Shale-rich Oklahoma still facing seismic test

Shale-rich Oklahoma recorded a minor tremor early Wednesday, highlighting state struggles to address geological concerns in its energy sector.

Largest fracking-related quake: Earthquake in Northern B.C. caused by fracking, says regulator

British Columbia's energy regulator has confirmed that a 4.6 magnitude earthquake in northeast B.C. in August of this year was caused by a nearby fracking operation.

Ukraine aims for achieving self-sufficiency in energy by 2025

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said Friday that his country is determined to achieve energy independence by 2025.

Το Bloomberg Παραδέχεται Ευθέως πως «η Ρωσία Είχε Δίκιο: το Ευρωπαϊκό Αέριο Σχιστών Αποδείχθηκε Αποτυχία»!

Με αφοπλιστική ειλικρίνεια το αμερικανικό ειδησεογραφικό πρακτορείο Bloomberg σε πρόσφατο άρθρο του παραδέχεται πως η πολυδιαφημισμένη – από Ε.Ε. και ΗΠΑ - προσπάθεια να αναδειχθούν τα αποθέματα αερίου σχιστών (shale gas) της Γηραιάς Ηπείρου σε εναλλακτική πηγή ενέργειας σε σχέση με τις εισαγωγές αερίου από τη Ρωσία ήταν ανεπιτυχής.

Η Total Σταματά Εξόρυξη για Αέριο Σχιστών Κοντά στην Κοπεγχάγη

Η γαλλική πετρελαϊκή Total παραιτήθηκε από την άδεια για άντληση αερίου σχιστών ( shale gas) στην χερσόνησο της Ζηλανδίας στη Βόρεια Δανία, κοντά στην πρωτεύουσα της χώρας Κοπεγχάγη. Ο λόγος της παραίτησης είναι τα αποθαρρυντικά αποτελέσματα των πρώτων ερευνών.

European Commission Rules Out EU Shale Gas Boom

Speaking at the opening session of the EU Energy Security Conference, Sefcovic cited Europe’s geological conditions, population density and public environmental concerns as the main obstacles preventing widespread shale gas exploration.

China renews subsidies for shale gas exploration

China will renew subsidies on shale gas exploration as part of efforts to optimize the country's energy structure.

ΗΠΑ: Το Φθηνό Φυσικό Αέριο Εκτοπίζει τα Πυρηνικά από την Παραγωγή Ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας

Η πυρηνική ενέργεια φαίνεται ότι είναι ένα -ακόμα- από τα «θύματα» της επανάστασης του shale gas στις ΗΠΑ, καθώς το κόστος της παραγωγής ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας από φυσικό αέριο είναι πλέον τόσο χαμηλό που απειλεί ευθέως την οικονομική βιωσιμότητα των πυρηνικών μονάδων.

Environmental Watchdog Finds Oil, Gas Companies Using Cancer-Causing Chemicals

WASHINGTON, October 23  - Oil and gas companies are exploiting federal loopholes to frack with cancer-causing petroleum-based products, a report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) said.

"Despite a federal ban on the use of diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing without a permit, several oil and gas companies are exploiting a Safe Drinking Water Act loophole, pushed through by Halliburton to frack with petroleum-based products, containing even more dangerous toxic chemicals than diesel," a statement published on the watchdog's website Wednesday said.

Fracking: China's 2015 shale gas output to hit 6.5 bln cubic meters

BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's shale gas output will likely hit 6.5 billion cubic meters next year, up from an estimated output between 1 billion and 1.5 billion cubic meters this year, vice director of the National Energy Administration Zhang Yuqing predicted.

Shale gas production in recent years has seen leapfrog development since the country started to survey and explore the energy source in 2009, Zhang said at a workshop held in Beijing on Friday.

Ukraine’s Naftogaz calls for new gas transit deal with Russia

BERLIN, September 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine cannot guarantee reliable Russian gas transit supplies through the country, Ukrainian state-run oil and gas holding Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev said in an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt on Monday.
“We urgently need a new transit treaty, otherwise, we cannot guarantee non-stop (Russian gas) transit through Ukraine,” he said.
Ukraine needs transit contracts which would be concluded between Naftogaz’s subsidiary Ukrtransgaz, Russian energy giant Gazprom and Eustream, operator of the gas transmission system which would represent European interests.

Kiev fights in Ukraine’s southeast for shale gas deposits to be controlled by US (Aleksey Pushkov)

The control over Ukraine’s southeast is important for Kiev first of all because of the shale gas deposits, which Western countries should be developing, head of the State Duma’s international affairs committee Aleksey Pushkov said on Saturday....
“Kiev is fighting in Ukraine’s east for the gas reserves: Germany says the reserves make 5,578 billion cubic metres (bcm) [the U.S. reserves are 8,976 bcm]. Control will be from the U.S.,” he wrote on Twitter. The Yuzivska shale gas field is at the border between the Kharkov and Donetsk regions.

Les USA fourniront du gaz en France.

On apprend que le 17 juillet une filiale du groupe d'énergie « Cheniere » a signe avec EDF un contrat pour la livraison de gaz naturel liquéfié, 770 000 tonnes par an, et ce pour la durée de 20 ans.

Donc, la question se pose: en France, on ne permet pas l’extraction du gaz de schiste par la méthode de coups hydrauliques, mais, derrière, on signe un contrat avec les Etats-Unis qui ont proposé leurs services aux pays européens.

Comment peut-on alors considérer cette décision de la compagnie nationale énergétique française? Nous adressons cette question à Henry Hude, écrivain et philosophe.

Russia’s Europe-bound energy supplies should stay outside sanctions (Günther Oettinger)

Russian oil and gas supplies to Europe should not be subject to sanctions over Russia’s stance on Ukraine, European Union Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said on Wednesday.

The EU energy envoy said he had always spoken against imposing any sanctions on Russian gas and oil supplies. 

He said, however, that Russia depended on Western technologies for offshore hydrocarbon and shale gas extraction.

Seven earthquakes in the US state of Oklahoma over the weekend

Seven earthquakes took place within the last weekend in the central part of the US state of Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City. As reported by the US Geological Survey, the magnitude aftershocks ranged from 2.6 to 4.3.

Europe Considers Fracking to Cut Russian Gas Imports (That would be beneficial for both Europe and Russia)

WASHINGTON —The political crisis in Ukraine, including its dispute with Moscow over the flow of Russian natural gas, has forced many European nations to reconsider their reliance on Russia for energy. Some nations are looking at new options for extracting natural gas at home, including the controversial process of hydraulic fracking. Although much of Europe is dependent on Russian energy imports, the continent is believed to be sitting on 13 trillion cubic meters of shale gas, a significant reserve.

Jordan oks mega oil shale project

Jordan's cabinet on Sunday approved an agreement to build a mega oil shale power plant in the Kingdom, Jordan's energy minister Mohammad Hamed said.

"The agreement will be signed between the Jordanian government and an international Estonian-Malaysian consortium within two weeks, and it's the first of its kind in the region," the minister said.

Jordan has over 40 billion tons of oil shale in reserves and the 2.4-billion-US dollar power plant will produce electricity through direct oil shale burning, the minister said.

Ukraine eyes coal after Russian gas price hike.

Ukraine's Western-backed leaders scrambled on Friday to find new sources of energy after Russia hiked its gas price by 80 percent in response to the overthrow of Kiev's pro-Kremlin regime.
      
The crisis-hit nation saw the amount it must pay for 1,000 cubic metres of blue fuel soar to $485.50 from $268.50 after Russia imposed two price increases in three days that reflected its deep displeasure with the ex-Soviet nation's new westward course.
      
Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan called Russia's new price "political" and vowed to explore solutions that included a heavier reliance on coal -- a polluting source of energy whose consumption has imperilled the air quality of nations such as China.

EU unable to quit Russian gas import in near term. - CEO of Italian oil and gas company

The European Union is too dependent on natural gas imports from Russia to abandon them over the near term, chief executive of the Italian Eni energy group Paolo Scaroni said in an interview released in Financial Times on Monday.

Europe now depends on Russian gas, but if the EU and Russia achieve no compromise over Ukraine and Crimea, the EU will make giant efforts to diversify its energy sources, including shale gas production in the EU territory, more extensive liquefied gas imports and increased imports from Algeria, Libya and Norway, Scaroni believes.

Europe focuses on shale gas amid Ukraine crisis. -Exploration of S.G. in the EU as a tool to further diversify its energy supply

England, Poland, Romania and Ukraine were the first countries to start distributing licenses for the exploration and exploitation of shale gas.

 

By E. Gurkan Abay 
ANKARA 
EU countries have started distributing shale gas licenses to private companies, aiming to reduce the dependence on Russian natural gas, amid the crisis in Ukraine that sparked EU’s efforts to increase its energy security.
Europe will try to formulate ways to reduce its "concerning" level of dependency on Russian natural gas, at the EU March 20-21 summit in Brussels, according to draft summit documents. Local energy sources such as shale gas should be further exploited, the papers also state. England, Poland, Romania and Ukraine were the first countries to start distributing licenses for the exploration and exploitation of shale gas.