Transformational

Booming shale plays in the United States have proved to be more than transformational domestically, according to Jeff Welch, head of North American Gas for EDF Trading North America — they are having “mind-boggling” implications worldwide.

The United States has experienced a “transformational shift in the perceived role of natural gas,” as an energy source that 10 years ago was perceived by some as unreliable and scarce, to one that now is recognized as an “essential component of a clean and secure energy portfolio,” providing an opportunity to satisfy new demand at “affordable” prices into the future, the American Gas Association (AGA) said last week.

The United States has experienced a “transformational shift in the perceived role of natural gas,” as an energy source that 10 years ago was perceived by some as unreliable and scarce, to one that now is recognized as an “essential component of a clean and secure energy portfolio,” providing an opportunity to satisfy new demand at “affordable” prices into the future, the American Gas Association (AGA) said Wednesday.

The energy security risks of the United States worsened significantly in 2010, but shale gas has the potential to improve the security of natural gas supplies and lower energy costs, according to the second edition of an annual report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy.

Unconventional natural gas — most notably that found in shale rock — is transforming the gas industry. It will be transformational for major international oil companies, too. But that won’t happen right away, according to an analysis by consultant Wood Mackenzie.

Unconventional natural gas — most notably that found in shale rock — is transforming the gas industry. It will be transformational for major international oil companies, too. But that won’t happen right away, according to an analysis by consultant Wood Mackenzie.

The administration of Pennsylvania Gov.-elect Tom Corbett, who is scheduled to be inaugurated in Harrisburg Jan. 18, should be a breath of fresh air for the natural gas industry, which saw outgoing Gov. Ed Rendell’s administration put state forest land off limits to drillers and push for a significant severance tax of 5% on drilling, according to Marcellus Shale Coalition President Kathryn Klaber.