Industry associations welcome suspension of venting, flaring rule
The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and Western Energy Alliance welcomed the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) recent suspension of an Obama administration final rule regulating venting and flaring from oil and natural gas operations on federal and tribal lands.
"We're pleased the Bureau of Land Management suspended an eleventh-hour Obama-era regulation aimed at shutting in marginal-producing wells, putting independent oil and gas producers, their livelihoods and the considerable federal royalties generated from their businesses at jeopardy," said Barry Russell, president and CEO of IPAA. "This action is a good step in providing our member companies some much-needed certainty as they plan their capital expenditure budgets for the upcoming year."
"It makes no sense for companies to comply with a rule that is being significantly rewritten," said Kathleen Sgamma, president of Western Energy Alliance. "In suspending the rule, BLM has recognized that it does not have the statutory authority claimed by the Obama administration."
For more information, visit www.ipaa.org or www.westernenergy alliance.org.
Report: Marcellus Shale development unrelated to Pa. mortality rates
Mortality rates in the six Pennsylvania counties with the most Marcellus Shale development have declined or remained stable since shale production began in the region, according to a new Energy In Depth-commissioned report. The findings directly refute accusations from anti-energy groups that the fracking boom is a threat to public health.
The report analyzed Pennsylvania Department of Health data for the state as a whole and the counties of Bradford, Greene, Lycoming, Susquehanna, Tioga and Washington from 2000-2014.
According to the report, these counties were chosen because of the level of Marcellus activity they have seen -- more than 900 wells in each -- since 2004, when the first Marcellus Shale well was first developed in Washington County.
For more information, visit www.eidhealth.org or call (570) 772-4410.
Appalachia region driving growth in U.S. natural gas production
Shale gas production in the Appalachia region has increased rapidly since 2012, driving an overall increase in U.S. natural gas production. According to the EIA, natural gas production in the Appalachia region -- namely the Marcellus and Utica shale plays -- has increased by more than 14 Bcf/d since 2012. Overall Appalachian natural gas production grew from 7.8 Bcf/d in 2012 to 22.1 Bcf/d in 2016 and was 23.8 Bcf/d in 2017.
The average monthly natural gas production per rig for new wells in the Appalachia region has increased by 10.8 million cubic feet per day since January 2012. EIA attributes this increase to efficiency improvements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the region, which include faster drilling, longer laterals, advancements in technology and better targeting of wells.
For more information, visit www.eia.gov or call (202) 586-8800.
Bakken gas production increasing faster than oil production
In North Dakota's Bakken region, the ratio of natural gas production relative to crude oil, known as the gas-oil ratio, has been gradually increasing since 2008 and has increased at a faster rate since 2014. More than 90 percent of North Dakota's crude oil and natural gas production comes from the Bakken region, which includes the Bakken and Three Forks formations.
Natural gas production in North Dakota has continued to grow, reaching a record high of 1.94 Bcf/d, or the energy equivalent of about 334,000 b/d of crude oil. Despite the increasing gas-oil ratio, North Dakota still produces more than three times as much energy from crude oil as from natural gas.
In an effort to reduce the amount of flared gas, North Dakota's Industrial Commission established new targets in 2014 to limit flaring to 10 percent by Oct. 1, 2020. Based on data from North Dakota's Industrial Commission, the volume of flared natural gas has declined from more than 0.35 Bcf/d in 2014 to about 0.2 Bcf/d in 2017 -- about a 40-percent decline.
For more information, visit www.eia.gov or call (202) 586-8800.