Marcellus Shale Distribution
The New York Times
Posted on 04/08/2008 7:41:12 PM PDT by neverdem
Marcellus Shale Distribution
The New York Times
HUGHESVILLE, Pa. — At first, Raymond Gregoire did not want to listen to the raspy voice on his answering machine offering him money for rights to drill on his land. They want to ruin my land, he thought. But he called back anyway a week later to hear more.
By the end of February, he had a contract in hand for $62,000, and he pulled together a group of 75 neighbors who signed $3 million in deals.
“It’s a modern-day gold rush in our own backyard,” Mr. Gregoire said.
Not just his backyard either — a frenzy unlike any seen in decades is unfolding here in rural Pennsylvania, and it eventually could encompass a huge chunk of the East, stretching from upstate New York to eastern Ohio and as far south as West Virginia. Companies are risking big money on a bet that this area could produce billions of dollars worth of natural gas.
A layer of rock here called the Marcellus Shale has been known for more than a century to contain gas, but it was generally not seen as economical to extract. Now, improved recovery technology, sharply higher natural gas prices and strong drilling results in a similar shale formation in north Texas are changing the calculus. A result is that a part of the country where energy supplies were long thought to be largely tapped out is suddenly ripe for gas prospecting.
Pennsylvania, where the Marcellus Shale appears to be thickest, is the heart of the action so far. Leasing agents from Texas and Oklahoma are knocking on doors, leaving voice mail messages and playing host at catered buffets to woo dairy farmers and retirees. They are rifling through stacks of dusty deeds in courthouse basements...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
ping
PGR88, you are talking like a real dipstick. Western PA is gorgeous land and Hickory is a beautiful place that I often admire on the drive to my daughter's college. As a matter of fact, you can see the lights of the drilling location (Hickory)on in the evenings. I'm glad they are prospering. Appalachia-style rural poverty my a$$!!!!
They are beautiful places, but far away from where the bulk of non-farm jobs are in PA. How’s that for an accurate statement? The people there usually have some money, but there are not a lot of people in the area. Lots of times they are jobs like trucking that take the men away from the area for a while.
It’s where people move to that want to own land and do. Some beautiful farms, cattle and horse stables. Noticed last week how all the farm animals were out in the fields. Beautiful spring!
Gut reaction: Cow stomach holds key to turning corn into biofuel
newsroom.msu.edu | 04/08/2008 | Michigan State University
Posted on Tuesday, April 08, 2008 03:56:21 PM by Red Badger
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1998607/posts
Breakthrough In Biofuel Production Process
Science Daily | Apr. 8, 2008 | staff
Posted on 04/08/2008 6:43:55 PM PDT by saganite
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998765/posts
I live in Eastern PA, and it’s the first time I heard of this. Amazing story....
The public hates instability in gas prices, so when prices were low, many policies were put in place to dampen market movement, to protect producers; these include foreign “allies” and influential oil producers; with prices riding high, a little natural market instability might be a good thing.
I live here - so I know. These areas are beautiful, but that has nothing to do with the poverty I see. In Cattaragus or Allegheny counties in NY - any idea of what % of population has medicaid health insurance? 50%.
DRILL like HELL!
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