Shale Gas News and Information

Copenhagen follow up

The Q+A following the Clean Skies/UN Foundation/Worldwatch Institute    conference of last Sunday gives some more background on shale as a carbon solution.  This was where Tim Wirth pointed out at this introduction that shale was "total mystery" to European regulators who "had no idea of what we were talking about".  The follow up Q+A   is well worth watching.  If only we had regulators like the US's Holmes Hummel here in Europe!

Check out the first question which came from the UK Daily Telegraph.  The question, and Aubrey McLendon's answer shows that some people still just don't want to know.   But where were the FT,  or Guardian or Independent?  FT Energy Source linked to the conference ( maybe because we told them) but there has been no other mention in the UK , or indeed any other press.  Speaking to the converted isn't going to change things.

The next day,  Exxon Mobil's takeover of XTO changed everything. Was the timing planned?  Let's hope it was.

Copenhagen is a bit of a bore,  at least until we saw Clean Skies pointing out the solution.  Latest news seem to be pointing out to a major defeat of Coal CCS.

The Telegraph is very confused on natural gas.  Damian Reece and Ambrose Evans-Pritchard speak sense, but others aren't reporters:  They are more like Alistair Buchanan's stenographer.

But something interesting in it today:  We think it's great news, although The Telegraph paints it as a defeat.

The clean-coal industry has been shut out of the global emissions trading scheme at the Copenhagen climate change talks, dealing a blow to the UK, US and Australia...

Ed Miliband, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, is a strong supporter of the fledgling technology, which attempts to siphon off carbon dioxide when coal is burnt and pump it into geological formations such as disused gas fields.
The UK Government has committed to funding four £1bn trial carbon-capture and storage plants, with the first due to be completed either by Scottish Power in 2014 or by E.ON in 2016.
It is understood that Brazil was largely responsible for blocking the inclusion of carbon capture and storage on the list of approved clean energy over concerns about “the long-term liability for the storage site, including liability for any seepage”.

Go Brazil!  At least someone is waking up to the Completely Crackpot Shambles that is Coal Carbon Capture and Storage.