The California Energy Commission (CEC) awarded nearly $1 million recently for a research project on the conversion of biosolids to energy. The $999,924 from CEC’s Public Interest Energy Research program was awarded to Antioch, CA-based Delta Diablo Sanitation District to develop, demonstrate and implement a system for turning biosolids into energy. The project’s total cost is $4.7 million, with the rest of the funding coming from Intellergy Corp. in Richmond, CA. Biosolids are the treated byproducts produced by wastewater treatment facilities when organics are removed from municipal sewage. Biosolids contain latent energy that potentially can be harnessed in several ways, one of which is to heat the material, breaking it down into gases that are converted to energy. In the Delta Diablo facility, steam and carbon dioxide will be added to produce a hydrogen-rich synthetic gas that will be used to run a fuel cell to produce electricity.
Interest
Articles from Interest
Anadarko Buying BP’s Wattenberg Processing Plant
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is buying BP America Production Co.’s 93% interest in the Wattenberg Processing Plant for $575.5 million.
Range Resources Taking Bite Out of Marcellus Layer Cake
Some producers wouldn’t have sold their Barnett Shale assets and instead would have flat-lined activities there while they headed for the greener pastures of the Appalachian Basin’s Marcellus Shale, Range Resources Corp. CEO John Pinkerton conceded. But Range wanted to straighten its balance sheet and go at the Marcellus full bore, which its recent Barnett asset sale sets it up to do.
Haynesville Area Leading Louisiana Production Climb
Natural gas production in Louisiana last year hit a level not seen since 1980, according to state records. In 2010 the state produced nearly 2.06 Tcf, which is nudging up against the 2.67 Tcf produced 21 years ago.
Industry Briefs
The partners behind Kitimat LNG plan to acquire the 50% interest in Pacific Trail Pipelines LP they don’t already own from Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) for $50 million. The deal is intended to support export of gas from the Horn River Basin and other Western Canada plays as liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asian markets. Apache Canada Ltd. and EOG Resources Canada Inc. said they will pay PNG $30 million on closing, which is expected by the end of February, and make a second payment of $20 million when the partners decide to proceed with construction of the Kitimat LNG export facility at Bish Cove, BC (see NGI, Jan. 3).
Kitimat Backers Boosting Pipeline Stake
The partners behind Kitimat LNG plan to acquire the 50% interest in Pacific Trail Pipelines LP they don’t already own from Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) for $50 million. The deal is intended to support export of gas from the Horn River Basin and other Western Canada plays as liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asian markets.
Gas Prices Holding Down Consol’s Marcellus Build-Up
Consol Energy Inc. has reduced a planned build-up of its horizontal rig fleet in the Marcellus Shale due to low natural gas prices, the Appalachian Basin player said Thursday.
Eagle Ford Midstream JV Adding Infrastructure
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP and Copano Energy LLC plan to expand their Eagle Ford Gathering LLC joint venture (JV). Interest in the JV has grown along with enthusiasm for the liquids-rich Eagle Ford Shale.
Is it Prime Time for GTL Conversion in the Shale Patch?
High oil prices have lifted producer interest in liquids-rich natural gas plays; they’ve also pulled up the economic attractiveness of converting gas to liquid fuels and other products.
Plains Exploration Agrees to Retire Leases in Wyoming Range
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal Wednesday said he was encouraged by the deal that Plains Exploration & Production (PXP) reached with two interest groups to retire nearly half of the independent producer’s gas drilling lease acreage in the Wyoming Range.
