July Newsreel: Crosstex Selling Assets, Jicarilla Apache Make ROW Deal, Most Arctic Natural Gas in Russian Territory

Nearly a third of the natural gas yet to be discovered in the world is north of the Arctic Circle and most of it is in Russian territory, according to a new analysis led by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey. Alaska also is believed to hold a significant storehouse, according to a report published in the Anchorage Daily News.

"These findings suggest that in the future the ... pre-eminence of Russian strategic control of gas resources in particular is likely to be accentuated and extended," said Donald L. Gautier, lead author of the study published in the journal Science. He noted that Russia is already the world's leading natural gas producer. The report, by an international scientific team, estimated that the Arctic also contains 3-4% of the world's oil resources yet to be discovered.

Two-thirds of the undiscovered gas is in just four areas - the South Kara Sea, North Barents Basin, South Barents Basin and the Alaska Platform - the report said. The South Kara Sea off Siberia contains 39% of the Arctic's undiscovered gas, the researchers said. The Alaska Platform extends from the central North Slope to offshore waters in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. The report says this portion of Alaska offshore and onshore:

• Contains an estimated 8% of the Arctic gas, or an estimated 38 Tcf, about as much as has been discovered in the Prudhoe Bay area.
• Contains more than 31% of the Arctic region's undiscovered oil, or an estimated 28 billion barrels - not quite twice as much as has been produced from the North Slope since 1977.

Off Alaska's northern coast, at least two major oil companies - Shell and ConocoPhillips - have sought to explore for offshore oil and gas but have faced opposition from Native communities and environmentalists.

Russia has been active in asserting its claim to parts of the Arctic. It first submitted a claim to the United Nations in 2001 but was rejected for lack of evidence. The United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway have also sought to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic. Russia insists that an underwater mountain range crossing the polar region is part of its continental shelf.

Energy Transfer Technologies Earns Texas Environmental Excellence Award

Dallas-based Energy Transfer Technologies, Ltd has received the 2009 Texas Environmental Excellence Award in recognition of innovative technology to reduce pollution. The award is presented by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on behalf of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives.

Energy Transfer Technologies provides a “dual drive” compression concept whereby a combination of gas engines and electric motors are used to move natural gas through pipelines, drastically reducing both emissions and operating costs. Energy Transfer’s ESelect® Dual Drive® patented technology allows its compressors to switch between gas and electricity in response to changes in demand for electricity.

The compressors, which run mainly on electricity, switch to gas engines during peak demand times to help avoid the need to add generating capacity. For each 1,500-hp Dual Drive running on electricity there can be up to a 95% reduction in exhaust emissions along with reductions in noise, waste oil and coolant usage. The same technology can be applied to other industries that pump fluids such as municipal water systems.

New Technology Seen As Revolutionizing Gas Pipeline Checks