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Fracking

Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush

Jun 26th, 2011
by John Donovan.
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By : A version of this article appeared in print on June 26, 2011, on page A1 of the New York edition

Natural gas companies have been placing enormous bets on the wells they are drilling, saying they will deliver big profits and provide a vast new source of energy for the United States.

But the gas may not be as easy and cheap to extract from shale formations deep underground as the companies are saying, according to hundreds of industry e-mails and internal documents and an analysis of data from thousands of wells. read more

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Blackpool Rocked

Jun 1st, 2011
by John Donovan.
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Blackpool Shale Gas drilling suspended after quake

31 May 2011

Shale gas test drilling in Lancashire has been suspended following an earthquake on the Fylde coast.

Cuadrilla, the firm behind the tests, said drilling had been suspended as a precaution after the 1.5 magnitude tremor – the second in two months.

It will now examine the data collected by the British Geological Survey (BGS) before deciding whether to resume.

A tremor centred on Poulton-le-Fylde on 1 April shared a “similar location and mechanism”, the BSG said. read more

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Shell’s Karoo-born man steers clear of shale gas rumpus

May 29th, 2011
by John Donovan.
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Sunday Times

May 29, 2011 3:08 AM | By ANTON FERREIRA

One of Colesberg’s most successful sons, who went from a sheep farm childhood to becoming vice president of a leading multinational, is trying to keep a low profile in the controversy over plans to look for shale gas in the Karoo.

That’s because the company De la Rey Venter works for in the Netherlands is Royal Dutch Shell, one of the companies that want to “frack” his former backyard.

Venter, a former head boy at Colesberg High School, has had a meteoric career since obtaining a BCom at the University of Johannesburg in 1997. He worked for Samancor, then BHP Billiton. In 2002 he joined Shell.

On a website advertising the school at which he obtained his MBA, Venter said he had chosen his career at Shell because he was “fascinated by the intrigues of geo-politics and by the global energy and environmental debates”. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Gas Wars: Rise of the Anti-Frackers

Apr 24th, 2011
by John Donovan.
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By Julienne du Toit

South African anti-fracking groups had an extra Easter egg in their baskets this week when the government announced a moratorium on Big Energy plans to prospect for gas in the Karoo, the country’s semi-desert heartland.

What? People Power takes on a tag team of fuel giants and local politicians and wins the 1st round of the southern African Gas Wars? Can it be?

Damn straight. Life retains its ability to surprise and delight.

I came across an article recently with the headline: “5 Reasons to Be Hopeful We Haven’t Totally Screwed Ourselves and the Planet … Yet”. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Fossil fuel firms use ‘biased’ study in massive gas lobbying push

Apr 23rd, 2011
by John Donovan.
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guardian.co.uk home

Industry urging governments and business to reject renewables in favour of ‘green’ shale gas

Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent, Wednesday 20 April 2011 17.24 BST

Pipes at a natural gas drilling site near Montrose, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Daniel Acker/Getty Images

Senior executives in the fossil fuel industry have launched an all-out assault on renewable energy, lobbying governments and business groups to reject wind and solar power in favour of gas, in a move that could choke the fledgling green energy industry.

Multinational companies including Shell, GDF Suez and Statoil are promoting gas as an alternative “green” fuel. These companies are among dozens around the world investing in new technologies to exploit shale gas, a controversial form of the fuel that has rejuvenated the gas industry because it is plentiful in supply and newly accessible due to technical advances in gas extraction known as “fracking”. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Oil giants play loose with facts on gas

Apr 23rd, 2011
by John Donovan.
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Fiona Harvey

April 23, 2011

SENIOR executives in the fossil fuel industry have launched an all-out assault on renewable energy, lobbying governments and business groups to reject wind and solar power in favour of gas, in a move that could choke the green energy industry.

Multinational companies including Shell, GDF Suez and Statoil are promoting gas as an alternative green fuel. These firms are among dozens worldwide investing in new technologies to exploit shale gas, a controversial form of the fuel that has rejuvenated the gas industry because it is in plentiful supply and newly accessible because of technical advances in gas extraction that are known as fracking. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Fracking involved in out of control gas well blow out in Pennsylvania

Apr 20th, 2011
by John Donovan.
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Apr 20, 3:12 PM EDT
Drilling fluid gushes from northern Pa. gas well

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM
Associated Press

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A blowout at a natural gas well in rural northern Pennsylvania spilled thousands of gallons of chemical-laced water Wednesday, contaminating a stream and forcing the evacuation of seven families who live nearby as crews struggled to stop the gusher.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. lost control of the well site near Canton, in Bradford County, around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, officials said. Tainted water continued to flow from the site Wednesday afternoon, though workers finally managed to prevent any more of it from reaching the stream. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

SHELL’S CONTROVERSIAL FRACKING PLANS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Apr 8th, 2011
by John Donovan.
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The Karoo National Park in South Africa

By John Donovan

The first three draft EMP documents below have been compiled by Golder Associates Africa (Pty) Ltd (Golder), a so called “independent” environmental consultant, retained and paid by Shell.

The documents are part of Royal Dutch Shell’s application to explore the Karoo basin in South Africa for shale gas using the controversial hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technique.

The remaining document is a critical review prepared by Havemann Inc., specialist energy attorneys.
 read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

America’s shale gas revolution has an audience from Blackpool to Algeria

Mar 14th, 2011
by John Donovan.
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The shale revolution sweeping America is one that the rest of the world will have to start paying attention to as the battle for gas steps up.

Shell’s shale exploration in Haynesville, Louisiana. Photo: NEIL JOHNSON Richard Blackden By Richard Blackden, US Business Editor Houston, Texas 6:00AM GMT 14 Mar 2011

Blackpool residents are used to a mix of sand and water.

For a British seaside town, it’s the natural economic fuel. Add in some chemicals, though, and you’ve got the ingredients of a drilling technique that is radically reshaping America’s energy market and may do so for the rest of the world. It’s also drawing a growing chorus of critics concerned at its potential environmental impact.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves blasting the mix at high pressure to unlock gas trapped in shale rock formations deep underground. And there’s a formation, known as Bowland Shale, near Blackpool in North West England, that US company Cuadrilla Resources wants to start fracking this month. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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