205 comments on What Are Our Alternatives--If Fossil Fuels Are Such a Problem?
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Gail the Actuary, thanks for an excellent summary of the Peak Energy situation. One suggestion if its not too late-your article needs to link to Dave Cohen's Running with the Red Queen about the North American natural gas situation.
For the last 9 months I've been primarily working on "unconventional" natural gas-putting together leases on the Mississipian-Silurian shale gas trend in far West Texas, Hudspeth County. Unconventional gas has become the new conventional-about 1/3rd of the current US production is from unconventional sources-shale, coal bed methane and tight sand and lime reservoirs. Over 2/3rds of the current onshore gas development activity is in unconventional gas, and these kinds of wells are very expensive to drill and operate compared to traditional reservoirs. Prices will have to remain very high in order to make any profits.
The majors have begun to get very involved in unconventional gas-Exxon,Shell and Connoco-Phillips all have big blocks and are buying more leases and drilling, and half the independents in the US seem to have unconventional gas plays.
Bob, part of what I read into the unconventional gas exploration developments is a recognition that the Barnett Shale play isn't unique. For that reason, I am more optomistic about natural gas than oil.
As you indicate, it won't be cheap, and we may not have enough rigs to bring it on line soon enough, but there appears to be some upside ...
I plan to add some more segments on different energy-related topics, including natural gas. I have been a little reluctant to go back to edit segments at this point, because the links have dates in them. I am afraid that if I edit a segment, old links to the segment will not work.
I have been working with some folks at Kennesaw State University. The plan is eventually to put together a "regular" web site, with teaching materials for high schools and colleges. We hope that the material will be helpful to the general public, as well as students.
The segment shown today is the second one I put up. The first one was Oil Quiz - Test Your Knowledge.