Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on January 20, 2014 at 4:17

IMO conflating fracing with a European rejection of environmental concerns and regulations is a bogus premise employed to write a controversial article.  Junk science, or should I say factual untruths since there is no scientific evidence whatsoever, to support political positions.  Accepting fracing is by no means an abdication of environmental concerns in Europe or anywhere else.

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Permalink Reply by Paul M. Hernenko on January 20, 2014 at 4:32

The point is there is now debate and acceptance where it once was unheard of. The whole German priority of bankrolling solar panels and wind turbines is increasingly questioned. The big complaint of methane release and fracing will be proven just as weak and it is by no means a cause to be defensive, it is an opportunity. Fracing is gaining ground and its obstacles are not insurmountable. The article is used to show the change, not to endorse conflation. Calm down.  

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on January 20, 2014 at 4:53

Paul, linking fracing with an abandonment of environmental concerns is conflating two unrelated subjects.  It is a fortunate turn of events if Europe in general and Germany in particular is considering acceptance of modern E&P techniques including fracing.  They have a compelling need to do so.  And tight hydrocarbons have a place in energy policy along with solar and wind.  If I missed the point, my apology.  I'm just not sure the point was made very well.

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Permalink Reply by 1kw6x71km1v37 on January 20, 2014 at 7:45

Germany has all but shut down all it's nuclear power plants. ENI has pulled out of shale development in Poland, long considered to a European sweet spot for hydrocarbons. Who in their right mind wants to see drilling in the French countryside or the Italian Alps? A large part of Japan may be completely uninhabitable and the fish inedible by the time TEPCO gets the Fukashima mess cleaned up. A Scandinavian energy company makes plans to liquify natural gas here and ship it home for regassification to feed it's crackers. Things are looking in Europe for natural gas and wood pellets, and consequently here in the U.S.

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Permalink Reply by tony allen on January 20, 2014 at 8:26

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/01/17/usa-lng-europe-idUKL2N0KR0...

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Permalink Reply by tc on January 20, 2014 at 11:42

I think one of main issues that fracing will face outside of the U.S. is above ground issues.  Fracing requires a lot of fresh water and a method of disposal.  Many parts of the world are not bless with abundant fresh water, especially compared to there population, nor do they have modern water treatment plants to clean the water after fracing.  I wonder what the state of fracing in the U.S, would be if the heart of shale was located in S. California with their current drought condition.  Another issue is population density.  Germany has 594 people per sq. mile compared to 88 people per sq. mile in Louisiana.  It becomes a lot harder to find drilling locations.

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Permalink Reply by Hopeful About Natural Gas on January 20, 2014 at 19:59

We hear a lot of this extremist ALL OR NOTHING advocacy. I wish more rational people could work in the "muddy middle" because that's where we could make real progress on both climate change and national security.

Both Skip and I are over 60 and clearly recall when the OPEC oil embargo came and we had long lines and several people shot at gas stations. I've wanted to see the US independent of OPEC since then and only shale gas has really had the "power" to do it. Shale gas is found all over the world and I know that there are creative engineers working on the problems of methane and water right now. These will be overcome because the need for the energy is so big - especially in Asia with their growing population.

But, I have also wanted to see renewables developed and we should have kept up the R&D back in the 80's but it went away for almost 30 years. I still want to see wind, solar, biomass and anything else that would work.

yeah, I am still "hopeful about natural gas" - mostly because of the researchers working on it. Love it or hate it, natural gas is still the only energy source at hand that will replace dirty coal in an industrialized nation. A lot of creative people are working in shale gas research.

HANG

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