Success

The shift to more complex, unconventional drilling — launched by the success in the Barnett Shale — has doubled since 2000 and led to technological changes across the oil services sector, Raymond James & Associates Inc. energy analysts said last week.

The shift to more complex, unconventional drilling — launched by the success in the Barnett Shale — has doubled since 2000 and led to technological changes across the oil services sector, Raymond James & Associates Inc. energy analysts said Monday.

The commercial success of natural gas shale plays in the United States has producers large and small eyeing the potential of gas shale that covers the northeastern corner of British Columbia, which is estimated to hold 250-1,000 Tcf of gas in place.

The commercial success of natural gas shale plays in the United States has producers large and small eyeing the potential of gas shale that covers the northeastern corner of British Columbia, which may hold 250-1,000 Tcf of gas in place.

The profitability of merchant power generators is largely linked to natural gas prices and industrial gas demand destruction as well, as domestic exploration and production success could yield long-term benefits for the sector, according to Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P).

The profitability of merchant power generators is largely linked to natural gas prices and industrial gas demand destruction as well, as domestic exploration and production success could yield long-term benefits for the sector, according to Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P).

Starting December off with a bang, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced Tuesday that Western Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 204 was a success with accepted high bids valued at more than $287 million. On Monday, the government agency also released fiscal year 2007 (FY2007) revenue collection and disbursement amounts.

Success usually comes at a cost, as West Virginia’s natural gas producers are finding.

Citing the success of liquefied natural gas (LNG) within California markets, Earth Biofuels Inc. subsidiary Applied LNG Technologies (ALT) said it has renewed a three-year LNG supply agreement with the Redlands, CA. The City of Redlands utilizes LNG as transportation fuel for its municipal fleet vehicles, and has built an LNG and compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling station for public use within its city limits. “This renewal exemplifies our recent successes in growing our profitable LNG business, especially in the California markets,” stated Earth Biofuels CEO Dennis McLaughlin. “We are now in the process of expanding our product availability to make LNG available in major cities outside of California.” Earth Biofuels noted that LNG meets California’s strict emission standards and is now more readily available for use by commercial vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, utility companies, fleets, light-duty trucks and consumer CNG vehicles. Vehicles fueled by the transportation grade LNG produce approximately one-sixth of the nitrous oxides (NOx) and up to 15% less greenhouse gases than comparable petroleum diesel fueled vehicles. Through California’s South Coast Air District and Air Quality Management grants, the City of Redlands will operate 20 of its 32 municipal vehicles on LNG/CNG fuels by its fiscal year end.