Guardian: “Cuadrilla, the only shale fracking company operating in the UK, has been slapped down by the advertising watchdog for claiming that it uses “proven, safe technologies”. Read more
Solarcentury
The company I founded in 1998 to design and supply solar energy solutions for the built environment. Solarcentury
Solar Aid
The charity I founded in 2006, with a 5% contribution of Solarcentury profits, to help deliver solar lighting to Africa. Solar Aid
UK shale gas drillers confirm they will flare methane.
Guardian: “The two companies exploring for shale gas in the UK have confirmed that they intend to flare methane gas from their wells in a move that has been condemned by environmentalists.” Read more
Scant evidence that US gas will stop growing oil demand: FT Alphaville.
Kate MacKenzie in the FT: “We’ve been reading a lot lately about the potential for cheap natural gas to replace oil-derived transport fuels in the US — and perhaps globally. Much of this excitement overlooks some fundamentals of energy and commodities in general and the US natural gas sector in particular.” Read more
BGS told by Treasury to redo disappointing report on shale resources.
April 28, 2013 Gas
FT: “George Osborne had wanted to herald in the budget the dramatic findings of a British Geological Survey report – that the extent of shale gas reserves in the UK has been vastly underestimated – as part of a sweeping pro-shale announcement, according to Whitehall sources.” Read more
Caudrilla censured by ASA over fracking claims.
April 24, 2013 Gas
UK government’s climate advisors say gas dash blocks renewables.
April 24, 2013 Clean Energy, Gas
Guardian: The Committee on Climate Change “sounded caution on the prospects for widespread development of shale in the UK. It said that relying heavily on gas would scupper the UK’s chances of meeting emissions targets in the longer term, and prevent needed investments in low-carbon technologies.” Read more
Shell admits shale exploitation will be much slower outside the US.
FT: “The development of shale oil and gas reserves around the world will generally be much slower than in North America, a senior executive at Royal Dutch Shell has warned.” Read more
In Google searches, fracking leaps, and peak oil plunges.
WSJ: “Has peak oil peaked? Judging from the number of Google searches, it looks that way. On the other hand, the history of Google searches for terms related to hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is on an upswing.” Read more
Utica Shale disappoints as a tight oil prospect.
Bloomberg: “U.S. drillers that set up rigs amid the rolling farmland of eastern Ohio on projections underground shale held $500 billion of oil are packing up.” Read more
PGC hikes US gas resource estimate by >25%.
April 9, 2013 Gas
FT: “The report of the Potential Gas Committee found that the US has technically recoverable natural gas potential of 2,384tn cubic feet – the highest evaluation in the group’s 48-year history, and double the level 10 years ago.” Read more
Analysts question sustainability of US shale gas in Salon interviews.
Brad Jackson in Salon: “….But what if cheap, domestic natural gas isn’t actually sustainable? What if rosy claims of fracking our way to energy independence is just an industry pitch that Washington has bought?” Read more
Citi predicts end of oil demand growth this decade.
Seth Kleinman, head of the Global Energy Strategy at Citi, in the FT: “….the consensus is wrong. This is due to the substitution of natural gas – often obtained through the hydraulic fracturing of shale rock, or fracking – for oil, and fuel-efficiency mandates in many key countries. The prospect of oil demand hitting a plateau this decade is much more feasible than the market seems to think.” Read more
Centrica deal: 1.8m UK homes to be heated by US shale gas within 5 years.
Guardian: “The US government has kept a tight rein on exports since the shale gas boom started more than five years ago. But the deal struck by energy company Centrica marks the start of a new era in gas use in the UK, because it opens up the market to cheap supplies from the US, as North Sea gas fields run out and pipelines to Europe remain expensive.” Read more
Shell and Chevron team up with environment group to promote shale.
March 20, 2013 Gas
FT: “Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and Consol Energy have formed a new alliance with groups including Environmental Defense Fund and the Clean Air Task Force to set performance standards for shale gas production, in a bid to address public concerns about the controversial practice.” Read more
Osborne announces subsidies for shale gas in UK budget.
March 20, 2013 Gas
Guardian: “George Osborne has brushed aside concerns over shale gas by committing to an exploration drive in the UK with generous tax breaks for fracking companies and promises to hand financial incentives to local communities. Read more
Minister echoes Cuadrilla: fracking communities should get “incentives”.
March 18, 2013 Gas
Guardian: “Communities near shale gas fracking sites should be given handouts to accept drilling in their area, a government minister has said.” Read more
Use gas, including fracked gas, to replace coal: Grantham Institute.
Guardian: “The UK should use natural gas, including from “fracking”, to help cut carbon by replacing coal for power supplies over the next few years, a report has suggested.” Read more
Lord Browne: we will invest “whatever it takes” in the dash for gas.
March 12, 2013 Gas
Guardian: “Lord Browne ….has vowed to defy environmentalists to invest “whatever it takes” – potentially running to billions of pounds – in the controversial UK “dash for gas”.” Read more
Peak oil: gone for now but celebrations will be short lived”: oilprice.com.
February 28, 2013 Oil
Tom Whipple: “Given the increase in the amount of oil that China and India are importing, it looks as if there will be no oil available for other countries to import in another decade, experts warn.” Read more
Shale gas lobbyist urges UK companies to disclose use of all chemicals.
February 28, 2013 Gas
Guardian: “A revamped lobby group for the British shale gas industry has responded to concerns over controversial drilling techniques by drawing up a set of guidelines encouraging companies to disclose all the chemicals they use in the fracking of wells.” Read more
US shale gas boom will last for decades, says report co-led by BP advisor.
February 27, 2013 Gas
The myth of “Saudi America”: geologists speak out at the AGU.
Raymond Pierrehumbert, Professor of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago, on www.slate.com: On the reaction to the notion of Saudi America at the the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Read more
US shale gas boom is sparking an EU coal revival and hiking emissions.
FT: “There was a sharp increase in the level of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming emitted by the European Union’s coal-fired power stations in 2012, analysts say, as plant owners rushed to take advantage of high profits ahead of looming environmental restrictions.” Read more
Is the US natural gas market in the process of being destroyed?
February 1, 2013 Gas
Dan Dicker on Oilprice.com: “Aubrey McClendon is gone – or at least he’s on his way out from Chesapeake energy. But the destruction of the natural gas market, where he was the ringleader in the shale gas land grab and cratering well price, is his real legacy, and not likely to be recovered from anytime soon. While Aubrey will now go into a very wealthy retirement, he leaves behind a decimated market and a long road to making natural gas a true transition fuel to energy independence and a renewable future.” Read more