Europe Needs a Roadmap for Unconventional Gas. Commentary provided by Adnan Vatansever, a senior associate in the Energy and Climate Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. As the unconventional gas "revolution" was quietly unfolding in the United States, its potential to transform the U.S. gas market, and the country's national energy discourse, was not apparent until recently. It has now become clear that shale gas development is perhaps the biggest energy sector innovation for the United States in recent decades.
For Europe, however, the role shale gas will play in transforming energy markets is far from certain. The old continent's unconventional gas reserves are substantial, but the question is how fast and to what extent Europe will develop them. Europe needs a clear roadmap for the prospects of unconventional gas in its energy future. To begin with, it is worth recognizing Europe's limitations. In its quiet "revolution," America's unconventional gas industry outpaced both the regulators and the public. Poland's Shale Gas dilemma for Europe - Business Analysis & Features, Business. Bypassing Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States, the new pipeline is also designed to bypass the disputes that have periodically halted the flow of Russian gas to the rest of Europe. Even as the new gas started to flow, however, there were the first signs that the European gas market could be in for even more radical reshaping within less than 10 years – in energy terms, a mere twinkling of the eye.
At an economic forum in Poland which happened to coincide with the opening of Nord Stream, the hottest topic – in the conference halls and in the corridors – was of the potential for shale gas, a resource that has quietly altered the balance of energy provision in the United States and helped bring prices there down by a fifth in the past five years. Initial surveys indicate Poland has enormous reserves of shale gas.
One from the US Department of Energy, suggests Poland could have as much as 5.3 trillion cubic metres – equivalent to 300 years' domestic consumption. Poland's shale gas hopes buoyed by promising test output. Rice University on Europe Shale Potential. France and shale: The door is ajar. The French pendulum swings again. Details Written by Nick Grealy Published: 22 April 2011 French politics being complicated let's go back to the will they, won't they saga of shale in France. First they, like everyone else said let's look and see. Soon enough Bové managed to organise a similar constituency of incoming retirees and the trustafarian farming community.
Bové 's politics are attractive to many people: Even me sometimes. The "debate" in France over shale has until now been completely one-sided, but rationality is finally beginning to be included. French shale oil and gas fields are potentially some of the most promising in Europe and banning exploration before the reserves are assessed could be detrimental to France's economy and labor market, according to a preliminary report released Thursday.The report was requested by the government in March, following environmentalist outcry at the government-granted permits to explore shale oil fields in the Paris Basin and shale gas fields in the Southeast of France.
Gaz de France buys American. Details Written by Nick Grealy Published: 12 April 2012 Further proof of the contradictions of French policy on shale gas. GDF Suez is the largest gas and electric utility in the world and after partial privatisation still finds 35% of shares owned by the French government - the government that is forbidden to even explore France's massive shale gas reserves estimated at being the largest in Europe at 180 TCF recoverable. But with 65% of resources non-state owned GDF Suez can't afford to stop denying reality any more.
GDF Suez is considering sourcing American shale gas in order to export to Asia or Europe, said Wednesday Jean-Marie Dauger, deputy director of the group responsible for the Global Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Combine this with Total's $1billion deal with Chesapeake in the Utica Shale and the inconsistencies would defeat even the greatest French philosophers. France historically has their heart on the left and their wallets on the right. 1. 2. 3.
France and shale. Floating on a glut of gas. Gazprom: Angel or Demon? - Gazprom (OTCPK:OGZPY) faces regular opprobrium for its bullying ways of using energy as a pressure and political tool. Seen by some, mostly Russians, as the symbol of a successful and strong Russia, others see it as a dominating juggernaut, economic right arm of the Kremlin implementing, or should we say, imposing its policies by using energy as a weapon. Just like Louis XIV used to say “L’Etat c’est moi” (I am the State), Gazprom could say the same in light of its commercial power and the unconditional governmental backing it enjoys. However, just like Monsanto (MON) generates passionate debates with its genetically engineered seeds, Gazprom’s activities cannot be simply labeled as right or wrong and subject to final judgments. Though far from being an angel, Gazprom is not necessarily a demon either.
Why would it be any different for Gazprom? And why should Gazprom take upon itself to act differently if it can get away with what it does and not be sanctioned by its own government? Interview With Nick Grealy, The Shale Gas Guru. Nick Grealy is one of the leading advocates of shale gas in Europe. As well as being the publisher of the site No Hot Air , Nick consults on the impact of shale gas, and has appeared in front of UK Parliamentary Committees and on such shows as BBC’s Newsnight to discuss the topic. Nick is very passionate, opinionated, and a little eccentric. In a world in which shale gas is generally portrayed in a negative light, Nick instead sees it as a bridge to a low carbon environment. So enjoy below some colorful responses from ‘The Shale Gas Guru’. –Would you describe yourself as an environmentalist?
Certainly, but I’m from the pragmatic, and dare I say, optimistic wing of environmentalists. –You describe yourself as ‘a recovering energy consultant’. I think most people don’t need energy consultants in the UK sense where people for some bizarre reason think they need to fix prices instead of going with the flow of market forces. –You moved to New York in your teens, and stayed for two decades.
UK Parliament's YES to shale. Details Written by Nick Grealy Published: 23 May 2011 In what should have an important impact outside of the UK, the UK Parliament Energy and Climate Change Committee has published one of the first reports on shale gas outside of North America. And for once the news is good: Shale gas drilling in the UK has been given the go-ahead by MPs in a new report looking at the impact it could have on water supplies, energy security and greenhouse gas emissions.
The inquiry found no evidence that the hydraulic fracturing process involved in shale gas extraction – known as ‘fracking’ - poses a direct risk to underground water aquifers provided the drilling well is constructed properly. Tim Yeo MP, Chair of the Committee said: “There has been a lot of hot air recently about the dangers of shale gas drilling, but our inquiry found no evidence to support the main concern – that UK water supplies would be put at risk.” One prediction.
Thanks for the update... Blips in UK Natgas, trend looks unsustainable | 02 July 2010 | w. In May, UK's NBP natural gas prices rose on tighter/supply demand imbalance created by uncertainty about the North Sea production, a cold start to the spring season and lower-than-expected LNG inflows into Europe. 02 Jul 2010 Commodity OnlineIn May, UK's NBP natural gas prices rose on tighter/supply demand imbalance created by uncertainty about the North Sea production, a cold start to the spring season and lower-than-expected LNG inflows into Europe.
The tighter supply/demand balance, largely a function of a string of unplanned nat gas supply outages, pushed front-month NBP contract prices up to 46 pence/therm in mid June, the highest level since February 2009, according to an analysis by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch (BofAML). However, there is little reason for the rally in UK Natgas to continue. European gas consumers have also been snapping up cheaper UK spot gas, reducing their intake of more expensive oil-indexed take-or-pay obligations. Shale Gas Takes Off In The UK. Fracking: the monster we greens must embrace | Fred Pearce | Comment is free. A drilling rig set up by Cuadrilla Resources to explore the Bowland shale for gas, four miles from Blackpool. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Most environmentalists are in no doubt. The new technology of fracking to extract shale gas from the rocks beneath our homes is both a nasty neighbour and a sure recipe for climate Armageddon.
Not only that, fracking was pioneered in the US, the gas-guzzling land of climate sceptics. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, uses high-pressure water to shatter shale rocks and release natural gas lurking within. However, I can't bring myself to condemn it. Their case is that the last thing we need as we fight climate change is more natural gas. Climate scientists believe we have to cut carbon dioxide emissions globally by 80% by later this century to halt global warming. The thing is, fossil fuels differ. Take the US. The global stakes are high. Environmentalists should have no higher priority than to shut off that surge.
Is he right? Rational Optimism on shale gas in the UK. Published on 25 March 2013 Written by Nick Grealy In this chilly spring of our discontent, during which George Osborne insists we have no alternative but years of austerity, warming news from David Cameron and Ed Davey. Shale Gas will keep Britain energy secure : Centrica plc has entered into an agreement with Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P, to purchase 91,250,000 mmbtu (89 billion cubic feet) of annual liquefied natural gas (LNG) volumes for export from the Sabine Pass liquefaction plant in Louisiana in the United States. This amounts to approximately 1.75 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa), and is the equivalent of the annual gas demand of around 1.8 million UK homes. The contract is for an initial 20 year period, with the option for a 10 year extension, and the target date for first commercial delivery is September 2018 UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, said “I warmly welcome this commercial agreement between Centrica and Cheniere.
UK’s £200bn energy security; and the options for raising it | FT. Dutch Energy Council strongly supports shale.