A regional approach to siting drilling infrastructure in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale is needed to help minimize development in core forest and productive agricultural lands and to decrease potential risk to waterways, according to researchers at Pennsylvania State University. A study conducted by the university’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that shale gas development is causing rapid landscape change. “The development of new roads to support drilling could affect forest ecosystem integrity via increased fragmentation,” said Patrick Drohan, assistant professor of pedology. Drohan estimated that slightly more than half of the well pads in Pennsylvania are on agricultural land and most of the rest are on forestland. The study found that drilling is competing with food production for space on the landscape.
Space
Articles from Space
Former FERC Commissioner Says Shale Turned Energy Upside Down
In the space of six years, shale gas development has turned the U.S. energy world upside down, driving natural gas prices well below the $15/Mcf levels they reached following Gulf of Mexico hurricanes in 2005, former FERC Commissioner Marc Spitzer said Wednesday in a webcast interview on the industry program “OnPoint.”
North America Lifts Oilfield Specialty Chemicals Market
Driven mostly by North America, the world market for oilfield specialty chemicals climbed to almost $16 billion in 2010, with the United States and Canada accounting for more than half (52%), according to a global market study by IHS Chemical.
Solar Firm’s Troubles Cast Shadow on Energy Stimulus
A big question mark hangs over global alternative energy markets and U.S. federal stimulus funding in the clean tech space in the wake of Wednesday’s announcement by California-based Solyndra LLC that it was shutting its solar manufacturing operations at a Fremont, CA, plant and seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Some EXCO Production Shut In Following Plant Incident
As of Monday 10-20 MMcf/d of EXCO Resources Inc. net production remained shut in pending space availability on alternate pipeline routes or resumption of treating operations at TGGT Holdings LLC plants following a May 28 incident that prompted the shutdown of the two plants, the company said.
Sempra Ties Future to More Gas, Less Price Differences
Having exited the global trading space and facing merchant power markets that are problematic, San Diego-based Sempra Energy will be placing renewed emphasis on its varied natural gas investments along with its California and foreign utilities. That was the essence of presentations at the energy holding company’s financial analysts’ meeting last Wednesday in New York City.
People
Joseph Martens has been confirmed as commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Martens, a former president of the Open Space Institute, has been acting commissioner of the DEC since his appointment on Jan. 4 by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He was unanimously confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate. The DEC is working to meet a July 1 deadline to prepare a supplemental generic environmental impact statement on hydraulic fracturing (see NGI, Dec. 20, 2010; July 28, 2008). Martens replaces Alexander “Pete” Grannis as DEC commissioner. Grannis was fired by Paterson last October for allegedly leaking internal memos to the media that were critical of staff cuts — cuts that Grannis argued would impede DEC’s effectiveness in overseeing gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale (see NGI, Nov. 29, 2010).
Martens Confirmed as New York DEC Commissioner
Joseph Martens was confirmed as commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on Tuesday.
EPA: Barnett Wells Contaminated Drinking Water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an emergency order against Range Resources Corp. that claims at least two drinking water wells in Parker County, TX, “have been significantly impacted by…methane contamination” from its oil and gas production facilities in the region.
Alternative Fuel Truck Center Opens in California
With strong incentives from both the public and private sectors, California stakeholders in the alternative transportation fuel space opened a new research center on Tuesday aimed at cutting fuel consumption in the trucking industry by 50% in the next 10 years. Funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC) is supporting the new center.
