industryterm:shale gas

#Total Reinforces Its Position In Deepwater #Gulf_Of_Mexico By Entering The Anchor Discovery | total.com
▻https://www.total.com/en/media/news/press-releases/Total-Reinforces-Its-Position-In-Deepwater-Gulf-Of-Mexico-By-Entering-The-Anc

https://isoi02addon0o9kfprod.blob.core.windows.net/cache/7/d/a/b/4/9/7dab49e3ee77c03047e534a63549a3f5379b94f9.png

Total has signed an agreement with Samson in order to acquire Samson Offshore Anchor, LLC, which holds a 12.5% interest in four blocks covering the Anchor discovery, one of the most significant recent discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), USA. The deal also includes a 12.5% interest in the nearby exploration block Green Canyon 761, where Total already has a 25% interest.
 
“The entry in the Anchor discovery further increases Total’s footprint in deepwater Gulf of Mexico. It follows our entry in seven exploration prospects located in the promising Wilcox (Central GoM) and Norphlet (Eastern GoM) plays thanks to an agreement signed with Chevron last September, and in the Jack field where the Group will acquire a 25% interest as part of the Maersk Oil deal”, stated Arnaud Breuillac, President Exploration & Production at Total. 
 
Discovered in the Wilcox play in 2014, Anchor is located approximately 225 kilometers off the coast of Louisiana in more than 1,500 meters of water. Additional prospective resources have been identified in the Anchor vicinity, strengthening the potential of the asset.
 
Anchor is operated by Chevron (55%) alongside Cobalt (20%), and Venari (12.5%).
 
Total Exploration & Production in the United States
 
Total has been active in Exploration & Production in the United States since 1957.
 
In the Gulf of Mexico, Total focuses on the deepwater domain with participations in two producing fields, Tahiti with 17%, operated by Chevron, and Chinook with 33.33%, operated by Petrobras, as well as in the discovery of North Platte with 40%, operated by Cobalt International Energy. As part of the acquisition of Maersk Oil company, Total will become a 25% partner in the Chevron operated Jack field. Total also holds participations in over 160 exploration leases.
 
Onshore, Total operates about 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (shale gas production) in the Barnett play and is a 25% participant in a JV operated by Chesapeake in the Utica shale play.

https://thes.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/gulfmap1.jpg

pour mémoire…

http://static.flickr.com/79/225471352_7e008be563.jpg

As Siberian Gas Awaits U.S. Landing, a Second Ship May Be Coming - Bloomberg
▻https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-25/as-siberian-gas-awaits-u-s-landing-a-second-ship-may-be-coming

https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/iz33f5CT6yTk/v2/1400x-1.png

A second tanker carrying Russian natural gas may be on the way to the U.S., following in the footsteps of a ship now sitting near Boston Harbor with a similar cargo.

The Gaselys tanker, which has been sitting for two days in the waters outside of Boston, carries liquefied natural gas originally produced in Siberia, according to vessel tracking data. The ship, poised to dock at Engie SA’s Everett import terminal, would be the first LNG shipment from anywhere other than Trinidad and Tobago in about three years.

Now Engie is poised to pick up a second Russian cargo from northern France that may land in Massachusetts on Feb. 15, according to Kpler SAS, a cargo-tracking company. The tankers would arrive at a time when New England is paying a hefty premium for supplies as pipeline capacity limits flows of cheap shale gas from other parts of the country in the peak demand season.

The tanker named Provalys was sailing to France’s Dunkirk terminal to pick up LNG on Friday and unload a small amount of it nearby in Belgium before heading across the Atlantic, the cargo tracker said. Engie couldn’t be immediately reached for comment about this shipment.

Could Mexico Be the Next Panama Canal for Gas ? Drillers Think So - Bloomberg
(titre tout-à-fait trompeur, puisqu’il s’agit d’un éventuel tuyau, #gazoduc)
▻https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-19/could-mexico-be-the-next-panama-canal-for-gas-drillers-think-so

Since the first shale gas export terminal opened in Louisiana last year, America’s drillers have seen at least 75 cargoes of their fuel sail through the Panama Canal bound for markets in Asia.

Now they’re looking for a cheaper and quicker route. And they’ve turned to Mexico for help.

Aldo Flores, Mexico’s deputy energy secretary, said Thursday that the government’s in talks with shale drillers in West Texas about a potential pipeline that would send their gas straight to Mexico’s west coast, where it could then be liquefied and shipped overseas.

Such a pipeline could eliminate the need for gas tankers to navigate the Panama Canal and hand the U.S. another outlet for the bounty of gas that President Donald Trump has vowed to “unleash” upon the world. It comes as at least one would-be U.S. gas exporter, Sempra LNG & Midstream, voices concerns about delays at the canal that threaten to cost gas traders thousands of dollars a day.
[…]
A pipeline from Texas to Mexico’s west coast could be a costly proposition, Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Anastacia Dialynas said Thursday. But it would also be easier to build in Mexico, where there are less regulations than in Oregon, she said.

Fracking Romania

The McIntyres felt like they had discovered gold 20 years ago, when they moved into an area far from the city and drilled a well that yielded crystal clear and freezing cold water. Their previous home had no running water, so the remote plot of land in Woodlands, 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, nestled amidst lush trees and verdant bushes, felt like paradise.
But this turned into a nightmare in January 2011, when the family suddenly became sick. “Headaches, uncontrollable diarrhea, even my adult children were experiencing the same symptoms that we were having”, says Janet McIntyre. “My husband turned on our kitchen faucet to find that our water was foaming, spitting, and purple.”

Meanwhile in the poorest corner of the European Union, a Romanian villager shows off his most prized possession, a water fountain with a stone cross and a portrait of Jesus.
Last spring, Dumitru Fânaru, a former councilor from the community of #Vadurile, received an unexpected visit from “some Americans” who photographed his water well and gave him $40 to dig in his backyard.

http://fracking.casajurnalistului.ro/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/IMG_2400-1024x682.jpg http://fracking.casajurnalistului.ro/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/P1270727-1024x682.jpg

Britain’s first U.S. shale gas delivery arrives in stormy Scotland | Reuters
▻http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-shale-ineos-idUSKCN11X0SN

http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160927&t=2&i=1155118539&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=780&pl=468&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC8Q0GB#.jpg

Britain’s first shale gas delivery from the United States sailed into a heated European political debate on fracking on Tuesday and immediately ran into its first practical problem - the Scottish weather.

The huge “Ineos Insight” tanker had entered the Firth of Forth at sunrise, a lone Scots piper playing on its bow, as it headed for the Grangemouth refinery, west of Edinburgh.

But gusty squalls prevented it from unloading its controversial cargo before an assembled crowd of dignitaries.

“The Insight vessel was unable to dock at the port due to high winds,” said a spokesman for Zurich-based chemicals giant Ineos. It would arrive at the port as soon as wind died down, he added.

zoom sur le cornemuseux…

http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160927&t=2&i=1155118544&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=780&pl=468&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC8Q0GD#.jpg

#shale_gas : how Algerians rallied against the Regime and Foreign Oil Companies
▻http://multinationales.org/Shale-gas-how-Algerians-rallied-against-the-Regime-and-Foreign-Oil-

Protests erupted last year in #Algeria against government-approved shale gas exploration. The drilling sites are particularly contentious as they are located near Saharan towns and oases, and threaten already scarce #water resources. Fifty years after the former colonial power conducted nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara, the French State, #Total and other multinational companies were accused of interference. Basta! and the Multinationals Observatory explored the issues around this (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, Algeria, Total, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #local_communities, water, shale gas, #extractive_industries, environmental (...)

#environmental_impact
« ►http://www.total.com/fr/medias/actualite/communiques/20091222-algerie-consortium-mene-par-total-acquiert-participation-49-pour-cen »
« ►http://blogs.mediapart.fr/blog/jose-bove/280215/le-gouvernement-algerien-doit-interdire-la-fracturation-hydraulique »
« ►http://www.algerie-focus.com/blog/2015/03/in-salah-total-algerie-nous-navons-jamais-eu-de-licence-de-gaz-de-sch »
« ►http://www.elwatan.com/complements/2015/02/27/moratoire-de-gaz-schiste-insalah_2601380.pdf »
« ►http://www.sonatrach.com/declaration_PDG_GazSchiste_FracturationHydroulique.html »
« ►http://www.lepoint.fr/confidentiels/exclusif-gaz-de-schiste-la-france-va-explorer-en-algerie-20-12-2012-1604170_ »
« ►http://www.stopaugazdeschiste07.org/IMG/pdf/cp_algerie_20150301.pdf »
« ►https://www.facebook.com/180455612007566/photos/pcb.794135837306204/794135720639549/?type=1&theater »
« ►http://www.aps.dz/economie/15747-gaz-de-schiste-les-r%C3%A9sultats-du-premier-forage-pilote-%E2%80%98%E2%80 »
« ►http://economie.jeuneafrique.com/entreprises/entreprises/energie/24144-algerie-gaz-de-schisme.html »

Petrobras Emerges as Buyer of First U.S. Shale Gas Export - gCaptain
▻https://gcaptain.com/petrobras-emerges-as-buyer-of-first-u-s-shale-gas-export

https://gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Asia-Vision1.jpeg

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil’s state-owned energy company, is scheduled to receive the first cargo of shale gas to be shipped from the U.S., according to a person familiar with the deal.

The shipment of liquefied natural gas was agreed to on Monday, said the person who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. Cheniere Energy Inc.began loading the first tanker at its Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Dustin Williams said in an e-mail Tuesday.
[…]
Demand is forecast to be higher in South America during the spring, in part due to a drought that has increased Brazil’s dependence on the power-plant fuel. Brazil has increased LNG imports in the past few years after an agreement to buy gas via a pipeline from Bolivia reached its limits.

The Farce Is Complete : Joe Biden’s Son Joins Board Of Largest Ukraine Gas Producer | Zero Hedge
▻http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-13/farce-complete-joe-bidens-son-joins-board-largest-ukraine-gas-producer

R. Hunter Biden will be in charge of the Holdings’ legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations. On his new appointment, he commented: “Burisma’s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine. As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine.”

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Burisma Holdings, Mr. Alan Apter, noted: “The company’s strategy is aimed at the strongest concentration of professional staff and the introduction of best corporate practices, and we’re delighted that Mr. Biden is joining us to help us achieve these goals.”

Opposition mounts towards #shale_gas in Algeria
▻http://multinationales.org/Opposition-mounts-towards-shale

The Algerian Sahara has been in the grip of mobilisations against shale gas operations since 1 January 2015, when some 1500 people took to the streets of In Salah, 35 kilometres from the site where #Total and Algerian state-owned company #Sonatrach are conducting the country’s first shale drilling in the Ahnet Basin. This article was originally published in French mid-January 2015. Despite the Algerian government’s annoucement that it will temporarily suspend fracking plans, protests continue. (...)

#News

/ #Fossil_fuels, Total, Sonatrach, #Extractive_Industries, #Energy, shale gas, #water, #local_communities, #extractive_industries, #environmental_impact, workers’ (...)

#workers'_protest
« ▻http://www.equaltimes.org/opposition-mounts-to-shale-gas-in »
« ►http://www.elwatan.com »
« ▻http://www.eia.gov/countries/country-data.cfm?fips=ag »
« ►http://www.algeria-watch.org/pdf/pdf_fr/gdS-algerie.pdf »
« ►http://www.algeria-watch.org/fr/article/eco/gaz_schiste/craintes_agriculteurs.htm »

The UK : latest front line in the European #shale_gas battles
▻http://multinationales.org/The-UK-latest-front-line-in-the

The #United_Kingdom is full of strong opinions when it comes to shale gas, which requires hydraulic fracturing (or ‘fracking’) – the controversial technique where a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected at high pressure into rock followed by depressurisation – to extract it. David Cameron’s conservative coalition government is pushing harder than ever on both a domestic and European level to promote the practice (and the lucrative rewards assumed to go with it). Meanwhile, thousands of (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #Energy, United Kingdom, #Total, #GDF_Suez, #Cuadrilla, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #Lobbying, #local_communities, shale gas, #greenhouse_gas, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #energy, regulations and (...)

#regulations_and_norms #influence
« ►http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21120-how-fracking-caused-earthquakes-in-the-uk.html »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/28/fracking-office-single-unit-shale-gas-produced »
« ►http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100282976/want-to-know-how-fracking-will-affect-you-sorry-thats-a-state-sec »
« ►http://www.ukoog.org.uk/about-ukoog/press-releases/131-new-survey-shows-57-of-britons-support-natural-gas-from-shale »
« ►http://www.leparisien.fr/environnement/exclusif-environnement-72-des-francais-contre-l-exploitation-du-gaz-de-sc »
« ►http://www.renewablesinternational.net/german-government-wants-shale-gas/150/537/79666 »
« ▻http://www.northernenergy.co.uk/mainnews/fracking-supported-by-majority-of-uk »
« ►http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/campinfo »
« ►http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/uncategorized/breaking-operation-mums-and-grandmas-omg-occupy-proposed-drilling-s »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/18/fracking-protesters-occupy-blackpool-office-cuadrilla »
« ►http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/europe »
« ►http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-promises-fracking-tax-boost-for-councils-willing-to-app »
« ►http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/13/fracking-councils_n_4587143.html »
« ►http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/04/decc-energy-statistics,-march-2013 »
« ▻http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3284/British-public-split-on-nuclear-power.aspx »
« ▻http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/25/labour-regulation-uk-fracking-industry »
« ▻http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/company/news-and-updates/speeches/shale-gas-american-success-story »
« ►https://www.chathamhouse.org/media/comment/view/187991 »
« ►http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26735000 »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/jun/06/shale-oil-boom-over-energy-revolution-blackouts »
« ▻http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/31/uk-shale-gas-fracking-cuadrilla »
« ►http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100222841/drilling-set-back-regulator-caught-out-as-fracking-opponents-draw »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/06/fracking-trespass-law-changes-opposed-by-74-of-britons »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/04/ban-fracking-from-national-parks-say-majority-of-uk-public »
« ►http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-25695813 »
« ▻http://www.wwf.gr/crisis-watch/issues/21-issue-21-december-2013/shale-gas-lobby-wins-war-against-strict-environmental-rules/28-shale-gas-lobby-wins-war-against-strict-environmental-rules »
« ►http://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/08/05/support-fracking-not-my-backyard »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economics-of-shale-gas »
« ►http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/energy/shaleGas/home.html »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/potential-greenhouse-gas-emissions-associated-with-shale-gas-production-and-use »
« ►http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/fracking-regs-tarnished-new-report_05062014 »
« ►http://www.foeeurope.org/fracking-brussels-240714 »

Gas hungry China trims back shale goal — RT Business
▻http://rt.com/business/188756-shale-gas-china-goal

China has halved its 2020 goal for shale gas production. The country faces challenges ranging from difficult geology to shortage of technology in the area meant to quench its ever-growing energy needs.

The country is only starting mass production of shale gas, which drastically changed the energy landscape in the US in recent years, with the extraction of 200 million cubic meters annually.

In 2012, when Chinese shale gas production was virtually non-existent, Beijing eyed an ambitious goal of 60-80 billion cubic meters (bcm) by 2020, but the latest plans from the Ministry of Land and Resources on Wednesday lowered it to more conservative 30 bcm. A higher figure is possible, but conditional.
(…)
But the industry is still hurdled by several problems, including complex geology, shortage of advanced technology and skilled personnel and regulation barriers. There is also the dominating position of two state-owned giants, PetroChina and Sinopec, which enjoy a privileged access to fields discouraging private investment.

China has been relying for decades on coal for the majority of its energy production, is undergoing a switch towards cleaner gas. The country is expected to consume some 311 bcm of the fuel by 2020, with conventional domestic production supplying only 200 bcm. Shale gas was hoped to reduce the dependence on gas imports.

EUobserver / Nato says Russia funding anti-shale NGOs
▻http://euobserver.com/foreign/124680

Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has accused Russia of funding NGOs which oppose shale gas.

He made the controversial statement in a Q and A session at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, on Thursday (19 June).

“I have met allies who can report that Russia, as part of their sophisticated information and disinformation operations, engaged actively with so-called non-governmental organisations – environmental organisations working against shale gas – to maintain European dependence on imported Russian gas. At least that’s my interpretation and it adds a new aspect to that information campaign,” he said.

#la_main_de_Moscou, le retour…

On notera la formulation particulièrement alambiquée.
Y a des copains qui m’ont dit que… En tous cas, c’est comme ça que je l’ai compris… et je tenais à vous le dire.

Et ce n’est pas une position officielle de l’OTAN.

Nato officials later told media the views on shale are Rasmussen’s own and do not reflect the alliance’s official position, but it published an audio file of his Chatham House remarks on its website.

Fracking boom threatens US water supplies | Climate News Network

▻http://www.climatenewsnetwork.net/2014/06/fracking-boom-threatens-us-water-supplies

By Valerie Brown

Campaigners in the US warn that fracking for oil or gas, which has transformed the country’s energy market, is seriously depleting or contaminating supplies of the most vital asset − water

OREGON, 18 June − Since the onset of the fracking boom almost a decade ago, every state in the US has been examining its geological resources in the hope of finding oil or gas it can access through this extraction method. Almost half the states are now producing at least some shale gas, with a few – Texas, Pennsylvania, California, Colorado, North Dakota – sitting on massive deposits.

#états-unis #gaz_de_schistes #fracking #énergie #gaz #eau

Geosynthetic opportunities for shale gas plays worldwide - Geosynthetics
▻http://geosyntheticsmagazine.com/articles/0413_gsi_shale_gas.html

The geosynthetic opportunities associated with shale gas plays are numerous and essentially involve every type of geosynthetic material. Specific applications that have been identified and implemented at several well sites include:

At the drill pad:

drilled pad liners for accidental spills
composite pond liners for water
double pond liners for flow-back and production water
double landfill liners for well cuttings
geotextile tubes for decontaminating well cuttings

Long-term off-site opportunities:

paved and unpaved roadways
unpaved parking and staging areas
MSE reinforced walls and slopes
secondary containment for frac-tanks
tremendous amounts of plastic pipe

Short-term off-site opportunities:

temporary roadways
turf reinforcement
temporary dams
silt fences
erosion control materials

http://geosyntheticsmagazine.com/repository/2/17002/large_0413_gsi_3.jpg

#bassins
#gaz-de-schiste
#Europe

IPCC tries a gamble with shale gas | Climate News Network

▻http://www.climatenewsnetwork.net/2014/04/ipcc-tries-a-gamble-with-shale-gas

By Alex Kirby

The latest IPCC report urges a dash for gas to allow us to reduce the burning of coal. And it accepts the use of shale gas, which threatens to be far more polluting than originally thought.

http://www.climatenewsnetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/1024px-Lantenay_oct_2011_anti-gaz_de_schiste_4.jpg

LONDON, 14 April – If you support fracking, you should be pleased with the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC). It’s given the green light to the use of shale gas as a short-term way to slow climate change.

#climat #énergie #gaz_de-schiste

Still not loving ISDS: 10 reasons to oppose investors’ super-rights in EU trade deals | Corporate Europe Observatory
▻http://corporateeurope.org/international-trade/2014/04/still-not-loving-isds-10-reasons-oppose-investors-super-rights-eu-t
▻http://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/styles/fullwidth_nocrop/public/corporate-charter.jpg?itok=c2a6eZry

For example, tobacco giant Philip Morris is demanding US$2 billion from Uruguay over health warnings on cigarette packets; Swedish polluter Vattenfall is seeking over US$3.7 billion from Germany following a democratic decision to phase out nuclear energy; and Canadian company Lone Pine is suing Canada via a US-subsidiary for CAN$250 million after the Canadian province of Quebec imposed a moratorium on shale gas extraction (fracking) over environmental concerns.

http://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/number-of-cases-mar2014.png

#TTIP
#ISDS
#investment-treaties
#investor-state dispute settlement
#Transatlantic-Trade-and-Investment-Partnership #TTIP
#CETA
#arbitration

White House Lies to EU about US Gas Supply | nsnbc international
▻http://nsnbc.me/2014/04/09/white-house-lies-eu-us-gas-supply

A useful summary of the shale gas illusion comes from a recent analysis of the actual results of several years of shale gas extraction in the USA by veteran energy analyst David Hughes. He notes, “Shale gas production has grown explosively to account for nearly 40 percent of US natural gas production. Nevertheless, production has been on a plateau since December 2011; eighty percent of shale gas production comes from five plays, several of which are in decline. The very high decline rates of shale gas wells require continuous inputs of capital—estimated at $42 billion per year to drill more than 7,000 wells—in order to maintain production. In comparison, the value of shale gas produced in 2012 was just $32.5 billion. ”

via ►http://www.dedefensa.org/article-_tat_path_tique_de_la_narrative_de_bho_sur_le_gaz_us_10_04_2014.h

No fracking way - how the EU-US trade agreement risks expanding fracking | Corporate Europe Observatory
▻http://corporateeurope.org/climate-and-energy/2014/03/no-fracking-way-how-eu-us-trade-agreement-risks-expanding-fracking
▻http://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/gallery/dangers_of_fracking.jpg?itok=qhY8S3vZ

A trade deal between the EU and the US risks opening the backdoor for the expansion of fracking in Europe and the US, reveals a new report by Corporate Europe Observatory and other groups. As part of the deal currently being negotiated, energy companies could be allowed to take governments to private international tribunals if they attempt to regulate or ban fracking and the dangerous exploitation of unconventional fossil fuels. Campaigners are urging the EU not to include such rights in trade deals.

This brief analyses the investor rights clause in the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and how it could give special rights to companies to claim damages if they deem their investments (including future profits) are adversely affected by changes in regulation or policy.This would make it much harder for countries to ban or impose strong regulations on fracking for shale gas and other unconventional fossil fuels, for fear of having to pay millions in compensation. The report also argues that TTIP could expand fracking by removing the ability of governments to control natural gas exports.

More broadly, TTIP could likely thwart governments’ efforts to address global warming and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, the report states. It calls on the EU and the US to exclude investor-state dispute settlement rights from the agreement and from other trade deals in the pipeline – including the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

▻http://vimeo.com/88146142

No fracking way - how the EU-US trade agreement risks expanding fracking
March 6th 2014
Climate and Energy
Printer-friendly versionSend by emailPDF version

A trade deal between the EU and the US risks opening the backdoor for the expansion of fracking in Europe and the US, reveals a new report by Corporate Europe Observatory and other groups. As part of the deal currently being negotiated, energy companies could be allowed to take governments to private international tribunals if they attempt to regulate or ban fracking and the dangerous exploitation of unconventional fossil fuels. Campaigners are urging the EU not to include such rights in trade deals.

This brief analyses the investor rights clause in the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and how it could give special rights to companies to claim damages if they deem their investments (including future profits) are adversely affected by changes in regulation or policy.This would make it much harder for countries to ban or impose strong regulations on fracking for shale gas and other unconventional fossil fuels, for fear of having to pay millions in compensation. The report also argues that TTIP could expand fracking by removing the ability of governments to control natural gas exports.

More broadly, TTIP could likely thwart governments’ efforts to address global warming and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, the report states. It calls on the EU and the US to exclude investor-state dispute settlement rights from the agreement and from other trade deals in the pipeline – including the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

#fracking
#TTIP Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
#trade
#EU-US
#high-volume-hydraulic-fracturing
#ISDS
#EU-Canada
#CETA Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

Adding Fuel to the Fire

Flooding the market with American shale gas is the best way out of the Ukrainian crisis.

▻http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/03/06/adding_fuel_to_the_fire

Voilà une bonne idée !

With every passing hour, Ukraine seems to move closer to the brink of disaster. The causes are multifaceted, but a key driver of the crisis has been Ukrainian — and European — dependence on Russian natural gas. In the short term, U.S. officials are understandably scrambling to keep events from spiraling out of control in Crimea, where Russian troops have taken control of much of the peninsula. In the long term, however, the United States may be able to tip the balance against President Vladimir Putin, using the American shale-gas boom to weaken Russia’s geopolitical leverage in Ukraine.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/files/imagecache/860x/images/tuckswithgas1.jpg

#ukraine #gaz #énergie

The health implications of fracking
▻http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673613627002.pdf?id=baaXWyhEm8pNwavzNl3ru

Scientific study of the health effects of fracking is in its infancy,1,2 but findings suggest that this form of extraction might increase health risks compared with conventional oil and gas wells because of the larger surface footprints of fracking sites; their close proximity to locations where people live, work, and play; and the need to transport and store large volumes of materials.3–6 In the USA, where more than 52 000 shale gas wells have been drilled, data suggest that risks of environmental contamination occur at all stages in the development of shale gas extraction. Failure of the structural integrity of the well cement and casing,7 surface spills and leakage from above-ground storage, emissions from gas- processing equipment, and the large numbers of heavy transport vehicles involved are the most important factors that contribute to environmental contamination and exposures in the USA.2

Environmental exposures include outdoor air pollutants (ie, volatile organic compounds, tropospheric ozone, and diesel particulate matter)2 and pollutants (ie, benzene, hydrocarbons, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and heavy metals) in both ground8 and surface9,10 water. Known occupational hazards include airborne silica exposure at the well pad.11 Toxicological data for the chemicals injected into wells (so-called frac fluid) indicate that many of them have known adverse effects on health, with no toxicological data available for some.2 Assessment of potential risks has been difficult in the USA because drilling operators are not required to disclose which chemicals are used, but the UK Government has accepted the recommendation from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering Working Group on shale gas extraction1 for full disclosure. 12 Exposure and epidemiological studies - which there are currently very few—are needed along the entire supply chain of shale gas to characterise and quantify associated health issues. The socioeconomic implications of shale gas development on local communities before, during, and after extraction, and how risks should be communicated, are also important research priorities.

In addition to local health and environment threats, an important consideration is the contribution of shale gas extraction to greenhouse-gas emissions and, thus, to climate change. Although there is conflicting evidence about the comparative contribution of lifecycle greenhouse gases of shale gas relative to coal, evidence from the USA indicates that instead of replacing coal, shale gas has rapidly become an additional source of fossil fuel, leading to an increase in cumulative global greenhouse-gas emissions. 13 The degree to which shale gas extraction is developed should be based on comparisons with other energy options, including renewable energy sources, and greater investment in energy efficiency measures, taking full account of environmental, economic, and health implications.

#fracturation_hydraulique #gaz_de_schiste #santé #pollution #climat

Natural gas boom advances with little study of public health effects, report finds
▻http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/02/27/14302/natural-gas-boom-advances-little-study-public-health-effects-report

The new study [▻http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es404621d ], led by John Adgate at the Colorado School of Public Health, examined available research on the environmental, social and psychological impacts of shale gas drilling. It was the first time anyone had tried to tackle the question in a systematic way, Adgate said.

[...]

Regulators are well aware of the knowledge gap. In 2012, the Government Accountability Office [GAO] — an investigative arm of Congress — reviewed more than 90 studies from government agencies, the industry and academic researchers and concluded that oil and gas development “pose inherent environmental and public health risks, but the extent of these risks … is unknown, in part, because the studies GAO reviewed do not generally take into account the potential long-term, cumulative effects.”

#sante #gaz_de_schiste

Concerns on shale gas and fracking technique : Turkey’s case -

▻http://todayszaman.com/news-336225-concerns-on-shale-gas-and-fracking-technique-turkeys-case.h

L’extraction du gaz de schiste aurait débuté depuis 2012 en Turquie alors que les informations sur la taille des réserves, sur les techniques d’extraction, sur les conséquences sur le marché énergétique national et sur l’impact environnemental de tels projets sont rares voire absentes.

There are two shale basins in Turkey, the Southeast Anatolia Basin and the Thrace Basin, which have active shale gas exploration underway by the TPAO (Turkish Petroleum Corporation), Turkey’s state-run energy company, and some international companies. It has been also estimated that Turkey may also have shale gas resources in the Sivas and Salt Lake basins, but there are only limited reservoir data for these basins

The TPAO (Turkish Petroleum Corporation), Turkey’s state-run energy company, and Shell have started hydraulic fracturing operations to extract shale gas from Dadas Shale in the Saribugday-#1 natural gas field, in September 2012. Under the terms of the TPAO-Shell agreement, Shell is expected to drill five wells into the Dadas Shale. Anatolia Energy also drilled their first Dadas Shale evaluation well, Caliktepe-#2, on their Bismil lease area in early January, 2012. TransAtlantic Petroleum reported flowing gas and light oil from their two Dadas Shale test wells, Goksu-#1 and Bahir-#1 as well. In the Thrace Basin, much of the activity is conducted particularly by TPAO and TransAtlantic Petroleum, but there is no information released on shale well tests or performance by the companies so far.

While all these activities are going on in Turkey, there are serious concerns raised about extracting shale gas and the fracking technique which have been used for it, such as lack of reliable data on resources, lack of technical information and staff on fracking technique, uncertainty on possible profitability of Turkey’s shale gas, increasing public concerns on environmental risks of the fracking process and lack of legal framework.

#Turquie
#gaz de schiste
#environnement
#énergie

Fracking companies entitled to licences on more than 60% of British land | Environment | theguardian.com
►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/17/fracking-huge-impact-uk-shale-gas-industry-revealed

Two-thirds of the UK’s land will be available for fracking companies to license, a government map published on Tuesday shows, with new areas opened up in the Midlands, Cumbria and Wales.

Ministers said major energy companies had expressed interest in new shale gas licences and up to 150 applications are expected, which could cover about 15% of the UK.

Almost £1bn of financial incentives and revenues could be injected into local communities that accept fracking, according to a new assessment of the impact of a largescale shale gas industry on the UK, published the same day.

The report, commissioned by the government, suggests that a major fracking effort would deliver about 25% of the UK’s annual gas needs in its peak years in the 2020s and provide up to 32,000 jobs, although as few as one-fifth of these could be local.

#énergie #gaz_de_schiste #UK

Frack U. Mexico!
▻http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/frack_u_mexico

Good news! Mexico has the fourth largest shale gas reserves in the world, and the Mexican Congress is about to change the constitution so that private companies can drill for it. That...

Occupy #Chevron: Resisting #shale_gas development in #Poland
▻http://www.multinationales.org/article188.html

In the morning of the 2nd of June, 2013, under the protection of security guards, the American multinational Chevron took possession of a piece of land situated close to Zurawlow, Poland, in the Grabowiec concession. Chevron was coming to install all its equipment for shale gas development. Residents of nearby villages tried to intervene. This article was originally published in French by Basta!. Translated by Laura Voicu. A protester was injured by a vehicle belonging to the firm and was (...)

#News

/ Poland, #Energy, Chevron, shale gas, #local_communities, #workers'_protest

►http://www.bastamag.net/article3118.html
►http://www.arte.tv/fr/gaz-de-schiste-une-energie-qui-divise/7258938.html
▻http://www.stopaugazdeschiste07.org/spip.php?article533
▻https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Stop_Fracking_in_Poland_gmina_Zurawlow/?aNcGcdb