It’s going to take a while – until 2030 for full implementation – but nine countries, ten oil companies and six development institutions have joined a World Bank effort to end the practice of routine gas flaring at oil production sites. “Gas flaring is a visual reminder that we are wastefully sending CO2 into the atmosphere,” said World Bank President… Keep reading →
For a stark on-the-ground report from Williston, North Dakota – widely considered the hub of Bakken Shale oil & gas development – read this story written by Brooklyn-based freelance journalist Laura Gottesdiener. The piece provides a glimpse inside the North American oil & gas production boom that often gets lost in the maze of production… Keep reading →
The complex natural gas flaring issue associated with producing crude oil and other higher-value liquids from the Bakken Shale formation is back in the news as companies seek to address royalty payments owed for certain volumes of that flared gas. There appears to be some legal uncertainty regarding whether companies owe money to royalty owners… Keep reading →
The incredible oil production growth coming from the Bakken Shale formation – from 200,000 barrels per day to 1 million b/d in 5 years – has also brought significant volumes of associated natural gas to the surface. With oil trading at higher prices than those currently paid for natural gas, infrastructure needed to bring that… Keep reading →
Everyone agrees that burning off as much as a third of the natural gas produced in North Dakota is a terrible waste of an important natural resource. The flaring problem arises out of the fact that energy companies are primarily drilling for oil in North Dakota. A lot of natural gas comes out of those… Keep reading →
More and more research studies deepen our understanding of methane emissions from various segments along the natural gas supply chain. At the same time, evidence is mounting that the volume of methane emissions leaking from, for example, wellheads or processing plants may collectively account for a greater portion of total methane emissions than previously thought.… Keep reading →
A new methane emission study released this week details sources and potential costs associated with reducing emissions of the potent greenhouse gas from US energy infrastructure. The study, commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund and completed by ICF International, found the US oil and gas industry could significantly reduce methane emissions using existing technology for… Keep reading →
The EIA recently said that U.S. oil production will peak at 9.61 million barrels per day by 2019 and thereby nearly match the 9.64 mmb/d record set back in 1970. This is great news for U.S. energy self-sufficiency aspirations. Moreover, as Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil, pointed out in a recent interview:”We’re already the… Keep reading →
The EU Commission has intervened in construction of the South Stream gas pipeline on the grounds that deals signed between Russia’s Gazprom and seven European countries violate an EU law forbidding a company from acting as both pipeline operator and monopoly gas supplier. The EU energy commissioner will go to Moscow next month for talks… Keep reading →
Addressing the natural gas flaring issue in North Dakota’s portion of the Bakken Shale formation is not as simple as just connecting new wells to pipeline infrastructure. Sometimes new, high-pressure wells can overwhelm existing infrastructure and without additional compression, more frequent maintenance or expanding the system, extinguishing the flares is not feasible. The latest report… Keep reading →
