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National Grid Mulls LNG, but Not for Export

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Electricity and gas provider National Grid is mulling construction of liquefaction facilities in New England to help meet supply requirements on peak demand days.

National Grid sources the bulk of its natural gas supplies for its New England-based customers from the two major pipelines serving the area – Tennessee and Algonquin. “Both of those pipelines are at or near capacity,” said Director of Gas Contracting and Compliance John Allocca at the Advanced Energy Conference in New York on Tuesday. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 30, 2013 at 1:48 PM

Daniel Yergin’s Three Big Energy Questions

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At last week’s launch of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, author and energy analyst Daniel Yergin talked about what he sees as today’s three big energy questions. Dr. Yergin recently released a new book entitled “The Quest,” which follows up on his Pulitzer-winning history of the global oil industry, “The Prize.”

1) Is there enough energy? Will we run out? A few years ago peak oil was a common topic and dark days were seemingly ahead – demand was concentrated in OECD countries and ROW (rest of world) was just the tail until about 2004 when demand in emerging markets exploded, said Yergin. But every time it seems we are running out of oil, he went on to say, technology helps find and develop more, like we have now with shale and tight oil & gas. However, while concerns about peak oil may not be as urgent as they seemed a few years ago, new challenges have arisen, and “it’s still sobering to look at these energy challenges,” he said. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 29, 2013 at 3:45 PM

US GTL Holds Little Allure for Chevron

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Some companies see gas-to-liquids (GTL) as a promising means of converting the US’ massive gas resources into vehicle fuel, but Chevron has little interest in GTL projects in the US.

Chevron is a large player in GTL. The company is a partner in the Escravos GTL plant in Nigeria, which will convert 325 million cubic feet of natural gas per day into 33,000 barrels of liquids, mostly synthetic diesel, and is scheduled to come onstream later this year. Commissioning is underway, but “it’s a complex plant and the commissioning activity will really go on for the bulk of this year,” said Chief Financial Office Pat Yarrington during the company’s first-quarter 2013 earnings call on Friday. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 29, 2013 at 2:00 PM

$2.9B in Smart Grid Investment Yields $6.8B in Economic Output, DOE Says

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Judging from a DOE analysis of smart grid projects, spending on Smart Grid Investment Grants and Smart Grid Demonstration Programs is more than paying off. As of March 2012, the $2.9 billion spent on projects has yielded a total economic output of $6.8 billion.

Also, the analysis indicated that high tech, industrial and service businesses usually involved in smart grid projects record higher than average labor income and boost job numbers in the economy through “indirect and induced mechanisms.” Keep reading →

 /  Published April 29, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Range’s Condensate Advantage: Location, Location, Location

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Range Resources’ position in the Marcellus, and the market access it offers, gives the a leg up over condensate producers in other parts of the country, according to the company’s Senior Vice-President Rodney Waller.

Range holds a million acres in the Pennsylvania portion of the Marcellus shale some in dry gas areas, and some in wet gas or “super rich,” where the production stream yields liquids, such as condensate and NGLs. Range Chief Executive Jeff Ventura noted earlier this year that in 2012, the company’s Marcellus wet gas acreage was producing 49% liquids, compared to 57% in the super rich area. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 29, 2013 at 11:00 AM

The United States is Losing the Race for Fusion Power

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America’s debate on energy policy is consumed by partisanship and short-term thinking. Whether the debate today focuses on tax credits for specific technologies or removing regulatory hurdles to allow for more energy production, policymakers are failing to plan for the long haul. Instead we should ask: what do we want our energy mix to look like in 10, 20, or 30 years? How do we address climate change, ensure energy reliability, and create high-tech industries for the next generation?

Existing energy technologies will play a part. However, the world also needs transformational change in the energy industry. Fusion energy holds this potential. By fusing together two hydrogen atoms, enormous quantities of energy can be produced. When successfully commercialized, it will be a near-optimal source of power – clean, safe, secure, and virtually inexhaustible. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 29, 2013 at 8:30 AM

Video: Findings of Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Study

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Today is the 27th anniversary of the infamous Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown that occurred in the former Soviet republic Ukraine and humanitarian organization Green Cross International recently released the results of a study on the terrible accident’s long-term psychosocial consequences.

With any massive radiation release cancer is always a concern, but there are many other ways an event such as Chernobyl can affect local populations and the study has found roughly 10 million people suffer from permanent mental stress disorder, post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety and stigma. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 26, 2013 at 3:30 PM

ConocoPhillips Sees Modest Short-term Output Gains in Post-tax Reform Alaska

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Tax reform in Alaska promises to attract more oil and gas investment, but even for an established player in the state such as ConocoPhillips, getting substantial new production onstream.

Alaska’s state legislature approved oil tax legislation reform earlier this month designed to establish a more attractive investment climate for oil and gas producers. Companies such as ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and BP have been calling for changes to Alaska’s fiscal system for years, arguing that it deters investment in the state’s substantial resources. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 26, 2013 at 2:30 PM

China to Remain ‘Free Rider’ on US-led Oil Shipping Lane Security

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Global oil supply dynamics have been shifting in recent years, as consumption levels off in developed western economies and demand surges in rapidly developing Asian nations. At the same time, North American unconventional resource development has accelerated this supply transition to the “east of Suez” market, making the US less dependent on Middle East imports and thus softening the need to police the oil shipping lanes extending from the Persian Gulf. So what is China’s role in this shifting global oil supply/demand picture?

David Schenker, the Aufzien fellow and director of the Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute – a think tank – recently traveled to China and found some interesting answers to this question that he summarizes in a piece appearing in today’s Los Angeles Times. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 26, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Leviathan on Hold Pending Israeli Export Policy

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Appraisal drilling at the massive Leviathan gas field offshore Israel has led to an increase in its estimated resources, but development remains on hold until the country’s government grants approval for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.

The Noble Energy-led consortium developing Leviathan has boosted estimated gross mean resource by a trillion cubic feet (tcf). “We finished an appraisal well in the first quarter at Leviathan, which increased our gross mean resource estimate at the field to 18 tcf,” said Noble Energy Chief Executive Chuck Davidson during the company’s first-quarter earnings call on Thursday. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 26, 2013 at 8:30 AM
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