Methane hydrates are getting increased attention as a major new source of clean hydrocarbon energy. These enormous deposits of natural gas have never been developed commercially, but research and development has been promising, and expectations are that the gas could begin coming to market within a decade. Known as flammable ice, methane hydrates are molecules… Keep reading →
Methane emissions from oil and gas production have become a serious issue for regulators concerned about greenhouse gasses, as well as for oil and gas producers who see lots of money going up in flames as gas flares and vents. But technology innovators are finding ways to capture the wasted natural gas and profitably use… 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. UNDER-REGULATED The Mississippi River: The Mississippi river blew up yesterday. Okay, that’s not entirely accurate. A gas pipeline exploded… Keep reading →
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is often regarded as extremely dangerous and toxic with container ships called floating bombs. But is this perception accurate? The historical reality is that LNG has the best safety record of all common fuel types and is completely non-toxic. Of course natural gas vapors are flammable and present safety hazards that… Keep reading →
This is the latest installment in our Energy Startup Series that gives executives at cutting-edge energy firms an opportunity to share insights and experiences about the energy industry, their careers and their companies. While working for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Olof Hansen was in charge of building public-private partnerships in waste minimization and pollution… Keep reading →
We all want easy answers. And often times the harder the question, the easier we want the answer to be. Increased natural gas use, for example, can help decrease U.S. greenhouse gas emissions as it has a lower carbon content compared to coal or oil. Natural gas also can help transition our energy mix to… Keep reading →
Natural gas use is growing throughout the world as new drilling techniques open up vast shale and other tight resources. The result is low-cost gas flooding the market. The environmental advantages of natural gas over other fossil fuels have put it in a favored position as emissions regulations continue to tighten around the world. But conventional… Keep reading →
How do you detect a colorless, odorless gas? It’s an important question especially when that invisible gas is as damaging as what comprises oil and gas pollution. We are talking about hazardous air pollutants (benzene), ozone precursors (volatile organic compounds), and greenhouse gases like methane– a gas that is more than 80 times more damaging than… Keep reading →
Following the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent decision to emphasize the use of biogas in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has come out with their own Biogas Opportunities Roadmap to promote biogas as a valuable form of renewable energy. The USDA is working together with the EPA, the Department… Keep reading →
A theory emerged to explain the appearance of a massive crater in Russia’s hydrocarbon-rich Yamal Peninsula that has climate-change observers extremely concerned. Analysts have long known that Russia’s energy future lies beneath the frozen ground of Yamal and independent producer Novatek is building a large LNG export project now with the help of French oil… Keep reading →
