Tag Archives: Shale Gas

14May 2012

Shell and Chevron Win Ukraine Public Bid for Shale Gas

⋅ Leave a Comment

KYIV, Ukraine, May 13, 2012/Coal Geology/ –

Two of the world’s largest oil companies, Royal Dutch Shell plc and Chevron Corp, obtained the right to develop Ukrainian shale gas fields Yuzivske and Oleske, respectively, informed Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov in his interview with Euronews. The fields are expected to provide Ukraine with up to ten percent of domestically consumed natural gas by 2020.

The estimated investment in the fields will amount to at least USD 370 million, with the number growing significantly should the gas reserves prove to be commercially viable. Notably, Ukraine exempted companies that would produce shale gas in the country from equipment import tax and shale gas export duty.

Industrial extraction of gas at the sites will begin in 2018-2019. Ukrainian state geological service estimated the amount of both conventional and unconventional, as well as condensed gas deposits at the 6,000 square kilometer Oleske at three trillion cubic meters. As for the Yuzivske field, it may offer up to four trillion cubic meters of gas.

Ukraine announced the public bid for the development of the prospective seven trillion cubic meters of gas in the fields in February 2012. Exxon Mobil, Shell, and TNK-BP placed their bids for the right to develop the Yuzivske field in eastern Ukraine (Donetsk oblast), while Chevron and Eni competed for the right to establish gas production at Oleske, Lviv region.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration assessed the total of Ukrainian gas resources at 1.2 trillion cubic meters. This secures Ukraine the third spot among the European countries (after France and Norway) that have largest shale gas reserves, reported Reuters.

Ukraine began reforming its energy system, adopting the State Program on Energy Efficiency 2010-2015. According to the document, Ukraine will reduce domestic energy consumption through increasing energy efficiency, as well as developing domestic gas reserves, introducing green energy production technology, and diversifying gas export.

Previously, the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, Yuriy Boyko, stated that Ukraine planned to set up domestic shale gas extraction in five years. Comparatively, it took the U.S. 20 years to accomplish a similar goal. By 2020, Ukraine plans to extract four to five billion cubic meters of shale gas annually. The country prospects to consume 53.7 billion cubic meters of gas with 26 billion of total domestic consumption.

Source: Worldwide News Ukraine

For information, contact Maria Ivanova +380443324784 news@wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine.

04Apr 2011

Shale Gas Wastewater Mobile Distillation Unit to reduce the volume of high total dissolved solids (TDS)

⋅ Leave a Comment

April 4, 2011, CANONSBURG, Pa., (Coal Geology) – Aquatech, a world leader in the development of wastewater recycling, reuse and treatment, has announced the start of deployment for its MoVap® unit at a field location in Western Pennsylvania. The MoVap® unit is a solution specifically designed for the wastewater treatment needs of oil and gas producers, starting in the Marcellus Shale region, which encompasses parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, New York and Maryland. When fully treated with the proprietary MoVap® solution, waters can be reused or returned to the environment in compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.

“MoVap® is all about providing high-quality and safe water treatment right at the wellhead to help best protect the environment while most efficiently tapping a clean-burning energy resource,” said Chuck Kozora, Regional Business Development Manager at Aquatech.

The hydraulic fracturing process, a proven technology which has existed for decades, has provided access to the Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits throughout the region. A single well can require over three million gallons of water as part of the well development process.

Aquatech’s MoVap® based innovative solution goes beyond simply recycling and reusing flowback and produced waters at the well pad. The solution provides a new standard for mobile water treatment, meeting compliance levels formerly associated with sophisticated stationary water treatment facilities.

“The MoVap® unit is designed to reduce the volume of high total dissolved solids (TDS) laden wastewaters from hydraulic fracturing operations on the well pad,” said Mr. Kozora.

“MoVap® represents a reliable, sustainable and adaptable solution. Reliability is tied to transparency. The on-site treatment capability makes it possible to know where the wastewater is going and how the water is managed throughout its lifecycle. Sustainability results from consistent, high-quality treated waters that set the industry standard for treated water quality. Adaptability is reflected in the mobility and scalability of Aquatech’s solutions, which can be customized to site conditions, from region to region, well pad to well pad.”

MoVap® based treatment at the well pad is high-quality wastewater treatment that delivers consistent water quality and promotes safety. The high-quality treated water delivered by MoVap® allows the gas producers the ability to simplify the water management at the well pad and promotes use of better quality water for hydraulic fracturing. This translates into safety of operations at the well pad and better-quality hydraulic fracturing.

MoVap® can be used in conjunction with other mobile and modular treatment solutions from Aquatech to give natural gas producers access to the full range of wastewater treatment options. Because the MoVap® unit is mobile, it can be transported to virtually any well pad. In addition, the company provides easy access to turnkey services that include a Shale Gas Team accessible 24/7/365. Aquatech provides on-site and remote monitoring of water treatment operations anywhere. Globally, the company treats over 600,000 barrels of oil and gas field produced water per day.

Because of its mobility, MoVap® will help natural gas producers minimize the amount of fresh water used in the well development process, and it will significantly reduce the volume of wastewater which must be disposed or treated off-site. This alleviates the burden on local water resources and roads which can see increased truck and equipment traffic during the drilling process.

About Aquatech

Founded in 1981 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, which is in the heart of the Marcellus Shale region, Aquatech is a global leader in water purification technology for industrial and infrastructure markets with a focus on the treatment of produced waters, desalination, water reuse and zero liquid discharge. Aquatech has specific experience in water treatment tied to the deployment of clean coal technologies, which represent a large portion of the Marcellus Shale region’s energy footprint. The company has offices throughout North America, and a significant presence worldwide through subsidiaries in Europe, the Middle East, India and China. The company has executed more than 1,000 projects in over 60 countries around the globe. Aquatech strives to provide technology leadership and performance excellence to the global water industry and it aims to support its clients with cutting-edge sustainable solutions, minimizing their life cycle treatment costs, as well as their carbon and water footprints. More information on the company is accessible at http://www.aquatech.com.

Contacts:

Chuck Kozora
Aquatech
724.746.5300
kozorac@aquatech.com

or

Tim O’Brien
O’Brien Communications
412.854.8845
timobrien@timobrienpr.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Aquatech

Web Site: http://www.aquatech.com

30Nov 2010

Shale Gas Development Drives U.S. Natural Gas Proved Reserves to Highest Level Since 1971

⋅ Leave a Comment

November 30, 2010 (Coal Geology): U.S. natural gas proved reserves, estimated as “wet” gas which includes natural gas plant liquids, increased by 11 percent in 2009 to 284 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), the highest level since 1971, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Summary: U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves, 2009 , released today. “Shale gas development drove an 11 percent increase in U.S. natural gas proved reserves last year, to their highest level since 1971, demonstrating the growing importance of shale gas in meeting both current and projected energy needs,” said Richard Newell, EIA’s Administrator. “Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania were the leading states in adding new proved reserves of shale gas during 2009,” he said.

Louisiana led the nation in additions of natural gas proved reserves with a net increase of 9.2 Tcf (77 percent) owing primarily to development of the Haynesville Shale. Both Arkansas (Fayetteville Shale) and Pennsylvania (Marcellus Shale) nearly doubled their reserves with net increases of 5.2 Tcf and 3.4 Tcf respectively. These increases occurred despite a 32 percent decline in the natural gas wellhead prices used to assess economic viability for 2009 reserves as compared to the prices used in reserves reporting for 2008.

Proved reserves of U.S. oil (crude oil plus condensate) also increased in 2009, rising 9 percent to 22.3 billion barrels. Texas showed the largest increase in reserve volume, while North Dakota had the second largest increase reflecting growth in the Bakken Shale. Unlike the situation for natural gas, where proved reserves grew robustly despite lower wellhead prices, the rise in proved reserves of crude oil was supported by a 37 percent increase in the crude oil prices used to estimate reserves.

Proved reserves are those volumes of oil and natural gas that geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in future years from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions. EIA’s estimates of proved reserves are based on an annual survey of about 1,200 domestic oil and gas well operators.

Summary: U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves, 2009 is available at:

http://www.eia.gov/naturalgas/crudeoilnaturalgasreserves

20Nov 2010

Coal Seam Natural Shale Gas at the Kansas Uniontown Project Show Excellent Potential

⋅ Leave a Comment

November 20, 2010, LAS VEGAS, NV -(Coal Geology)- UnionTown Energy Inc. (OTCBB: INBH), a publicly traded and fully reporting American Issuer, has signed a purchase agreement with JayHawk Energy Inc. for the purchase of a coal seam natural gas property called the Uniontown Project located in Bourbon County, Kansas.

[ReviewAZON asin="B004CRSSRE" display="inlinepost"]The property is located in the vast Cherokee Basin, which straddles Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. The property size is about 45,000 gross acres.

The Cherokee Basin is an intercratonic depression located in southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma that has been producing gas for over 80 years from carbonaceous shales and coals. In the past fifteen years there has been a systematic exploitation of these unconventional reservoirs in the basin. New techniques are constantly being employed that work specifically in some parts of the basin but not in others including hydrofracturing. The coals are generally less than two feet thick and carbonaceous shales of the Cherokee Group generally average four feet thick. The productive coals and carbonaceous shales are found from 200 to 2,500 feet and the coals have ASTM rank of high volatile A.

Reported gas content in the coals varies from 5 to 450 scf per ton. Gas quality varies from 96 to 98%% methane, 1% to 3%+ ethane +, 0.5&+ CO2 to 92% methane, a few percent nitrogen, and CO2 with BTU contents varying from 850 to 1050. Water rates vary from a few barrels to over 1000 barrels a day. Initial completion practices began with single-zone completions until 2002, when the State of Kansas vacated the rules preventing commingling several zones in the same well specifically being produced for coalbed methane and shale.

The closing of the transaction contemplated by the agreement will occur no later than December 15th, 2010.

Shale natural gas potential was recently featured on CBS’s 60 minutes with comments from Aubrey McClendon, the CEO of Chesapeake Energy, telling “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl that “In the last few years, we’ve discovered the equivalent of two Saudi Arabias of oil in the form of natural gas in the United States. Not one, but two.

About Uniontown Energy

Uniontown Energy Inc. is an Independent Oil & Gas Company whose focus is on the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas properties. The Company is pursuing a strategy of building a portfolio of energy producing assets that include coal bed methane, natural gas, shale gas, oil sands and deep natural gas throughout Western Canada and the United States. The Company’s flagship property is located in Kansas within the Cherokee basin, which has been producing gas from shale and coal deposits for over eighty years and has 2.8 Tcf of potential recoverable CBM. Please visit www.uniontownenergy.com