February 11, 2010
posted on: Feb 11, 2010
IPAMS Meetings and Announcements
The IPAMS 2010 Washington Call-Up is almost here!
March 1-3, 2010 (beginning at 4:00 pm on March 1st)
Space is filling up fast for IPAMS 10th Annual Washington, D.C. Call-Up.
The western natural gas and oil industry has answers for many of America’s most pressing economic, environmental and energy challenges. Unfortunately, not everyone in Congress is aware of the solutions our industry provides. Please consider joining the 50+ IPAMS members already committed to attending so you too can speak directly to the policymakers who are shaping the future of our industry. No matter what position you hold in your company, IPAMS can use you in Washington D.C.
This year’s trip will include meetings with over 100 Members of Congress and their staffs, the media and affiliate trade associations. We also have plenty of social events planned, including a joint reception for Congress with IPAA at the new Capitol Visitor’s Center. Click here for the 2010 Washington DC Call-Up draft agenda. (Please note that this year’s Call-Up will begin with a Board Meeting and Member Briefing at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 1, so please make your travel arrangements accordingly.)
IPAMS would like to thank the following companies for sponsoring this year’s Washington DC Call-Up:
Banko Petroleum
Mercator Energy, LLC
Mesa Energy Partners, LLC
If you would like to help sponsor the Call-Up, please contact Becca Ness.
Click here to register for IPAMS 10th Annual Washington, D.C. Call-Up March 1-3, 2010.
Already registered? Don’t forget about the pre-trip briefing… Due to the popularity of this trip, IPAMS has added a third Denver briefing prior to the Call-Up to ensure you are fully prepared to speak on behalf of industry. If you are registered to attend this year’s Call-Up, please plan on attending one of the following briefings: February 18th, February 22nd, or February 25th at 11:30 a.m. (lunch will be served). Please RSVP to Becca Ness and indicate which briefing you plan on attending.nd holds a BA in English and Philosophy.
IPAMS Vote From Home Program
As part of our Voter Education Initiative, IPAMS partnered with West Slope COGA during the 2008 election year and executed a successful “Vote from Home” pilot program in Mesa and Garfield Counties in Western Colorado. In these two counties alone, this voter drive program was able to register and request absentee ballots for over 1,000 industry employees. Because of the success of this program, IPAMS has decided to expand the program to include the entire state of Colorado for the 2010 elections. With critically important state and federal races to be decided next year, it is more crucial than ever that industry educate and empower the tens of thousands of Colorado workers who depend on a healthy energy industry for their livelihoods. We already have financial commitments from several Colorado producers, but we need more support in order to get working on the program as soon as possible. For more information, contact Jon Bargas.
IPAMS in the News
Oil and Gas Taxes in Federal Draft Budget Not Sitting Well with Western Energy Producers
published in: KUNC Radio on: 02/09/2010 by: Erin O’toole
Representatives from the oil and natural gas industry are critical of President Obama’s proposed budget for next year – saying the tax increases and fees he’s calling for on traditional energy producers will hurt Colorado’s economic recovery.
US Interior budget request contains cost increases
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 02/08/2010 by: Nick Snow
US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the nation’s oil and gas industry will remain an important contributor to resource management as he presented the Department of the Interior’s proposed fiscal 2011 budget on Feb. 1. He also said industry would have to pay more to produce those resources.
“The proposed inspection fees, nonproducing acreage fee, and royalty rate increases would be in addition to $36.5 billion of tax increases in the proposed federal budget which would reduce capital investment in domestic oil and gas by 30-50%,” said Marc W. Smith, IPAMS executive director.
“Every day, I hear concerns from our members about whether they will be able to continue developing energy in the West,” Smith said, adding, “I have to wonder if shutting down all energy production on public lands is the ultimate goal of this administration. They are forgetting that these are vital energy resources that belong to all Americans.”
Pattern of Delay Continues
published in: Energy Tomorrow on: 01/27/2010 by: Jane Van Ryan
Every credible projection of future U.S. energy demand through 2030 predicts that this nation will need more energy in the coming years, including more oil and natural gas. How is the administration addressing this need?
The Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS) says DOI is slowing investment in oil and natural projects by not providing clear guidance on the new regulations.
In a letter to Salazar, IPAMS wrote:
“The administration has repeatedly recognized the vital role of natural gas to increase energy security, enable renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How does intentionally delaying the development of American natural gas address the urgency of these administration goals?”
Other Upcoming Meetings
• IPAMS Washington DC Call-Up Briefings - February 18th, 22nd, and 25th, 11:30 a.m. If you are registered to attend this year’s Call-Up, please plan on attending one of the following briefings: February 18th, February 22nd, or February 25th at 11:30 a.m. (lunch will be served.) Please RSVP to Becca Ness and indicate which briefing you plan on attending.
• Annual Meeting Committee – February 17th, 9:00 a.m.
• Dept. of the Interior Advocacy – February 23rd, 1:30 p.m.
• Air Quality Committee Ozone Meeting – February 24th, 10:00 a.m. … will include a presentation by Doug Blewitt on the different types of ozone events we are seeing in the West. We will also discuss coordinating comments for the EPA’s proposed lowering of the ozone standard, which are due March 22nd. This air quality presentation will be held at IPAMS, with slides distributed to those attending via phone. Contact Kathleen Sgamma for the slides.
Agendas are available for upcoming meetings at http://www.westernenergyalliance.org/advocacy/. All meetings unless otherwise indicated are Mountain time, and at IPAMS and via teleconference.
Visit westernenergyalliance.org for the latest news affecting the Intermountain West’s oil and natural gas industry. Headlines are updated daily from local, national and international news sources. You may also sign up for daily newsbrief emails under the Manage Account section of the “Members Only” page.
The West
Can natural gas replace coal?
published in: Penn Energy on: 02/11/2010 by: David Wagman
A recent report from the Congressional Research Service looks at some of the issues involved in displacing coal-fired generation with natural gas-fired generation as a way to reduce carbon emissions. The report follows a hearing last October by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. At that time, Dennis McConaghy, executive vice president with TransCanada Pipelines, told Senators that natural gas can provide “meaningful, immediate and verifiable” carbon dioxide emission reductions.
Colorado
Garfield County may penalize gas drillers that violate code
published in: Glenwood Springs Post Independent on: 02/09/2010 by: John Colson
Under pressure from a citizens group, the Garfield County commissioners this week agreed to look into ways to penalize oil and gas drillers that fail to follow county regulations. The Board of County Commissioners did not, however, agree that new regulations are needed, and Commissioner John Martin indicated a belief that the county’s new zoning code provides for the possibility that a company might find itself in court over violations of zoning regulations.
Battlement Mesa Health Studies Moving Ahead
published in: 7 News on: 02/07/2010 by: Staff
Garfield County officials are moving ahead with plans for health studies in Battlement Mesa to evaluate the effects of oil and gas drilling on residents. County environmental health director Jim Rada said he has been talking with researchers, state agencies, industry representatives and others to launch the studies. Hundreds of residents in the community of about 5,000 had requested health studies amid plans by Antero Resources to drill up to 200 wells near Parachute.
Colorado Energy Jobs Summit
February 19, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
U.S. Senator Mark Udall, the Keystone Center, Third Way and the University of Colorado will host an Energy Jobs Summitt. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is confirmed to deliver the Keynote address for the summit. Official invitation with specific registration information coming shortly. Registration is based on limited seating; please make sure to register early.
Due to limited availability, registration will be nontransferable, and the RSVP deadline is February 10th. Please complete the registration form and email to: ColoradoEnergyJobsSummit@gmail.com.
Exhibitors will have an opportunity for an educational exhibit of technology/organization to present to event attendees for a fee. Availability is very limited. For more information, please complete form and email to Jeremy Kranowitz.
Montana
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer Talks About His Ambitious Plans for Wind Power
published in: Government Technology on: 02/09/2010 by: Chad Vander Veen
What’s the biggest problem with alternative energy? The simplest explanation is that burning coal and oil for electricity generation is supported by existing infrastructure, while clean energy sources like wind and solar aren’t. Specifically alternative energy has a built-in hurdle — how do you store solar power when the sun isn’t shining and how do you transmit wind energy when the wind isn’t blowing?
Financing for power plant ‘just around the corner’
published in: Billings Gazette on: 02/08/2010 by: Linda Halstead-Acharya
Financing for the first stage of the proposed Highwood Generation Station is drawing ever closer, says Southern Montana Electric’s CEO Tim Gregori. Though the statement echoes earlier assessments, Gregori now says he expects to seal the deal in the “near future.” “We’re doing everything we possibly can to keep the project advancing,” he said. “It’s one of those things, when it’s done, it’s done.” Managers of several of Southern’s member cooperatives agree.
Well Control Training Opportunity
February 26-28, 2010 in Butte, MT
Montana Tech and the School of Mines and Engineering is pleased to announce a special Well Control training class that will be held on the Montana Tech campus in Butte, Montana. This IADC/API certified course is designed for engineers and company representatives. Click here to learn more.
New Mexico
NM critics: Emissions bill would hurt businesses
published in: Associated Press on: 02/05/2010 by: Susan Montoya Bryan
The debate over global warming heated up in a House committee Friday as critics of legislation that would lay the groundwork for New Mexico’s participation in a future regional or federal cap-and-trade program pleaded with state lawmakers not to pass the measure. More than two dozens people — from small business owners to New Mexico’s largest public utility — contend the legislation could lead to the crippling of businesses, the shuttering of the coal-fired power plants that supply most of the state’s electricity and more expensive utility bills for residents.
North Dakota
GE unit, partners pay $202 million for oil, gas reserves in Texas, North Dakota
published in: Associated Press on: 02/10/2010 by: Staff
GE Energy Financial Services said Wednesday it has formed separate partnerships with two companies to acquire oil and natural gas reserves in Texas and North Dakota for $202 million. The General Electric Co. unit and Marlin Energy LLC, which is based in Lafayette, La., formed a partnership which acquired natural gas reserves near Midland, Texas, from an undisclosed seller for $65 million. Marlin Energy will operate the assets.
North Dakota Production Surprises
published in: Investopedia on: 02/10/2010 by: Staff
An examination of recent developments in North Dakota indicates that the application of new technology renders this claim suspect. Oil production in North Dakota had been declining for years, peaking in the mid 1980s at close to 150,000 barrels per day, and then beginning a 20 year decline to approximately 80,000 barrels per day by 2003.
Bakken and Beyond!
May 2 – 4, 2010 in Bismarck, North Dakota
The 18th Williston Basin Petroleum Conference & Expo will be held May 2 – 4, 2010 in Bismarck, North Dakota.Technical presentations will be the highlight of the Conference, as industry experts from across North America cover all the “Hot Plays” in the Williston Basin including the Bakken, Three Forks, and Lodgepole, along with talks on deep and shallow gas plays and CO2-EOR opportunities in the Basin. In addition, crude oil transportation issues and a panel on Bakken fracture stimulation techniques will be of great interest to attendees. Keynote speakers include North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, Clarence Cazalot of Marathon Oil Company, and Jim Volker of Whiting Oil and Gas. Click here to learn more.
Utah
County decides against partnering with SUWA
published in: Emery County Progress on: 02/09/2010 by: Staff
Emery County Commission Chairman Gary Kofford says a decision has been made not to accept an offer by Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance to help finance a public lands planning facilitator position. At the Emery County Public Lands Council meeting on Feb. 2, the concept of co-funding the planning position was discussed, with strong opposition to the concept being expressed.
Paving the Seep Ridge Road
published in: Vernal Express on: 02/07/2010 by: Mary Barnard
The Seep Ridge Road has been called everything from a main collector road to a “road to nowhere.” At the height of the energy boom, the Seep Ridge Road was a primary artery for oil and gas extraction vehicles. In fact, Seep Ridge Road is a historic route that connects Ute Tribal lands from Ouray to the Book Cliffs and south to the Colorado and Green River corridors. Seep Ridge Road has been used for exploration by drillers, ranchers, sportsmen, and backcountry recreators.
Matheson has new challenger
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 02/08/2010 by: Kristen Moulten
A grassroots group of progressives bent on unseating Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, has a new candidate: retired teacher Claudia Wright Wright accepted the mantle Friday after the candidate chosen by the group last week withdrew unexpectedly. John Weis, a pathology professor at the University of Utah, said he realized he couldn’t campaign across the farflung 2nd Congressional District while keeping up with his job.
Rural Business Conference
February 18, 2010 in Price, UT
Senator Bennett is again hosting a Rural Business Conference and is seeking sponsors. Please consider sponsoring this event. More information, registration and sponsorship event is available at http://www.ruralutah.com/.
Natural Gas STAR Tech Transfer Workshop
March 23-24, 2010 in Vernal, UT
EPA’s Natural Gas Star Program in conjunction with Anadarko, Newfield, IOGCC and IPAMS will be hosting a Producer Technology Transfer Workshop in Vernal on March 23rd from 9:30 – 4:15, with a field trip of Newfield’s operations on March 24th. Click here for more information about this free workshop.
Wyoming
New wrinkle in eminent domain?
published in: Casper Star-Tribune on: 02/08/2010 by: Dustin Bleizeffer
Platte County rancher Bob Whitton likens the power of eminent domain to brandishing a gun in an argument. The person with the gun doesn’t have to use it in order to persuade the person without a gun. “The threat is there without having to use it,” said Whitton, chairman of the Renewable Energy Alliance of Landowners, or REAL. Wyoming leaders are once again rethinking the power of eminent domain in the midst of a modest boom in wind energy.
WY Governor finds agreement on power lines
published in: Billings Gazette/Casper Star-Tribune on: 02/06/2010 by: Jeremy Pelzer
Gov. Dave Freudenthal said the Obama administration agrees with him in principle that federal lands should no longer be prioritized over private lands during the routing of electrical transmission lines. Under federal law, power companies seeking to build transmission lines on public land must first examine alternative routes on private land.
University of Wyoming Energy Resources and Produced Waters Conference
May 25-26 2010 in Laramie, WY
Final call for Presentations and Registration is still open. The Energy Resources Produced Water Conference, convened by the University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute and the School of Energy Resources, is intended to advance the understanding of current research and monitoring projects related to the management, treatment, protection, and use of water associated with energy development in Wyoming and the West. The conference will cover produced water issues from various types of energy development, including, oil, gas, coalbed natural gas, coal mining, uranium, and carbon sequestration.
The format for the two-day conference will consist of oral presentations in concurrent sessions as well as a display of posters.
Washington Watch
Cold Shoulder: Salazar Freezes API Out of Oil CEO Pow-Wow
published in: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) on: 02/10/2010 by: Stephen Power
The atmosphere in Washington is chilly – and we’re not talking about the weather. This storm involves Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s main trade group in D.C. The latest gust: A week ago, with only a few days’ notice, Salazar quietly asked top executives from API member companies to come to Washington for a meeting. At the session, he told them API’s attacks on the administration are “not helpful,” according to a person familiar with the matter. The meeting came shortly after Salazar and API President Jack Gerard traded shots in the press for several days over Salazar’s decisions reversing certain industry-friendly policies on drilling.
Gore’s group woos Senate centrists in climate bill ad push
published in: The Hill on: 02/10/2010 by: Ben Geman
Al Gore’s climate advocacy group is launching new TV ads that pressure Senate centrists from Indiana, Missouri, Maine and Arkansas to support comprehensive energy and climate change legislation. The ads by Repower America – which is part of Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection – show residents from the states touting the benefits of “clean energy” and calling on their senators to get on board.
Udall, Salazar seek harsher penalties for public-land damage
published in: Denver Post on: 02/10/2010 by: Howard Pankratz
The destruction of public lands by off-road vehicles and fires caused by carelessness has prompted legislation that could result in stronger penalties for those responsible. U.S. Sen. Mark Udall and U.S. Rep. John Salazar, both Colorado Democrats, have introduced legislation designed to deter damage to public lands caused by illegal or reckless activities.
Climate and Energy Issues Send Hordes to K Street
published in: E&E ClimateWire/New York Times on: 02/10/2010 by: Christa Marshall
The number of companies and organizations hiring energy lobbyists reached record levels last year as major climate legislation worked its way through Congress. More than 1,700 groups and businesses turned to K Street in 2009 for help on energy, climate and nuclear issues, a jump from 1,331 in 2008, according to new data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. The numbers constitute a more than 70 percent increase from three years ago and include companies ranging from information technology giants to steel manufacturers.
Climate-change legislation buried under record snowfall in capital
published in: The Hill on: 02/09/2010 by: Alexander Bolton
Record snowfall has buried Washington — and along with it, buried the chances of passing global warming legislation this year. Cars are stranded in banks of snow along the streets of the federal capital, and in the corridors of Congress, climate legislation also has been put on ice.
Enviro groups target moderate senators ahead of vote on EPA regs
published in: E&E News (Subscription Required) on: 02/09/2010 by: Anne C. Mulkern
Environmental and faith-based activists will launch radio advertisements today targeting eight senators seen as key in a Senate vote on whether to block U.S. EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, legislation the spots describe as the “Dirty Air Act.” Funded by American Values Network and Environment Maine, the ads attempt to motivate calls to oppose the resolution from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that is expected next month. The ads target Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). The ads will run statewide in all but Maine, where they will air in major markets.
A Federal Climate Service Is Created to Provide Data
published in: New York Times on: 02/09/2010 by: John Broder
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will create a new climate change office to gather and provide data to governments, industry and academia as part of a broad federal effort to prepare for long-term changes to the planet, officials said Monday. The new unit, to be known as the NOAA Climate Service, will assemble the roughly 550 scientists and analysts already working on the issue at the agency into a cohesive group under a single leader.
Barrasso: President Obama’s budget will hurt job creation in West
published in: Politico on: 02/08/2010 by: Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
During his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama promised that jobs would be his No. 1 priority. He didn’t say “some” jobs — he said jobs. Obama and his administration have immediately made it clear that they will continue to pick winners and losers in our economy. The president’s recent fiscal year 2011 budget proposal opened up the administration’s latest front in the war on jobs in the Western United States.
Lamborn: Energy Key to Economic Recovery
published in: Roll Call on: 02/08/2010 by: Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
Last month, President Barack Obama spoke to Republicans at our annual retreat and asked for our ideas on how to strengthen our ailing economy. I appreciate that offer to work constructively together to help put Americans back to work. Mr. President, because you asked, the following is one Republican’s sincere suggestions on a vital part of reviving our economy. I believe that our nation’s vast energy reserves are key to our economic recovery.
Coal ad blitz launches new spot as industry sees political gains
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 02/08/2010 by: Anne C. Mukkern
An advertising campaign that previously pushed the phrase “clean coal” launches new spots this week focused on jobs and low-cost power, the latest offering in a three-year, nearly $120 million effort to sell Congress and the White House on coal’s future. Increasingly, there are signs that it is working. Coal companies and utilities that use coal in the past year have won a number of gains. They now have top policymakers, including President Obama, echoing one of the key messages pushed in the ads, that technology in the future could reduce coal’s carbon pollution and keep coal a part of the energy mix.
Utah’s Bishop emerges as a player, though still in the minority
published in: Salt Lake Tribune on: 02/07/2010 by: Thomas Burr
Only a few years ago, a press release from the office of Rep. Rob Bishop was something to frame. They were as rare as the Utahn carrying the Republican standard on a national issue or championing a cause outside the West. Not anymore. Entering his eighth year in Congress, Bishop is more vocal, more critical and more in the spotlight than ever.
Media Watch
Weinstein: Obama’s energy policy could use a dose of reality
published in: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram on: 02/10/2010 by: Bernard L. Weinstein
With healthcare reform apparently on the back burner for the time being, the Obama administration has again turned its attention to energy policy. Unfortunately, rather than looking at the energy sector as a vehicle for reinvigorating the American economy, the president has instead proposed hiking the tax burden on oil and gas companies by $45 billion.
Editorial: Senate offers some hope for legislation to combat climate change
published in: Washington Post on: 02/10/2010 by: Editorial Staff
Climate change legislation, according to conventional wisdom, is all but dead for the year. It fell victim to Senate gridlock, yawning gaps between lawmakers over how and even whether to tackle the issue and President Obama’s decision last year to place it third on his list of priorities, after the stimulus and health care. The president himself seemed to admit at least temporary defeat last week; at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, Mr. Obama cited speculations that the Senate might pass only a modest energy bill. Such a bill inevitably would contain expensive subsidies and research programs, but it would not place a price on carbon.
Op-ed: Energy strategy is balanced
published in: Bismarck Tribune on: 02/09/2010 by: Brian Kalk
Jim Kambeitz’s attack on John Hoeven and the energy industry in North Dakota last week deserves a response. He extolled Denmark and the Czech Republic as “green” economies that we should emulate. The facts tell a different story. He failed to mention that Denmark, a nation of only 5 million residents and less than a fourth the size of North Dakota, is a huge oil and natural gas producer. This year, Denmark expects to produce more than 100 million barrels of oil. Its economy depends on oil and gas for more than 73 percent of its total energy needs.
Op-ed: Don’t Follow The Yellow Brick Road
published in: National Journal on: 02/09/2010 by: William O’Keefe, CEO, George C. Marshall Institute
The current promise of renewables is founded in fantasy: a glittering yellow brick road that leads to nowhere. This is a harsh indictment but also an accurate one. Unless we adopt a different energy strategy for renewables, their potential will continue to be delayed. And tax dollars will continue to be wasted on rent-seekers. Over the past few decades, advocates of renewables — primarily wind and solar — have predicted they could soon provide 20% or more of our energy needs if only the government (ie taxpayers) gave them a helping hand. Washington has acquiesced.
Editorial: Obama’s message
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 02/08/2010 by: Editorial Staff
President Barack Obama to the US oil and gas industry: Get out of town. That’s the message in the president’s budget proposal for fiscal 2011. Obama doesn’t like fossil energy. He thinks anything that encourages production of fossil energy impedes development of what his budget narrative hails as the “clean energy economy.” So he wants to tax away oil and gas.
Op-ed: Cap-and-Trade Hinders Job Growth
published in: Roll Call on: 02/08/2010 by: Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA)
At a time when people are asking, “Where are the jobs?” thousands of high-paying jobs are waiting to be created in America’s energy industry. Jobs can be created today by further developing America’s natural resources, such as oil and natural gas, and expanding on new technologies such as hydraulic fracturing, a critical tool in tapping the huge potential of our country’s natural gas supply.
Drillgate: Secretary Salazar’s Cover-Up
published in: Investors.com on: 02/08/2010 by: Editorial Staff
The administration asked for public comments on a plan to expand offshore drilling. When they came in 2-to-1 in favor, the Interior Department sat on the news. Time for a “Texas tea” party? When you ask for public comment on a major policy issue, at some point you should make the results public, not hide them until you can figure out a way to spin the public reaction to support a conclusion you’ve already drawn.
Editorial: More energy from renewables
published in: Denver Post on: 02/08/2010 by: Editorial Staff
A bill that would boost the proportion of energy that Colorado gets from renewable sources heavily emphasizes the development of rooftop solar energy for homes and businesses. We think that’s good for Colorado’s economy, as it would stimulate the solar industry, and also good for the environment. The idea, however, leans heavily on market conditions and tax incentives that are currently favorable, but could change.
Environment and Wildlife
Gazprom says shale gas poses environmental risks
published in: Reuters on: 02/09/2010 by: Tom Bergin
Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom warned of environmental risks from shale gas drilling in the United States and Europe on Tuesday, but said it expected its gas to be able to compete with shale gas prices even if production expands. Last week, Gazprom said it was delaying development of the Shtokman field, one of the world’s largest, which it hoped would supply liquefied natural gas to the United States, citing expansion of U.S. shale gas production and the subsequent fall in U.S. gas prices.
Environmentalist should take heart in shale
published in: Houston Chronicle on: 02/09/2010 by: Tom Fowler
The last few months may have been disheartening to the environmental movement — a weak outcome from Copenhagen, broader attention to “climategate” and then the addition of “Himalayagate.” But all this clamor may have some forgetting the better environmental story of late, notes Michael Economides at Energy (Geo)-Politics: This is the triumphant second coming of the supply of clean, far less polluting and far lower-emitting natural gas, especially in the biggest market of all, the United States.
Obama Admin Denies Endangered Species Listing for American Pika
published in: E&E News/New York Times on: 02/05/2010 by: Patrick Reis
The Fish and Wildlife Service has rejected a bid to extend endangered species protection to a rabbit-like creature that environmentalists say could be pushed to extinction by rising temperatures. The warming of the American pika’s mountain habitat in California’s Sierra Nevada and in parts of nine other Western states has shrunk the tiny mammal’s population and could eliminate part of its range, but federal biologists say new studies suggest the pika will adjust to warmer homes or migrate to cooler areas upslope.
Technology, Alternative & Renewables
New Wind Farms in the U.S. Do Not Bring Jobs
published in: ABC News on: 02/09/2010 by: Jonathan Karl
Despite all the talk of green jobs, the overwhelming majority of stimulus money spent on wind power has gone to foreign companies, according to a new report by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at the American University’s School of Communication in Washington, D.C. Nearly $2 billion in money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been spent on wind power, funding the creation of enough new wind farms to power 2.4 million homes over the past year. But the study found that nearly 80 percent of that money has gone to foreign manufacturers of wind turbines.
Examining the caveats of CNG
published in: Tulsa World on: 02/08/2010 by: Rod Walton
No. 1, they cost less to operate; 2, they are more environmentally friendly and safer to drive; and 3, CNG is a bountiful domestic fuel now stored at historic levels and will keep money at home that otherwise goes for oil often imported from hostile nations. And yet CNG does have its detractors.
Markets
Oil prices rally on hopeful indicators
published in: Oil & Gas Journal on: 02/11/2010 by: Sam Fletcher
Energy prices continued to rally Feb. 9 in the New York market as the US dollar weakened against the euro and European Union officials mulled a possible rescue of financially troubled Greece and other countries with large sovereign debt. “Crude rose 3% yesterday after the dollar’s largest drop against the euro since November, as expectations heightened that the EU is willing to bailout beleaguered Greece. The rumors out of Brussels also took the broader market and energy stocks along for the ride, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Oil Service Index each up 2%,” said analysts in the Houston office of Raymond James & Associates Inc.
EIA sees US natgas production down 2.6 pct in 2010
published in: Reuters on: 02/10/2010 by: Joe Silha
The U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday slightly raised its estimate for domestic natural gas production in 2010, but still expects output this year to be down 2.6 percent from 2009 levels. In its February Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA said it expected marketed natural gas production to be down 1.57 billion cubic feet (bcf) per day, or 2.6 percent, this year primarily due to the impact of lower drilling activity.
Gas market goes global
published in: Calgary Herald on: 02/09/2010 by: Deborah Yedlin
Within the past week, Russia’s energy giant OAO Gazprom has announced it is delaying the development of the Shtokman natural gas field, while at the same time trotting through major investment centres saying the company is poised for growth. Is it another sign of the rapidly changing nature of the world’s natural gas markets or a fresh instance of Russia looking to flex its muscles using its natural resources? One of the reasons given for the decision was the shale gas phenomenon in North America that has effectively decimated the need for imports of liquefi ed natural gas.
Now there’s too much oil: analysts
published in: Calgary Herald on: 02/06/2010 by: Jay Bryan
Gosh, what a difference a recession makes. It’s been less than 19 months since oil rocketed to an all-time high above $147 US a barrel amid fears that it might soon be all gone. But Wednesday, economist Dina Cover at the TD Bank declared that the world’s oil market faces “a massive glut.” She’s not alone.
Industry News and Events
IHS adds Emerging Energy Research to long acquisition list
published in: Denver Business Journal on: 02/10/2010 by: Staff
IHS Inc. said Wednesday it has acquired international consulting firm Emerging Energy Research for $18 million — the latest in string of takeovers by the Colorado information and analysis company in recent years. Arapahoe County-based IHS (NYSE: IHS) said Emerging Energy Research advises clients on emerging technologies in global energy markets, including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, ocean energy, nuclear, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen.
Newfield Exploration Names Lee K. Boothby Chairman
published in: City Biz List Houston on: 02/08/2010 by: Staff
Newfield Exploration Company’s (NYSE:NFX) Board of Directors has named Lee K. Boothby, 48, to the additional role of Chairman of the Board, effective upon his re-election at the Company’s annual stockholders’ meeting on May 7, 2010. Boothby will add the additional responsibilities of Chairman to his current position as President and Chief Executive Officer. Boothby succeeds David A. Trice, current Chairman and past President and CEO, who had previously agreed to serve a one-year term as non-executive Chairman until the Company’s 2010 annual meeting of stockholders.
Anadarko donates $150,000 to Weld Food Bank Kitchen Project
published in: Greeley Tribune on: 01/30/2010 by: Staff
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, one of the leading oil and gas drilling companies in Weld County, has pledged to donate $150,000 to the Weld Food Bank’s Kitchen Campaign. The donation will help advance the project to its next step in construction.
Students at George Washington and Sheridan high schools learn about energy careers
Sixty-three students received hands-on experience at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s Denver offices during the Junior Achievement – Rocky Mountain Inc. Job Shadow Program. The students from George Washington High School and Sheridan High School gain an inside look at a broad range of careers in oil and natural gas, such as geologists, landmen, geophysicist, engineers and information technology.
16th Annual Great Balls of Fire 9-Ball Billiards Challenge
February 16, 2009 in Denver, CO
The Great Balls of Fire 9-Ball Billiards Challenge is all about the goodness in people who want to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Hosted by the Colorado Professional Firefighters, Denver Firefighters Local 858 and Wynkoop Brewing Company.
Several IPAMS members have chosen to sponsor this worthy charity event.
Click here to learn more and how to become a sponsor.
