Natural Gas
New quest to find other uses for abundant natural gas
December 21, 2012 9:08 am | News | Comments
Little more than a decade ago, the United States imported much of its natural gas. Today, the nation is tapping into its own natural gas reserves and is beginning to export natural gas to other countries. Experts are now looking to develop innovative processes that can readily and cost effectively make chemical intermediates like ethylene and propylene from natural gas instead of petroleum, which is declining in use.
Mechanism converts natural gas to energy faster, capture CO2
May 7, 2013 11:36 am | News | Comments
Chemical engineers have identified a new mechanism to convert natural gas into energy...
New technology propels “old energy” boom
May 6, 2013 9:38 am | by Jonathan Fahey, AP Energy Writer | News | Comments
Oil companies big and small have used technology to find a bounty of oil and natural...
EPA methane report further divides fracking camps
April 28, 2013 5:11 pm | by Kevin Begos, Associated Press | News | Comments
The Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically lowered its estimate of how much...
New study: Fracking hasn't polluted Arkansas water
May 16, 2013 5:58 pm | by KEVIN BEGOS - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsHydraulic fracturing for natural gas hasn't contaminated drinking water wells in Arkansas, according to a new study, but researchers said the geology there may be more of a natural barrier to pollution than in other areas where shale gas drilling takes place.
Groundwater unaffected by shale gas production in Arkansas
May 15, 2013 11:46 am | News | CommentsScientists sampling 127 shallow drinking water wells in areas overlying Fayetteville Shale gas production in north-central Arkansas found no evidence of groundwater contamination. The team of scientists at Duke University and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) analyzed the samples for major and trace elements and hydrocarbons, and used isotopic tracers to identify the sources of possible contaminants.
Fracking brings economic boost, but risks raise concerns
May 14, 2013 2:42 pm | News | CommentsMost Michigan and Pennsylvania residents say fracking is good for the economy, but have concerns about chemicals used and other environmental risks, according to a University of Michigan survey. Fracking is the common term for hydraulic fracturing, which involves injecting a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals deep into the ground through encased wells at high pressure to create and expand fractures in the shale rock.
Natural gas export plans stir debate
May 13, 2013 3:19 am | by MATTHEW DALY - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsA domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy companies seek permits for proposed export projects that could set off a renewed frenzy of fracking.
A solar booster shot for natural gas power plants
April 11, 2013 12:58 pm | News | CommentsNatural gas power plants can use about 20% less fuel when the sun is shining by injecting solar energy into natural gas with a new system being developed by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The system converts natural gas and sunlight into a more energy-rich fuel called syngas, which power plants can burn to make electricity.
New emissions standards would fuel shift from coal to natural gas
April 5, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsTougher EPA air-quality standards could spur an increased shift away from coal and toward natural gas for electricity generation, according to a new Duke University study. Complying with stricter regulations on sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, and mercury may make nearly two-thirds of the nation's coal-fired power plants as expensive to run as plants powered by natural gas. The regulations would make 65% of U.S. coal plants as expensive as natural gas, even if gas prices rise significantly.
Cryo-electron microscopy unlocks biochemical methane production
March 20, 2013 2:17 pm | News | CommentsThe biological sources of methane are wide-ranging. However, the conditions have to be always oxygen-free and the exact mechanism has been unclear. A team of researchers in Germany has gained insight into microbiological methane production by explaining the structure of a hydrogenase used by archaebacteria to split hydrogen to produce methane
Researchers map out an alternative energy future for New York
March 12, 2013 2:39 pm | by Rob Jordan, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment | News | CommentsHydraulic fracturing may soon be approved for the state of New York. However, a new study finds that it is technically and economically feasible to convert New York's all-purpose energy infrastructure to one powered by wind, water, and sunlight. The authors say that overall switch would reduce New York's end-use power demand by about 37% and stabilize energy prices.
New Fischer-Tropsch catalyst invented in Amsterdam
March 5, 2013 9:38 am | News | CommentsThe Fischer-Tropsch process is used for producing fuels from synthesis gas, which in turn is made from natural gas, biomass, or coal. Large reserves of shale or natural gas now changing the world energy market have raised interest in this technology, but prior reactors have been too bulky. Inspired by patents from the 1960s audio cassette recording industry, University of Amsterdam chemists have recently developed a new Fischer-Tropsch catalyst that is significantly cheaper and more scalable.
Purification on the cheap
February 5, 2013 7:42 am | by David L. Chandler, MIT News Office | News | CommentsIncreased natural gas production is seen as a crucial step away from the greenhouse gas emissions of coal plants and toward U.S. energy independence. But natural gas wells have problems: Large volumes of deep water, often heavily laden with salts and minerals, flow out along with the gas. That so-called “produced water” must be disposed of, or cleaned. Now, a process developed by engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology could solve the problem and produce clean water at relatively low cost.
Energy industry develops nontoxic fracking fluids
February 3, 2013 12:23 pm | by KEVIN BEGOS - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe oil and gas industry is trying to ease environmental concerns by developing nontoxic fluids for the drilling process known as fracking, but it's not clear whether the new product will be widely embraced by drilling companies. Houston-based energy giant Halliburton Inc. has developed a product called CleanStim, which uses only food-industry ingredients. Other companies have developed nontoxic fluids as well.
Study: Hydraulic fracturing produces less wastewater per unit of gas
February 1, 2013 7:55 am | News | CommentsHydraulically fractured natural gas wells are producing less wastewater per unit of gas recovered than conventional wells would. But the scale of fracking operations in the Marcellus shale region is so vast that the wastewater it produces threatens to overwhelm the region's wastewater disposal capacity, according to new analysis by researchers at Duke and Kent State universities.
Analysis of fracking wastewater yields some surprises
January 22, 2013 10:07 am | News | CommentsHydraulically fractured natural gas wells are producing less wastewater per unit of gas recovered than conventional wells would. But the scale of fracking operations in the Marcellus shale region is so vast that the wastewater it produces threatens to overwhelm the region's wastewater disposal capacity, according to new analysis by researchers at Duke and Kent State universities.
LLNL receives grant for underground coal gasification work
December 4, 2012 8:35 am | News | CommentsLawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Underground Coal Gasification Program has received a two-year research grant to study water-quality hazard mitigation strategies from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
DNA analysis of microbes in a fracking site yields surprises
December 3, 2012 3:15 pm | by Pam Frost Gorder, Ohio State University | News | CommentsResearchers have made a genetic analysis of the microbes living deep inside a deposit of Marcellus Shale at a hydraulic fracturing. They expected to find many tough microbes, such as single-celled archaea, suited to extreme environments. Instead, they found very few genetic biomarkers for archaea, and many more for species that derive from bacteria.They also found that the populations of microbes changed dramatically over a short period of time.
Jupiter Fuels licenses Louisiana Tech tech, establishes development office
October 30, 2012 1:45 pm | News | CommentsIn an effort to continue working closely with faculty and researchers at Louisiana Tech, Jupiter Fuels, which has licensed natural gas-to-liquid fuel conversion technology from the university, announced this week the establishment of a Jupiter Fuels development office located in Louisiana Tech's Humana Enterprise Center.
Report: U.S. shale gas drives up coal exports
October 29, 2012 11:24 am | News | CommentsU.S. carbon dioxide emissions from domestic energy have declined by 8.6% since a peak in 2005, the equivalent of 1.4% per year. However, researchers warn that more than half of the recent emissions reductions in the power sector may be displaced overseas by the trade in coal.
Reports: Marcellus reserves larger than expected
October 23, 2012 9:42 am | by Kevin Begos, Associated Press | News | CommentsThere's been plenty of debate over the Marcellus Shale natural gas field, but new research adds a twist that could impact political and environmental battles. Two independent financial firms say the Marcellus isn't just the biggest natural gas field in the country—it's the cheapest place for energy companies to drill.
Graphene membranes enhance natural gas production, lower pollution
October 9, 2012 10:10 am | News | CommentsEngineering faculty and students at the University of Colorado Boulder have produced the first experimental results showing that atomically thin graphene membranes with tiny pores can effectively and efficiently separate gas molecules through size-selective sieving. Such capability could significantly enhance the efficiency of natural gas production while reducing carbon dioxide emissions at the plant.
Future increases in U.S. natural gas exports not as large as thought
August 15, 2012 8:42 am | News | CommentsAmid policy debate over potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the United States, a new paper from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy predicts the long-term volume of exports from the U.S. will not likely be very large. The paper also argues that the impact on U.S. domestic natural gas prices will not be large if exports are allowed by the U.S government.
Are methane hydrates dissolving?
August 13, 2012 8:57 am | News | CommentsThe average temperature of oceans is rising along with the temperatures in the atmosphere, raising concern that ice-like compounds called methane hydrates could dissolve this powerful greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. An expedition to Spitsbergen in the high Arctic could help answer this question.
Study finds correlation between injection wells and small earthquakes
August 7, 2012 6:58 am | News | CommentsThe Barnett Shale is a geological formation in North Texas bearing a large amount of natural gas that was difficult to recover prior to recent technological advances such as hydraulic fracturing. A geophysicist at the University of Texas at Austin analyzed seismic data over a two-year period and has found that while proving any one earthquake was caused by drilling is impossible, a connection between earthquake frequency and fracking does exist.
Experts: Some fracking critics use bad science
July 23, 2012 4:58 am | by Kevin Begos, Associated Press | News | CommentsShale gas drilling has attracted national attention because advances in technology have unlocked billions of dollars of gas reserves, leading to a boom in production, jobs, and profits, as well as concerns about pollution and public health. In the debate over natural gas drilling, the companies are often the ones accused of twisting the facts. But scientists say opponents sometimes mislead the public, too.
Can fracking pollute water? Study tries to answer
July 13, 2012 3:51 am | by Kevin Begos, Associated Press | News | CommentsA drilling company in southwestern Pennsylvania has given researchers at National Energy Technology Laboratory access to a commercial drilling site, a move that may provide some of the first solid answers to a controversial question: Can gas drilling fluids migrate and pose a threat to drinking water?
Study: Natural gas “much-needed tool” in climate battle
July 10, 2012 2:54 pm | News | CommentsThe conclusion of a new study by Cornell University Professor Lawrence M. Cathles shows that, no matter the timeframe considered, substituting natural gas energy for all coal and some oil production provides about 40% of the global warming benefit that a complete switch to low-carbon sources would deliver. And, it would be a far quicker option than going to sources like nuclear or solar.
