Natural Gas Fueling the future

April 12, 2013
There continues to be much discussion about natural gas for a variety of reasons, not just the large reserves made possible because of Shale gas deposit development, but also because the associated economic repercussions to industry and manufacturing around the world.

There continues to be much discussion about natural gas for a variety of reasons, not just the large reserves made possible because of Shale gas deposit development, but also because the associated economic repercussions to industry and manufacturing around the world.

The good news is that low gas prices make manufacturing and the feedstock for chemical facilities more competitive which devolves to needing the associated control systems to operate the processes safely and reliably. Unfortunately, it also means that pure play gas producers here in Canada who have to pay for shipping the gas to market are hurting and refocusing their efforts on gas plays with high liquids (propane and heavier) content. However ALL of us are seeing lower heating bills as a result.

Another good news story is on the environmental front because natural gas is one of the cleaner hydrocarbons and is displacing coal as an electricity generation fuel source. Regardless the environmentalists see perceived negative environmental aspects associated with “fraccing.” Fracturing technology has been used for decades, albeit at lower pressures because sandstone is more friable than shale however proper controls are certainly easier to implement with something better understood like this technology.

What made me think of the above was an interesting infographic from Oil & Gas IQ http://www.oilandgasiq.com/gas-oil-production-and-operations/articles/infographic-global-natural-gas-reserves-production/&shownewswindow=1&mac=OGIQ_FOF&utm_source=OilGasIQ&utm_medium=Eloqua&utm_campaign=130412OG_FOF_&utm_content=dlc&utm_term=dlc  based on data provided by BP in their Annual Energy review http://www.bp.com/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=7500&contentId=7068481

On a personal note, I look forward to seeing many of you at the ISA Calgary Conference http://isacalgary.com/sessions-thursday/ next week where I will be making a keynote presentation at 14:00 April 18. Hope to see several of you there.

Sponsored Recommendations

Municipalities are utilizing inline total solids measurements to enhance sludge thickening, lower polymer usage and cut operational expenses.
Carbon dioxide is increasingly recognized as a vital resource with significant economic potential. While the conversion of carbon dioxide into products is still in its infancy...
Discover our wide range of temperature transmitters that convert sensor signals from RTDs and thermocouples into stable and standardized output signals!
An innovative amine absorption-based carbon capture process enables retrofitting of existing industrial facilities to reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors, with advanced ...