Anyone wanting to open up their land for natural gas drilling should watch the movie GASLAND from HBO first! These companies have no regard for you. They just want to get access to your land but research if the small monetary benefits outweigh the risks!
I bet you believe The Bachelor is all real as well.
As a matter of fact, I don’t watch that garbage. However, I do live in an area that’s been drilled for gas in the past. They left rusting orphan wells and orange colored waste water ponds. Our water looks like a transparent rainbow and has a film when it settles. Needless to say, we don’t drink it. I was also born in West Virginia where coal companies routinely destroy the land and pollute the water through moutaintop removal with no regard to humans or nature. And, oh by the way, have you heard about the little oil spill? Why should we believe that these companies have our best interest at heart when current events obviously show otherwise. And why shouldn’t what one guy with a video camera be true? I’m not a moron, I’ve done more research than just watch one documentary. I know we need gas, oil, and coal. There just are more responsible ways to get it. People should have full disclosure at all the risks before believing the propaganda set out by these companies to lease their land. It is not free money.
What I am getting at is not all oil companies are bad. Sure there are some, but there are bad eggs in all aspects of life. The media bashes the oil and gas companies every chance they get but forget to acknowledge when a company does right. This is big money business, of course there is going to be a lot of attention.
I bet you don’t own any mineral land do you?
I bet you think global warming is caused by fossil fuel use don’t you?
Tim, I believe you have spoken the honest truth.
I realize pollution happens when minerals are extracted. But, so does wealth which by definition of capitalism is unstoppable and demands exploitation of these assets. Being responsible also means finding a balance between doing no harm and maximizing profit. Too much emphasis in either direction stops any progress.
As gasoline is slowly approaching $4.00 a gallon again do we do nothing or do we embark on a national program to use natural gas as an automotive fuel? Who is more evil - foriegn governements who sell us oil that we borrow money from the Chinese to buy or deal with the local energy companies who can be regulated? Its a case of the lesser of two evils isnt it? No government direct investment would be needed and it would create lots of jobs. I live in West Virginia and gas wells are a lot less intrusive than mountaintop removal.
From the January 11, 2011 Energy Information Agency Short Term Energy Report:
EIA expects regular-grade motor gasoline retail prices to average $3.17 per gallon this year, 39 cents per gallon higher than last year and $3.29 per gallon in 2012, with prices forecast to average about 5 cents per gallon higher in each year during the April through September peak driving season. There is regional variation in the forecast, with average expected prices on the West Coast about 25 cents per gallon above the national average during the April through September period. There is also significant uncertainty surrounding the forecast, with the current market prices of futures and options contracts for gasoline suggesting more than a 25 percent probability that the national average retail price for regular gasoline could exceed $3.50 per gallon in the June through September period in 2011 and an 8 to 10 percent probability that it could exceed $4.00 per gallon in August and September 2011.
Craig Bessinger said:
As gasoline is slowly approaching $4.00 a gallon again do we do nothing ......
I agree with you that something needs to be done, and I’m willing for it to be natural gas, but cars that run on natural gas haven’t been big sellers to date. I know the city of Dallas TX. had a small fleet of small natural gas fueled cars. They were small, underpowered, barely had 200 mile range and had few refueling stations. All problems that can be solved, but not quickly, and not without the market demanding it. I wouldn’t hold out much hope for natural gas fueled cars. The manufacturers seem intent on selling us electric and gasoline/ electric hybrids.
Craig Bessinger said:
As gasoline is slowly approaching $4.00 a gallon again do we do nothing or do we embark on a national program to use natural gas as an automotive fuel? Who is more evil - foriegn governements who sell us oil that we borrow money from the Chinese to buy or deal with the local energy companies who can be regulated? Its a case of the lesser of two evils isnt it? No government direct investment would be needed and it would create lots of jobs. I live in West Virginia and gas wells are a lot less intrusive than mountaintop removal.
Chuck Hill, San Diego Ca.
Clean natural gas is the correct and best automotive fuel. San Diego City Transit System, for years has equipped
130 city buses, operatiing on CNG. For a fraction of the cost of refined gasoline, the city can operate a city
bus for hundreds of miles a day. Low maintenance, clean exhaust. Think about it.? ! ? ! ? ! ? !
Good for San Diego. I probably wouldn’t consider waiting a few minutes for a bus to be a hardship there. I don’t think I can say the same about N. central Texas at the moment. It’s 12 degrees farenheit where I am right now. 112 degrees F isn’t an unheard of number either. Totally unpredictable weather might be part of the reason rapid transit doesn’t really seem to have flourished here. RWK
PLEASE FOLKS!! I understand the excitement of your possible windfall of "found money" and I realize all the freedoms and possibilities that may be provided to you by these, but before you make YOUR decision please watch the documentary "Gas Land"..…
Thank You
Concerning natural gas vehicles…It the ole’ chicken & the egg deal. We need the infrastructure of refueling stations before consumers will feel comfortable buying natural gas powered transportation & we need vehicles on the road before we can justify refueling stations. In OK (a big natural gas producer) several On Cue stations & independants either have or are planning on putting in the refueling equipment. OKC & Tulsa already have the stations and soon the entire state will have enough stations scattered to give the consumer enough confidence that they can find fuel when needed to consider a “alternate fuel vehicle” purchase.
A representative from Cheasapeke Energy just contacted us to lease our land for natural gas exploration. She led me to believe that all my neighbors have signed leases and if we don’t they will just go around our property or under it. She said that it was a courtesy they called us at all to offer us monetary compensation for the future truck traffic and damage to our rural road that we will experience. She said that it didn’t matter whether we leased or not it would happen with or without us. I explained concerns of ground water pollution through the fracking process. She said that it only expands from the drilling site 18 to 22 inches. What a laugh. I told them to keep their money. Even though it may still go on anyway I will at least have the peace of mind that I didn’t partake of it.
Steve said:
PLEASE FOLKS!! I understand the excitement of your possible windfall of "found money" and I realize all the freedoms and possibilities that may be provided to you by these, but before you make YOUR decision please watch the documentary "Gas Land"..…
Thank You
Hello Heather, that sounds pretty fishy to me, have you sought legal advice on what your rights are on this if any? I suspect they are attempting to pay you now so they can avoid extreme expenses later from the damage they probably know they will cause to your life and property, not out of courtesy but in order to buy you off for cheap in advance… just my opinion… good luck to you
heather norris said:
A representative from Cheasapeke Energy just contacted us to lease our land for natural gas exploration. She led me to believe that all my neighbors have signed leases and if we don't they will just go around our property or under it. She said that it was a courtesy they called us at all to offer us monetary compensation for the future truck traffic and damage to our rural road that we will experience. She said that it didn't matter whether we leased or not it would happen with or without us. I explained concerns of ground water pollution through the fracking process. She said that it only expands from the drilling site 18 to 22 inches. What a laugh. I told them to keep their money. Even though it may still go on anyway I will at least have the peace of mind that I didn't partake of it.
Steve said:
PLEASE FOLKS!! I understand the excitement of your possible windfall of "found money" and I realize all the freedoms and possibilities that may be provided to you by these, but before you make YOUR decision please watch the documentary "Gas Land"..…
Thank You
Heather, It sounds like you may be a surface owner without the minerals. If the money wasn’t sufficient to pre-pay for undetermined damage to your surface and allow them to use your property then, you did the right thing. They will have to go around your land to get to their wells. Also, as time goes by, if they cause damage to your property you will then have specifics to pursue.
We always hate to see the Government involved in any of our problems, but maybe they are part of the answer. Why can't the US Government impliment a requirement of so much of a percent of new automobiles to be capable of buring natural gas by a certain timetable. Such as 10% of cars by five years, 20% by ten years and such. We have natural gas available all over the US and the Government needs to step on Big Oils feet and say enough is enough, we will take care of ourselves, Thank You. It is the Big Oil Lobbiest who are hurting the average Joe American. Drilling for Natural Gas has slowed to a trickle, while drilling for oil has increased world wide. It's just another struggle, because most of the oil producers are the same people who are the natural gas producers. We are like an addict on hooked on drugs, we cannot give up our old habit of oil. Change is hard to do. I have been around Natural Gas fields all of my 51 years of life and have lived in Phillips County, Montana who has had production of Natural Gas for almost 90 years and as a county we have had little or no problems with pollution or contamination associated with drilling that is public knowledge. I being a past hard rock driller can still see that problems can exist and we need to safe gaurd against that, but the past should help us understand what we need to do to drill the land safely. This is a chance to create jobs, use our own resources, make money and but cleaner burning natural gas in our vehicles.
The slow down in natural gas drilling is a direct result of the success we have had in completing horizontal shale gas wells..So much gas production has been "connected" to the market, the price has dropped & doesn't seem to be increasing..Pure supply & demand.
As far as using LNG in vehicles..the oil & gas industry is all for it. Just need refueling stations to make it practical for the driver..Chicken & egg..I am sure other states are working on this as I know Oklahoma is.
Gas Land is nothing but a distorted picture. Did you read (in the wall street journal article) about the woman in Penn. that noted her water burned back in the 30’s long before fracking existed.