Yesterday I posted some initial reactions to the latest articles in, as Michael Levi puts it, "The New York Times' war on shale gas..." More from Levi:

I hate to say it, but on the whole, both pieces are of pretty poor quality...[reporter Ian] Urbina was clearly looking for negative views of shale gas, and had no problem finding them. Given the massive size of the industry, and the number of financial bets being placed upon the sector, that shouldn't be a surprise. What is a surprise is that Urbina hasn't done much to put them in context...The Times descriptions of the emails (not just in the article, but in the document database) also betray a serious lack of understanding of the industry

Ken Cohen from Exxon wonders: "Don't facts matter anymore?"

In the latest installment (stories publis... more »

An article in today's Shreveport Times discusses the initial production results of Bossier Shale formation, and the findings are encouraging enough that it is expected to become a major player in U.S. natural gas development. The first Bossier Shale well was drilled in August flowed at 9.4 million cubic feet per day.

Over the past few years, advanced technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have unlocked the promise of natural gas in tight rock formations.

Quoted in the article, John L. Sharp, Chesapeake Energy Corp.'s geosciences manager said:

"And with all of that natural gas--estimated at 200 trillion cubic feet--available for sale at some point, the education of policymakers to move away from a dependence on foreign fuel sources should become a primary focus."

As I've discussed on this blog, I recently traveled with a group of bloggers to visit man-made islands where drilling for oil and natural gas occurs in coastal waters--the THUMS Islands in Long Beach, CA.

Watch the video above to relive my experience at THUMS where in 2008, 10.9 million barrels of oil were produced along with 4.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas. And even with all of the energy production occurring here, the location keeps the appearance of a resort community or high-end condominium complex, making it really unique.

For more on my trip, listen to the THUMS episode of Energy Tomorrow Radio and read the following blog posts:

• Energy Tomorrow Radio: Episode 91 - THUMS Islands Location Tour
• Riviera of the West
• Resource-Rich Real Estate
• Traveling to THUMS

In this episode, Jane Van Ryan interviews the Heritage Foundation's Ben Lieberman, senior policy analyst on energy and the environment, on his recent paper, "Five Things Congress and the President Are Doing to Bring Back Sky-High Gas Prices."

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

Show Notes:

00:20 Although gasoline prices are higher now than they were at the beginning of the year, they still are much lower than they were last summer when gasoline hit a new record. Could they go up to record levels again? The Heritage Foundation has conducted studies that show they could rise significantly if Congress and the President succeed in enacting some new energy proposals.

01:09 The law of sup... more »

Another voice in the news can be added to the list of those favoring increased access to our nation's offshore oil and natural gas resources. Last week, a Florida Sun-Sentinel op-ed authored by Dave Mica, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, discussed the new jobs, increased revenues, and energy security that offshore energy development could bring to the nation and the state of Florida--all with minimal impact to the surrounding environment.

Mica says:

"Through advanced technology, the oil and natural gas industry has reduced its environmental footprint, minimizing the impact on ecosystems and wildlife. The industry finds, develops and delivers oil and natural gas while leaving the Earth nearly untouched -- a fact all Americans need to remember. With these technological de... more »