The New York Times tries to gin up a fight over water resources between Colorado farmers and oil and natural gas companies – but ultimately the article defuses itself as readers learn that:  a) the amount of water used for hydraulic fracturing oil and gas wells is small compared to other state uses; and b) money paid to localities by energy companies for water is a pretty valuable revenue stream.  

The Times starts by setting a scene:

"A new race for water is rippling through the drought-scorched heartland, pitting farmers against oil and gas interests, driven by new drilling techniques that use powerful streams of water, sand and chemicals to crack the ground and release stores of oil and gas."

Sounds pretty dramatic, no? The article goes on to say that it takes up to 5 millio... more »

Local businessman Tim Osborn says that when he was a schoolboy growing up in North Texas, his hometown probably didn’t have more than 250 people. Today the area is vibrant, with 10 times that number living there. Work is plentiful, housing is booming and there’s room to grow – thanks to the oil and natural gas industry and the energy-rich Barnett Shale.

The area about 30 miles north of Dallas is thriving with oil and natural gas development in the Barnett Shale providing the magnet for other kinds businesses and industries. “The reason it has grown is the oil and gas business,” says Osborn, president of CBA Automation, an electrical and instrumentation contractor. “We have other industries moving here because this is a prospering area.”

Others are doing well, too. Check out this vide... more »

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson says the natural gas industry needs to be out front on hydraulic fracturing regulations. With all due respect, that's already happening.

Fracking has been used to free oil and natural gas trapped in subterranean rock formations for six decades - safely. Recall that none other than Administrator Jackson told a congressional committee in May she knew of no instances of water contamination caused by hydraulic fracturing.

That's because the industry members who're producing this important energy source are committed to best practices and guidelines, developed from field experience and in cooperation with API.

For example, in Texas, where the Barnett Shale and Eagle Ford plays are producing clean-burning natural gas - more than 4 billion cubic feet a day in the Ba... more »

There's a revolution occurring in the United States, and it is spreading throughout the world. It is the shale gas revolution, and it has the potential to alter the global energy picture for many years to come. It began a few years ago when Texas oil man George Mitchell had a hunch that he could produce natural gas from the Barnett Shale formation in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Although some geologists were skeptical, Mitchell discovered that gas could be produced by using a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. When other energy companies learned of his success, they improved on his innovation and helped to create a new industry and thousands of jobs across the country.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, energy expert Daniel Yergin noted that shale gas accounte... more »

In today's episode, I interview David Adams, Halliburton's vice president for production enhancement, about hydraulic fracturing. He describes the fracking process, the associated benefits as well as the exaggerated risks.

Use the audio player below to listen to information about the article and follow along with the show notes. I hope you find the podcast informative.

00:17 The U.S. government released statistics a few days ago showing that natural gas supplies have reached the highest level since 1971. Much of the credit for the supply expansion goes to the drilling companies that are using a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to coax natural gas from hard rock formations, such as the Barnett Shale in Texas. One of the companies provi... more »