Posted on 04/11/2012 1:28:59 AM PDT by neverdem
All bets are off for the future of energy in the United States and, indeed, the world, as the price of natural gas plummets to ever-lower values -- thanks to the development of technology that can access gas and liquids trapped in hitherto inaccessible shale rocks. In 2011, shale gas accounted for a quarter of U.S. natural gas production. But this seemingly bright future may depend on a court decision (expected in June 2012) and, of course, on the outcome of the November elections.
The Economics of Natural Gas
Consider the history of natural gas prices just in the last few years. In mid-2008, the spot price (at Henry Hub) reached a peak of $13 per mcf (1,000 cubic feet, with a heat value of 1 million Btu -- denoted as 1 MMBTU) -- having doubled since mid-2007. Since then, the price has decreased sharply, dipping to $2 in mid-March, and it now stands at $2.30. If prices decline further, natural gas will be cheaper than the average steam coal, which up until now has been the lowest-cost fuel on a heat basis.
How realistic is such a price path? Operators drilling for gas are also extracting large quantities of natural gas liquids (NGL) as well as crude oil. As pointed out by Richard Trzupek, the profit potential lies in these liquids, as natural gas becomes simply a byproduct. It reminds me of the situation in the early 1970s, 40 years ago, when "associated gas" was so cheap, only pennies per mcf, that it was flared at the well-head. The problem then was the lack of pipelines to convey the gas to consumers in major cities.
Electric Power Generation
With the pipeline problem solved (at least in the Lower 48), consider the consequences...
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Both John Rowe, the retired chief executive at Exelon, and Aubrey McClendon, the current chief executive at Chesapeake Energy, would love to create a situation where “everyone” believed that cheap natural gas is going to last for a long time. My assertion is that “cheap” natural gas – which is actually only available in North America – is just a transitory condition caused by a perfect storm combination of factors that include a warm winter, a still struggling economy, drillers whose current cash flows are buttressed by oil revenues, and financially stressed landowners willing to to mortgage their future in return for some quick cash from frackers.
A Strategy to Stop EPA Science Abuse
http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/../2012/04/a_strategy_to_stop_epa_science_abuse.html
Out in the sticks we will never have access to natural gas. I would love to see these corrupt propane people put out of business. :(
(Since 2007 gas started selling at 2.30 per million BTU.)
But why will the gas bubble burst?
natural gas is a volatile commodity with a volatile price history that is partially based on its gaseous nature. Since it is a gas that is not terribly energy dense, it requires significant effort to store it or move it from place to place. That leads to some very strange pricing patterns. In places where there is more gas than the market can absorb can quickly approach the situation where suppliers are willing to nearly give the stuff away.
In the meantime, there are us ...financially stressed landowners willing to to mortgage their future in return for some quick cash from frackers.
Hold on, there, Mr. Adams!
Selling mineral rights to gas companies has recently proved to be handsomely profitable for local landowners. All forecasts, even including the most pessimistic like Adams, predict an even greater, almost tremendous, yield for the landowner.
"Mortgaging" our future for what?. A tremendous profit
This is also opening a new fault line in the Democrat Party.
Obama feels the need to kowtow to his Envirowhacko base.
Yet at the state and local level Democrats are having multiple orgasms over the new revenue streams, and, in fact, have already spent them.
Grab the popcorn.
While it's true that fracking is well below the water table, there's not always an impermeable stratum between the shale and the water table, and the wells are being built by the same sort of people who used six centralizers instead of 21 on Deepwater Horizon.
Will the tremendous profit offset the costs of a damaged water table? Probably so, I suppose. You can buy a lot of filtration systems with that kind of money.
Have been working the oil industry for 40 years, and this is the biggest game changer I have ever seen in that time.
With abundant supplies of natural gas available to us, we have the potential to completely alter how we live by having a bountiful supply of energy that will raise our standard of living, ensure we cut ties with Middle Eastern Governments and provide cleaner emissions for many generations.
Using a method like Fisher-Tropsh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer%E2%80%93Tropsch_process), we can even manufacture oil out of gas molecules to power our cars.
All we need is to rid ourselves of the enviro-wackos who dream of a utopia of wind, solar and biomass energy production. This utopia will not happen.
God gave us favor by giving us oil and gas which are more natural to this earth than any of this stupid “alternative” fuel.
Really? What depths are we talking here between the bottom of the wt and tracking?
My water table is very shallow, with gas wells and oil wells now beneath my water table. I have tons of water, springs, on my property---in fact I always say I have too much water. And, it's tested annually and always it's the same and good.
In fact I have been exploring selling my water and it all looks good.
Of course fracking may pose a risk like you say, but the depth of the fracking here makes it quite unlikely.
**Cheap Natural Gas Heralds an Energy Revolution***
Here is an interesting article on page 34 of the ARKANSAS LIVING April 2012
http://onlinedigitalpubs.com/publication/?i=105175
Go to page 34.
CAPITOL BUZZ by Carmie Henry
“A Question of Integrity”
It says that Chesapeake gas gave the SIERRA CLUB 25 MILLION DOLLARS to lobby against coal fired power plants.
Now that FRACKING is an evil thing they may have split, but SIERRA CLUB failed to give the money back.
ARKANSAS LIVING is a publication of the Arkansas Electrical co op.
For those who want to see a brief video of just how drilling and fracking is done:
http://www.northernoil.com/drilling
Great video,I learned alot.
You'll find two articles that stand conventional thinking on its head, in particular the hypothetical notions of fossil fuels and peak oil.
Maybe not....my home town (rural area) "got access" to natural gas piped to individual homes...so your area may not be as bad off as you think. Even if not, propane itself comes from natural gas....so increasing the supply of natgas WILL drop the price of propane.
Thanks for each of your links.
In the Eastern gas fields being developed with fracking, the Marcellus shale is around 3000 feet below the water table. The Utica shale is 3000 feet deeper than the Marcellus. There is no way for a minimal amount of water to migrate upward this far unless you are talking geological time.
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