Consulting

The Monterey Shale’s oil reserves could offer California a way out of any economic shortfall, according to Navigant Consulting’s energy director.

Despite producing less wastewater per unit of natural gas produced compared with conventional wells, the enormity of the Marcellus Shale’s growth has increased total wastewater generated in the region by about 570% since 2004, “overwhelming current wastewater disposal infrastructure capacity,” according to a study by researchers at Duke and Kent State universities.

A consulting firm’s global market review makes a case for a Canadian open door policy, allowing foreign firms to have an equity share in developing Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects and the resources that supply them.

Nearly half the liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling stations for natural gas vehicles (NGV) now being developed are in the United States, according to a recent report by Navigant Consulting’s Pike Research unit. Globally there are 117 LNG stations, while compressed natural gas (CNG) stations number more than 20,000.

A consulting firm’s global market review makes a case for a Canadian open door policy, allowing foreign firms to have an equity share in developing Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects and the resources that supply them.

U.S. pressure pumping capacity in natural gas plays is expected to plummet by 22%, or 1.1 million hydraulic hp (hhp), between 3Q2011 and 4Q2012, according to an analysis by PacWest Consulting Partners. In oil and liquids plays over the same period capacity is forecast to jump by 52%, or 3 million hhp.

U.S. pressure pumping capacity in natural gas plays is expected to plummet by 22%, or 1.1 million hydraulic hp (hhp), between 3Q2011 and 4Q2012, according to a new analysis by PacWest Consulting Partners. In oil and liquids plays over the same period capacity is forecast to jump by 52%, or 3 million hhp.

E. Russell (Rusty) Braziel, a 30-year energy industry veteran, has left Bentek Energy to launch an energy industry networking and consulting business based in Houston. RBN Energy, which stands for Rusty Braziel’s Network, looks to gather people with complementary skills and needs within the industry to take advantage of advances in social networks that have been advanced by Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and others, but with the added advantage of being a managed platform that continuously monitors the latest developments in energy markets, and uses that information to “get the right people” together. “Energy markets are big, complicated and can be daunting,” Braziel noted on RBN’s website www.rbnenergy.com. “Today these markets are going through some of the biggest changes in decades. Shale and tight sands technologies first hit the natural gas business, resulting in huge supply surpluses over the past three years. As we enter 2012, natural gas liquids and crude oil markets are experiencing the same phenomenon.” Braziel joined Bentek in 2005 as vice president of sales and marketing and was one of the company’s owners until its acquisition by Platts in January 2011. Braziel spent 20 years with Chevron Corp. predecessor company Texaco as vice president of natural gas marketing and trading and manager of natural gas liquids supply. Subsequently he was vice president of business development for Williams. Braziel also founded Altra Energy Technologies, a developer of energy transaction management software and electronic trading systems, including the Chalkboard Trading System (now IntercontinentalExchange).

Without consulting state regulatory officials, a county in Colorado recently imposed a four-month moratorium on oil and gas drilling permits to allow time to establish local land-use and other regulations. The move prompted criticism from the director at the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (OGCC).