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Gold/Mining/Energy : Big Dog's Boom Boom Room -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E_K_S who wrote (158371)	10/10/2011 1:56:15 AM
From: clochard	Respond to of 206183

They should be trying to transport NG to the rest of the US for use as a replacement for imported oil and LNG. Exporting LNG only helps other countries and by 2016 there might be a lot of competition by foreign frackers.

To: E_K_S who wrote (158371)	10/10/2011 2:08:41 PM
From: Dennis Roth	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 206183

>> add liquefaction facilities to the existing Dominion Cove Point terminal. << Oddly enough, Cove Point used to have liquefaction facilities. It was first opened in the 70's as an import facility, then mothballed for a long time. Then a liquefaction train was added and it was operated as a winter peak demand storage facility for Baltimore Gas and Electric. Most recently it was changed back into an import facility, more storage and regas capacity was added and the liquefaction train ripped out. Now they want to become an export facility and put a liquefaction train back in. FWIW, I live 11 miles from the facility and have followed the goings on there for some time.

To: E_K_S who wrote (158371)	2/8/2012 7:53:08 AM
From: Dennis Roth	3 Recommendations Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 206183

Sierra Club opposes Maryland LNG export terminal Tue Feb 7, 2012 5:44pm EST reuters.com * Group says exports will raise prices, harm environment * Companies seek to export abundant U.S. shale gas * US DOE weighing whether exports are in national interest By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The Sierra Club is challenging plans to export liquefied natural gas from Maryland, continuing its fight against the gas industry's push to sell the nation's abundant shale gas abroad. The group filed a formal objection with the Energy Department against Dominion's Cove Point export project, arguing that exports of liquefied natural gas would raise prices for consumers and expand use of "destructive" drilling techniques to extract shale gas. "Liquefied natural gas is not only the dirtiest and most polluting form of gas, but it also requires an increase in fracking; a process we know to be unsafe and dangerous," Deb Nardone, director of the group's natural gas reform campaign, said in a statement. The group called on the government to undertake an environmental review that weighs the effects of drilling for shale gas, an assessment that has not been included in previous evaluations of gas export terminals. The issue of LNG exports has become an increasingly hot button issue as some lawmakers raise concerns that exports could make natural gas more expensive for U.S. households and manufacturers. Industry groups contend that exports are needed to maintain strong domestic production, especially as the current gas glut forces companies to cut back on output. Advances in fracking, which involves injecting a cocktail of water, sand and chemicals under ground to release the fuel, have transformed the U.S. oil and natural gas industry. Several years ago the industry was preparing to import LNG to meet U.S. energy demands, but thanks to the sharp increase in domestic shale gas production, companies are now seeking rights to export gas from more than half a dozen terminals, including Cove Point. Critics of shale gas production say fracking threatens drinking water and allowing exports would increase the practice. Environmentalists also charge that the amount of energy needed to produce LNG is on par with coal. Shale gas drillers strongly dispute the notion that fracking is unsafe, saying the practice has been carried out for decades without significantly harming the environment. HISTORIC MOMENT The Sierra Club has challenged two other terminals and plans to actively oppose all planned export projects. Cheniere Energy received an export permit for its Sabine Pass terminal and has applied for another permit for a second project. Companies including Southern, BG and Sempra are also in the queue. Under U.S. law, the Energy Department cannot deny exports to 15 countries that have bilateral free trade agreements with the United States, a list that will soon expand when pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama take effect. Exports to other countries are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The Energy Department is currently conducting a study evaluating whether LNG exports are in the national interest, which is expected to be released in the next few months. "This is a historic and precedent setting moment," said Christopher Smith, deputy assistant secretary in the department's Office of Fossil Energy, at a utility commissioners' meetings on Tuesday. Smith said the government would consider a number of factors including the impact on prices, energy security and the nation's trade balance as it evaluates whether projects should go forward.