Speaking

With supplies pouring out of natural gas shale plays and the promise of more to come, end-users speaking at GasMart 2010 last week were less than eager to step up to long-term supply contracts. Some also wonder how much of the natural gas price is the result of speculation in the market.

Speaking with reporters Wednesday night in Houston, BP plc CEO Tony Hayward offered some candid comments about his company’s response to the unrelenting oil leak at the Macondo well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) (see Daily GPI, May 11).

With supplies pouring out of natural gas shale plays and the promise of more to come, end-users speaking at GasMart 2010 Wednesday were less than eager to step up to long-term supply contracts. Some also wonder how much of the natural gas price is the result of speculation in the market.

German and American government officials viewed as positive the House passage of a health care bill, speaking Monday in Berlin at the opening of the second German American Energy Conference. In keeping with the meeting’s theme of seeking expanded markets for renewables and energy efficiency, officials said they see signs of the health care logjam being freed as conducive to having new national U.S. energy legislation later this year.

German and American government officials viewed as positive the House passage of a health care bill, speaking Monday in Berlin at the opening of the second German American Energy Conference. In keeping with the meeting’s theme of seeking expanded markets for renewables and energy efficiency, officials said they see signs of the health care logjam being freed as conducive to having new national U.S. energy legislation later this year.

The United States has the opportunity to lead the world in a new industrial energy revolution, but it has to begin today, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said last week.

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal said a federal Endangered Species Act listing for the sage grouse would impact 83% of the gas production, 64% of the oil production and 80% of the coal production in his state. Speaking at a state wind energy symposium earlier this month, Freudenthal said he expected energy developers to prevent the economic harm he sees befalling Wyoming if the sage grouse is placed under the Act, according to a report on the symposium. Different viewpoints were expressed by other speakers at the symposium. Erik Molvar, director of the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, said the wind industry faces restrictions related to the sage grouse, but the gas, oil and coal industries do not. Aaron Clark, a rancher and energy advisor to the governor, said the sage grouse core areas negotiated between the state and fossil fuel industries would cause little disruption of those industries. Clark said protecting the grouse within core areas would impact only about 4% of the coal industry and 2% of natural gas lands.

A natural gas “renaissance” is under way, but the federal government appears not to have noticed, ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva said last week.

A “natural gas renaissance” is under way, but the federal government “appears not to have noticed,” ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva said Tuesday.