Interesting article from Forbes. Talking about the difference between Oil Shale and Oil Bearing Shale and exactly what the US Oil reserves look like – as compared apples to apples with Saudi Arabia.
Source: Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/energysource/2012/03/29/u-s-might-have-more-oil-resources-than-saudi-arabia-but/
According to Texas A&M University agricultural economist – Travis Miller, “No one alive has seen single-year drought damage to this extent,”
“2011 was the driest year on record and certainly an infamous year of distinction for the state’s farmers and ranchers,” said Dr. David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist
Texas agriculture lost $7.62 billion to the 2011 drought. Experts say it’s the costliest drought in the state’s history and probably the most expensive drought ever suffered by any state.
The new figures released Wednesday by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are greater than the previous estimates of $5.2 billion in losses.
Livestock ranchers were hardest hit, followed by cotton producers. Texas is the largest producer of both commodities in the United States, producing about 15 percent of the beef cattle and 25 percent of the cotton in the US, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures. Cattle Ranchers lost $3.23 billion, and cotton farmers lost $2.2 billion.
The following are updated drought losses for 2011 by commodity with previously reported loss estimates from August in parenthesis:
Livestock: $3.23 billion (up from $2.06 billion);
Lost hay production value: $750 million (no change);
Cotton: $2.2 billion (up from $1.8 billion);
Corn: $736 million (up from $409 million);
Wheat: $314 million (up from $243 million);
Sorghum: $385 million (up from $63 million);
Read More from Texas A&M: http://agrilife.org/today/2012/03/21/updated-2011-texas-agricultural-drought-losses-total-7-62-billion/
Wednesday March 28th 10am to 2pm
Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds 1213 Terry Shamsie Blvd. Robstown, TX 78380
Dress – Men should wear their best suit with a tie, and matching dress shoes. Women should wear their best jacket with matching skirt or pants and shoes. Admittance may be denied to anyone wearing shorts, jeans, flip flops or other inappropriate attire.
Bring plenty of copies of your resume printed on quality paper. Even if you do not bring a resume, be certain to have a portfolio or briefcase with notebook or legal pad and pens.
Parking and Admission - FREE
Companies that will be there: • Archer Well Services • Cameron Surface Systems • Express Energy Service • Nabors Well Services • Peak USA Energy Service • Tetra Technologies Inc • HLI Energy Services • Key Energy • Orion Drilling Company • SOS Staffing • Tank 1 Services • Unique Employment • United Rentals
Please register ahead of time:
http://sanantonio.jobnewsusa.com/JobSeeker/JobFairs/FairDetails.aspx?id=673
Corpus Christi – According to a Corpus Christi Caller Times report and the Texas Department of Transportation, funds are not avaialble to fix the crumbling roads. Some responsible oil companies are stepping up (Thank You Pioneer Natural Resources and Petrohawk Energy Corp.)
STATE TASK FORCE
State transportation officials are convening a task force to deal with road damage associated with oil and gas activities in the South Texas Eagle Ford Shale and North Texas Barnett Shale, regions that span more than 50 counties. Here are their plans:
Within 90 days, convene an executive-level meeting of local governments, law enforcement, transportation officials, Railroad Commission, energy industry leaders.
Continue research, data gathering and sharing.
Identify future energy developments.
Strategize use of new technology.
Discuss potential legislative issues.
Develop funding strategies.
Routinely monitor, evaluate and revise plans.
Source: Texas Department of Transportation
Article Source Corpus Christi CAller Times
http://www.caller.com/news/2012/mar/11/eagle-ford-shale-amid-the-oil-boom-roads-go-bust/
Looks like a few rooms have opened up in Carizzo Springs. Providing a little relief for housing in the Eagle Ford shale.
See Mesquite Logistics: http://www.mesquitelogistics.com/locations.html
San Antonio, TX – The Eagle Ford Shale is over twice as large as expected. Producing 2.5 times the number of wells AND output – according to a speech delivered by John Cornyn (R-Texas) at the final day of the Eagle Ford Consortium, here in San Antonio.
Coryn warned that the Feds could shut it all down.
“the biggest threat to our energy renaissance is, perhaps, the well-intended but misguided policies out of Washington, D.C.”
Cornyn spoke at the inaugural conference of the Eagle Ford Consortium, a gathering of South Texas leaders, educators, and industry officials, on it’s third and final day.
Attendees were told that Eagle Ford is growing so fast, that experts could not get a handle on the shear magnitude of the play.
The University of Texas at San Antonio plans to update it’s March 2011 study that looked at the economic impact of the shale. The old study will be revised and released next month. Concentrating on 14 of the most active counties in the play – instead of all 24. Those counties are: Atascosa, Bee, DeWitt, Dimmit, Frio, Gonzales, Karnes, La Salle, Live Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Webb, Wilson and Zavala.
The new numbers are exppected to show 22 million barrels instead of the 9 million previously forecasted for 2011.
In addition, 1,015 wells were drilled in 2011, versus the predicted 408
Fed Update: The Environmental Protection Agency is implementing new rules that could affect our energy supply and will probably lead to higher gas prices, Coryn said.
Coryn also said that the federal government must take steps to approve the Keystone XL pipeline that will transport Canadian oil to refineries in Houston and Port Arthur. Furthermore, they must expedite drilling permits, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico.
“there’s no excuse” for a lack of a national energy policy, Cornyn said.
Barry Smitherman (Railroad Commission Chairman) blamed the feds for extending the EPA permitting time from 4 to 24 months for a gas processing plant near San Antonio “The pipeline company cannot move additional supplies of natural gas out of the Eagle Ford Shale until they get this gas processing plant built,” Smitherman said.
“These are real-world challenges that we are facing, and they directly affect job creation and energy independence.”
In a ruling likely to have an enormous effect on how Texas regulates water use, the state Supreme Court declared Friday that landowners also own the water beneath their land and may seek compensation if government regulations limit their access to it.
Water experts predicted the decision will lead to a surge in lawsuits from property owners who are denied pumping rights or are issued permits limiting the amount of water they may draw from wells.
And though the full effect of the ruling won’t be known for months, or perhaps years, the decision could leave the state’s 96 groundwater districts in a pickle — allocating a finite resource by issuing permits that could expose them to costly lawsuits and large monetary judgments, the experts said.
Source: Austin American Statesman
Latest Official Map
Latest official map of wells in Eagle Ford.
Source: Texas Railroad Commission: http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/eagleford/images/EagleFordShalePlay201202-large.jpg
Fuel For Trucks
Trucking fleets across the country are discovering the benefits of natural gas fuel. Some fleets are motivated by fuel savings and price stability. Others support the goal of reducing our dependence on imported oil. Still more enjoy the environmental and sustainability benefits of this cleaner, abundant American resource.
Many natural gas trucks operate today in a wide variety of applications including port drayage, bulk hauling, LTL, intermodal, goods movement, and local pickup and delivery. Natural gas-fueled trucks are hauling loads up to 80,000 GVW (or more depending on local weight restrictions).
With the advent of new truck engines well suited for applications like heavy-duty over-the-road trucking, natural gas trucks are now available from the leading truck manufacturers and supported by their national dealer networks.
Building America’s Natural Gas Highway
Clean Energy envisions a U.S. fueling network that enables trucks to operate on natural gas in all key markets and between these markets.
Read More:
Source (Clean energy Fuels) http://www.cleanenergyfuels.com/products_services/trucking.html
United States Shale Gas Plays
Join us for an update on EPA’s study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.
EPA is committed to keeping the public up-to-date on the study’s progress. This webinar will be the first in a series of updates held for the general public prior to the release of the preliminary study report.
Monday Feb 27th: 3:00-4:00 ET
Source EPA: