Jim Mackinnon

Will shale revolution lead to oil finds larger than Eagle Ford?

ohio.com — How many more major shale fields remain to be discovered and tapped in the United States? Starr Spencer at Platts' The Barrel blog thinks it's likely lots more significant shale discoveries will be made in the very near future. Spencer: "Five years ago, the Eagle Ford Shale hadn't even been discovered, at least not officially.

Don't let fracking ruin Germany's beer industry

ohio.com — Finally, a genuine reason to want to ban fracking: It theatens Germany's beer makers. (OK, don't shoot the snarky/tongue-in-cheek blog-post messenger!) The Telegraph newspaper in Great Britain writes: "The [German] Brauer-Bund beer association is worried that fracking for shale gas, which involves pumping water and chemicals at high pressure into the ground, could pollute water used for brewing and break a 500-year-old industry rule on water purity."

U.S. racing against shale gas clock

ohio.com — Exporting liquified natural gas created from fracked shale in the United States will lead to economic benefits even as some warn shale does not have a long-term future, writes Daniel Graeber at OilPrice.com. "MIT physicist Ernest Moniz became the new energy secretary this week after sailing through the nomination process relatively unscathed.

How shale energy forecasts changed the world sooner than we thought

ohio.com — Too wrong for too long? Production predictions just two years ago about shale energy have proven to be way off, writes Sandy Fielden at RBN Energy LLC. Fielden: "If we look back to see what folk were forecasting for North American energy markets two years ago in 2011 and then compare that to today's actual data and forecast, what would that tell us about the changing pace of North American energy production?

S&P looks at shale impact on industries

ohio.com — Standard & Poor's has a new report out on the impact of shale energy on various industrial sectors. S&P says in a press release: "A report released by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, titled 'Game Changer: Industry Winners And Losers From The U.S.

Groups criticize Environmental Defense Fund on fracking support

ohio.com — Environmental groups that oppose shale fracking have sent a letter to the Environmental Defense Fund saying they disapprove of the group supporting the Center for Sustainable Shale Development.

Utica shale continues to show promise

ohio.com — Sandy Fielden at RBN Energy LLC writes that the Utica shale production numbers released last week "disappointed investors hoping for evidence of another Bakken or Eagle Ford. But the state data does not tell the whole story. Fielden: "Utica shale is not going to produce as much oil as the Bakken or Eagle Ford in the short term.

Is the Utica shale a bust?

ohio.com — Don't despair over the new production figures from the Utica shale in Ohio, writes John Kingston at Platt's blog The Barrel. Kingston: "The release of Ohio's 2012 production figures last week by the state hit the market with a thud, disappointing just about any analyst who checked in with their views.

EID Ohio: Natural gas pipeline concerns largely unfounded

ohio.com — Energy In Depth Ohio says that natural gas pipeline construction is largely environmentally safe and, when finished, typically not noticed by the general public. Shawn Bennett, director of corporate and community affairs for Energy In Depth Ohio, writes: "Pipelines are nothing new to us in Ohio, or anywhere across the United States for that matter.

Energy predictions difficult, especially about the future

ohio.com — Everyone needs to keep in mind that predictions about energy production often prove wrong, writes Kurt Gobb at The Christian Science Monitor's EnergyVoices blog. He notes physicist Niels Bohr's tongue-in-cheek observation, "Predictions are very difficult, especially about the future." Cobb writes : " ...