Some people believe that “fracking” – the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology – is a miracle, increasing the extraction of oil and gas from places deep under the ground where hydrocarbons were previously unrecoverable. It has led not only to an economic boom but to a boom in drilling from thousands of fracking wells throughout the United States.
The issue of hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) too often becomes a political dispute, which threatens to obscure a far more important matter for the energy industry as a whole: That fracking is a feat of engineering genius, an example of the working complexity of so many pumps, valves, meters, gears, gauges and systems; it… Keep reading →
The President of one of Canada’s biggest oil and gas producers warned the oil sands industry that they must cut costs or face a “death spiral”. The drop in oil prices is an “opportunity” for every part of the industry to cut costs and eliminate inefficiencies that crept into the system during years of high… Keep reading →
Natural Gas Inventory Exceeds Five-Year Average for First Time Since Nov. 2013 EIA Today in Energy: Working natural gas in storage has surpassed five-year average levels for the first time in more than a year. At 2,157 billion cubic feet (Bcf) as of February 13, stocks are 58 Bcf greater than the five-year average. Recent… Keep reading →
Former Chesapeake Energy Chairman and CEO Aubrey McClendon is back in the news for allegedly stealing corporate secrets on his way out the door in 2013. McClendon is famous for founding Chesapeake and embracing new drilling technology that helped make the company one of the largest US natural gas producers. However, conflicts of interest began… Keep reading →
Shale Gas and Tight Oil are Commercially Produced in Just Four Countries EIA Today in Energy: The United States, Canada, China, and Argentina are currently the only four countries in the world that are producing commercial volumes of either natural gas from shale formations (shale gas) or crude oil from tight formations (tight oil). The… Keep reading →
Ed. note: This is a weekly column by Elie Mystal, Managing Editor of Above the Law Redline. This space will focus on the laws that exist, should exist, and should be put out of their misery. OVER-REGULATED: The Pipeline That Won’t Die: How about we agree to build the Keystone pipeline, but only send beer… Keep reading →
General Electric (GE) and Norway’s Statoil have announced a strategic collaboration to advance more environmentally friendly and economically sustainable technologies for oil and gas production. GE and partially state-owned Statoil have a long history of working together and both share a commitment to improving their environmental footprints, which is a goal increasingly valued by investors… Keep reading →
This is the latest installment in our Energy Executive Insight Series that gives executives at major energy companies an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences about the energy industry, their careers and their organizations. What has been the biggest positive energy industry change since the start of your career? The energy industry has done a great… Keep reading →
Wyoming state regulators have reached an agreement with oil and gas industry officials for greater public disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations. In 2010, Wyoming became the first state to require companies disclose the chemicals used in fracking to regulators, but the information did not have to be released to the public. The new… Keep reading →
