Drilling Boom Revives Hopes for Natural Gas (New drilling technologies)

HOUSTON — American natural gas production is rising at a clip not seen in half a century, pushing down prices of the fuel and reversing conventional wisdom that domestic gas fields were in irreversible decline.

The new drilling boom uses advanced technology to release gas trapped in huge shale beds found throughout North America — gas long believed to be out of reach.

Rising production of natural gas has significant long-range implications for American consumers and businesses. A sustained increase in gas supplies over the next decade could slow the rise of utility bills, obviate the need to import gas and make energy-intensive industries more competitive.

While the recent production increase is indisputable, not everyone is convinced the additional supplies can last for decades. “The jury is still out how big shale is going to be,” said Robert Ineson, a natural gas analyst at Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a consulting firm.

Still, many people in the natural-gas industry believe a new era is at hand, and a rising chorus of Wall Street analysts and Congressional lawmakers supports that notion. Competition among companies for rights to the new gas has set off a frenzy of leasing and drilling.

“It’s almost divine intervention,” said Aubrey K. McClendon, chairman and chief executive of the Chesapeake Energy Corporation, one of the nation’s largest natural gas producers. “Right at the time oil prices are skyrocketing, we’re struggling with the economy, we’re concerned about global warming, and national security threats remain intense, we wake up and we’ve got this abundance of natural gas around us.”

Senior Democrats in Congress are getting behind natural gas, portraying it as an alternative fuel for transportation that can serve as a stopgap until renewable sources of energy, like solar and wind power, become economical on a broad scale.

American natural gas production is rising at a clip not seen in half a century, pushing down prices of the fuel and reversing conventional wisdom that domestic gas fields were in irreversible decline.

The same thing could happen with oil if the politicians would get out of the way.

The republicans are probably too stupid to run ads this winter up north: "Cold this winter? Thank a democrat"

Drill drill drill ... Where there's oil there's gas. Well at least everyone but nanny Peloser knows that. I don't want to know where nanny thinks natural gas comes from.

Think of all the new energy sector jobs created. Natural gas can be converted to liquid fuels, the primary problem with natural gas has been collection ... Remote gas to liquids plants that do the conversion could help somewhat with that collection, the resultant liquids could be pipelined right with crude oil.

Right now at Prudhoe Bay they flare the excess gas. Been trying to build a gas pipeline for some time.

There are currently about 1 million natural gas powered vehicles in the US, most are fork lifts. Natural gas burns clean, and gives off about 20 % less CO2 than conventional fuels. But there are still problems with distribution.

Senior Democrats in Congress are getting behind natural gas...

As is T. Boone Pickens. Didn't somebody post that Pelosi has invested between $100K and $200K in Pickens' co.?

There very commonly some gas associated with oil. Sometimes a lot ... sometimes only a little. The reverse is not true. Quite often dry gas is encountered with maybe a smidgen of propane, butane and ethane natural gas liquids. In gassy shales, the problem in producing hydrocarbons is permeability. With gas, enough fracing is possible ... but any oil isn't going to flow.

Flaring gas makes little sense and is generally shortsighted. The Iranians flare a lot of gas because they don't have the infrastructure and are too silly to build it. In oilfields, gas helps to maintain pressures [in gas drive and gas solution drive reservoirs it is the key to pressures — less so in water drive reservoirs], and provides lift as the gas comes out of solution. The gas at Prudoe is for the most part re-injected not flared. Eventually a pipeline will be built.

Gas to liquids? Why? A bit like turning gold into lead [line stolen from Matt Simmons.] Natural gas is a better fuel than oil.

A similar occurrence for oil is not not likely. IMO, beyond what is occurring in the Bakken, the best hope for something remotely similar for oil rests with shallow heavy oil deposits. With some heroic efforts, and a whole lot of capital, maybe some of the billions of barrels of immobile oil in Texas and elsewhere can be produced.

BTW, although the Barnett, Fayetteville Marcellus [spelling?] and others [Caney / Woodford etc.] have potential, production is not likely to produce a huge glut of natural gas ... and if a glut develops, a lot of expensive new projects will be canceled immediately. What is more likely is that more natural gas fired power plants will be built and we will squander a very fine fuel on a job better done by coal.

Flaring gas makes little sense and is generally shortsighted. The Iranians flare a lot of gas because they don't have the infrastructure and are too silly to build it.

Guess what--- Germans are building a gas to liquids plant for them
As you know the Iranians are famous for having to import 65%+ of their gasoline and I think it sells for $1/gallon or less

In oilfields, gas helps to maintain pressures [in gas drive and gas solution drive reservoirs it is the key to pressures — less so in water drive reservoirs], and provides lift as the gas comes out of solution. The gas at Prudoe is for the most part re-injected not flared. Eventually a pipeline will be built.

Gas to liquids? Why? A bit like turning gold into lead [line stolen from Matt Simmons.] Natural gas is a better fuel than oil.

Natural gas is an ideal transport fuel-——
Problem is the eco-lunatics are forcing it to be used to make electric when coal and nuclear are much better utilized for that and natural gas reserved for transport more and more
Fleets such as UPS FedEx and USPS can lead the way and should get large tax abatements to move to natural gas

Until you solve the distribution problem, and the question would be why, there will be nothing but fleet use where the fleet always returns to the tank. A natural gas distribution system with the availability of gasoline would just cost way too much for no real gain.

Natural gas, coal, tar sands can all produce liquid fuels which work with existing pipelines and gas stations.

Natural gas as transport fuel is just not practical on a wide scale.

Collecting and handling natural gas has been the biggest limiting factor, but as the production of methane hydrates begins, natural gas pipelines will solve the field collection — Conversion to liquids would add to the transport fuel, which can be used in existing autos and gas stations.

Natural gas, coal, tar sands can all produce liquid fuels which work with existing pipelines and gas stations.

Natural gas as transport fuel is just not practical on a wide scale.

Natural gas, coal, tar sands can all produce liquid fuels which work with existing pipelines and gas stations.

Natural gas as transport fuel is just not practical on a wide scale, IMHO.

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