The U.S’s gas boom is both a threat and an opportunity, the head of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), one of the world’s top petrochemical companies, told CNBC. Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Jordan, CEO Mohamed Al-Mady said the uptick in shale gas production in the U.S. would provide “more severe competition” for… Keep reading →
Waterless hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” technology has all the makings to disrupt and redefine the $30bln North American pressure pumping market. In recent weeks, I’ve spoken about the use of laser and even CO2 technologies that can be used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). I’m still very much intrigued by the advancement of energy without… Keep reading →
It’s been boom or bust for US East Coast refiners in recent years. While several plants shut down, others adapted their logistics to benefit from shifting supply and market dynamics. The shut downs increased surviving operators’ market share, while access to cheaper Midcontinent feedstock combined to strengthen margins and profitability in some cases. Sheer size… Keep reading →
Natural gas drilling is typically a diesel-intensive process, but Cabot Oil & Gas just announced the latest in a series of innovations designed to utilize more equity natural gas production in Cabot’s own operations. The company is now using a field gas/diesel mixture to hydraulically fracture Marcellus Shale wells in Pennsylvania. The process is touted… Keep reading →
Grassroots environmental groups are calling out the Environmental Defense Fund for tacking too closely to natural gas industry views on the hydraulic fracturing issue. “More than 60 leading grassroots and national organizations focused on citizen and environmental issues will send a message Wednesday to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) disapproving of the group’s willingness to… Keep reading →
He wants to move efficiency “way, way up” on the Energy Department’s priorities. Stephen Lacey: May 21, 2013 Only three hours after getting sworn in as energy secretary, Dr. Ernest Moniz went to the Washington convention center this afternoon to deliver his first speech in office. Secretary Moniz spoke to a crowd at the Energy… Keep reading →
It’s not often you hear a former major oil company executive speak despairingly about oil and gasoline, but that’s exactly what John Hofmeister has been doing with his time since leaving Shell. He is not anti-fossil fuels, however, and sees great promise for natural gas as an oil substitute in the transportation sector. Hofmeister has… Keep reading →
North America has the equivalent of a new lease on life with regard to energy, as decades of declining oil & gas production drastically reversed course in the past 5 years, and petroleum liquids consumption is dropping after a long growth spurt. This has led the US to import fewer barrels of oil from overseas… Keep reading →
Physicist and MIT Researcher Ernest Moniz was officially confirmed as the next US Energy Secretary, replacing Stephen Chu, yesterday. The Senate voted 97-0 in favor. Moniz served as energy undersecretary under the Clinton Administration. Various groups and organizations from private business to the environmental community made statements supporting Moniz’s confirmation. They highlighted his work and… Keep reading →
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke bluntly about the rationale for approving the Keystone XL pipeline during a visit to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York yesterday. Canadian energy exports are critically important to the country’s economy, which has suffered in recent years from a lack of market access for its crude oil.… Keep reading →
