The Associated Press has this look at momentum for exporting U.S. natural gas, driven by an abundance of natural gas from shale via hydraulic fracturing. Bill Cooper, president of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas, tells AP:

“LNG exports are a huge opportunity for the United States economy, our workers and our geopolitical relationships with countries such as Japan that are seeking to import natural gas. LNG exports will create jobs, increase government revenue and benefit consumers.”

Cooper is right. Studies – like this one for the Energy Department and this one by ICF International – show how America’s wealth in natural gas from shale could support demand here and overseas, to America’s benefit in terms of job and economic growth.

Currently, the Energy Department is review... more »

Associated Press – Natural Gas Export Plans Stir Debate

The AP highlights describes the  natural gas export debate, which is being driven by an abundance of domestic supply. Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said officials should seek a "sweet spot" for LNG exports — allowing enough to spur drilling and increase gas supplies, but not enough to create export-driven price hikes.

Free Enterprise – Interior Secretary: Hydraulic Fracturing is "Essential"

Free Enterprise’s Sean Hackbarth recaps Secretary Sally Jewell’s recent testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee during which she stated that hydraulic fracturing is an “essential technology” that “can be done safely and responsibly.”

The Post-Journal – Hydraulic Fracturing Is A... more »

Two of the most strategic energy partners for the United States are undoubtedly Mexico and Canada. With the right policies toward our energy neighbors – approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and the U.S.–Mexico Hydrocarbon Transboundary Agreement (TBA) - we have the potential to be North American energy self-sufficient by 2030 and enhance our energy security.

Keystone XL has drawn a lot of headlines, and it is well known that the project is in the national interest. Less well known is the U.S.–Mexico TBA.

The U.S.–Mexico TBA will govern the treatment of resources in the Gulf of Mexico that are located near the maritime border with Mexico. Congress is currently reviewing the agreement and both the House and Senate have introduced implementing legislation.

Included in the House of Re... more »

New Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell is on the right track in her remarks at this week’s Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, committing Interior to providing “regulatory certainty, predictability (and) consistency” in oil and natural gas development.
This is critical to reverse recent declining development in federal areas. According to the Congressional Research Service, while oil production in non-federal areas was up 2009 to 2012, in federal areas it was down 6 percent:

Similar story for natural gas – rising production in non-federal areas compared to a 21 percent decline in areas controlled by the federal government:

The uncertainty Jewell wants to address shows in how long it takes to get a federal drilling permit, compared to the wait for a state permit (Ho... more »

AEI Ideas – The Economic Ripple Effect of the Bakken Shale Boom

Blogger Mark J. Perry writes about a recent analysis by the Minneapolis Fed that delved into the economic impact of increased shale development in the Bakken area of North Dakota. The report found that counties within 100 miles of the Bakken experienced the next-largest increase in wages and the next-lowest level of unemployment, compared to other counties in the state.

CNBC – Marcellus Shale Turns Pennsylvania into ‘Saudi Arabia’ of Natural Gas

CNBC highlights the surge in natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale play. The Marcellus "is at the sunrise of this [energy] renaissance. This is going to be just the beginning of an economic juggernaut for the US and Pennsylvania."

Fuel Fix... more »