset sales, the company expects to generate 8% to 10% production growth this year, consisting of 8% to 12% oil production growth, 44% to 49% natural gas liquids production growth and 4% to 6% natural gas production growth. Per-unit production and general and administrative expenses are expected to decline in 2014. The Oklahoma City company, which spent billions of dollars more than it made from operations in recent years, has started spending less, but its cost-control efforts have raised concerns among investors about the company’s growth prospects. New Chief Executive Doug Lawler has mapped out a strategy of […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple