Due to the growth in natural gas production from shale gas, the United States is benefiting from some of the lowest prices for natural gas in the world and faces the question of how to best use this resource. Different segments of the U.S. economy have different perspectives on the role natural gas can play. Suppliers, which have become the victims of their own production success, are facing low prices that are forecast to remain low. Some companies that have traditionally produced only natural gas have even turned their attention to oil in order to improve their financial situation. Smaller companies are having a difficult time continuing operations and larger companies, have bought into many shale gas assets. Prices have remained low even as consumption has increased, in part, because producers have raised production to meet the demand and because companies have improved efficiency and extraction techniques. This book examines what has changed in the natural gas industry and focuses on the demand side and ancillary benefits to the U.S. economy.

Natural gas is considered a potential bridge fuel to a low carbon economy because it is cleaner burning than its hydrocarbon rivals coal and oil. Natural gas combustion emits about two-thirds less carbon dioxide than coal and one-quarter less than oil when consumed in a typical electric power plant. Additionally, improved methods to extract natural gas from certain shale formations has significantly increased the resource profile of the United States, which has spurred other countries to try to develop shale gas. If the United States and other countries can bring large new volumes of natural gas to market, then natural gas could play a larger role in the world's economy. This book examines key aspects of global natural gas markets, including supply and demand, as well as major U.S. developments.

This book examines the internal and external implications of Israel's natural gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean. The nation's changed status from being an importer of coal and oil to that of an exporter of natural gas has consequences not only for the energy sector but also for the fragile geopolitics of the region. The book: Explores the challenges and issues of energy economics and governance; Analyses Israel's gas diplomacy with its neighbours in the Middle East and North Africa and its potential positive impact on the amelioration of the Arab-Israeli conflict; Studies how Israel can avoid the deleterious impact of the Dutch disease once the government's share of the export revenues start flowing. The author traces a consummate picture of history, politics, and conflicts that shape the economics of energy in Israel and its future trajectories. A major intervention in Middle East studies, this volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of energy studies, development studies, strategic studies, politics, diplomacy, and international relations. It will also be of interest to government agencies, think-tanks, and risk management firms.

What should a country do if it suddenly discovers oil and gas? How should it spend the subsequent cash windfall? How can it protect against corruption? How can citizens truly benefit from national wealth? With many of the world's poorest and most fragile states suddenly joining the ranks of oil and gas producers, these are pressing policy questions.

"Oil to Cash" explores one option that may help avoid the so-called resource curse: just give the money directly to citizens. A universal, transparent, and regular cash transfer would not only provide a concrete benefit to regular people, but would also create powerful incentives for citizens to hold their government accountable. "Oil to Cash" details how and where this idea could work and how policymakers can learn from the experiences with cash transfers in places like Mexico, Mongolia, and Alaska.

This book addresses a question of importance for both theory and practice: Why are joint venture agreements preferred over other types of agreements such as concession agreements, service contracts, and production sharing agreements in the Qatari gas industry? On a theoretical level, the author analyses this decision-making process by developing an approach that integrates a micro-level analysis, more specifically within international oil companies, with a macro-level analysis that spring from the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry. At the micro level, the author proposes John Dunning's eclectic paradigm (as one set of theoretical ideas) to explaining one element of the decision-making process leading to the preference for joint venture agreements, that is, that of international oil companies. At the macro-level, the author proposes Antony Giddens' structuration theory (as another set of theoretical ideas) to explaining another part of this decision-making process, that is, how it is being shaped by the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry. On an empirical level, the proposed book applies a combination of a micro-economic approach such as Dunning's eclectic paradigm with a macro-sociological approach such as Giddens' structuration theory by empirical investigation. Grounded on a qualitative strategy that focuses on the meaning-making which brings together different perspectives of this decision-making process including those of international oil companies and the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry, the proposed book utilises a case study design, named the case of the Qatari gas industry. The author employs a triangulation of data collection techniques to access empirical data: analysing official documents and semi-structured interviews (a sample of the interview questions are included in an appendix to the proposed books). In line with the qualitative nature of this proposed book, a thematic Analysis is adopted to interpret data based on Dunning's eclectic paradigm at the micro level and Giddens' structuration theory at the macro level. In doing so, this book connects theory with practice by investigating the preference for joint venture agreements in the case of the Qatari industry by the combined application of one of the most effective frameworks for explaining foreign direct investment, named Dunning's eclectic paradigm along with the most complex sociological framework that offers a rich definition of organisational culture, named Giddens' structuration theory. Audience could include academics, professionals, and graduate and senior undergraduate students.

Reviews shale reservoir characteristics and cut-offs used in ranking development opportunities and selecting specific completion intervals. The included information is concise and practical as it is primarily intended for those directly engaged in shale evaluation and development activities. The book expands upon topics the author covers in three industry short courses that have been conducted for hundreds of industry professionals in a dozen different countries.

Gas transit is network-dependent and it cannot be established without the existence of pipeline infrastructure in the territory of a transit state or the ability to access this infrastructure. Nevertheless, at an inter-regional level, there are no sufficient pipeline networks allowing gas to travel freely from a supplier to the most lucrative markets. The existing networks are often operated by either private or state-controlled vertically integrated monopolies who are often reluctant to release unused pipeline capacity to their potential competitors. These obstacles to gas transit can diminish the gains from trade for states endowed with natural gas resources, including developing landlocked countries, as well as undermine WTO Members' energy security and their attempts at sustainable development. This book explains how the WTO could play a more prominent role in the international regulation of gas transit and promote the development of an international gas market.

Gas transit is network-dependent and it cannot be established without the existence of pipeline infrastructure in the territory of a transit state or the ability to access this infrastructure. Nevertheless, at an inter-regional level, there are no sufficient pipeline networks allowing gas to travel freely from a supplier to the most lucrative markets. The existing networks are often operated by either private or state-controlled vertically integrated monopolies who are often reluctant to release unused pipeline capacity to their potential competitors. These obstacles to gas transit can diminish the gains from trade for states endowed with natural gas resources, including developing landlocked countries, as well as undermine WTO Members' energy security and their attempts at sustainable development. This book explains how the WTO could play a more prominent role in the international regulation of gas transit and promote the development of an international gas market.

This volume studies the driving forces behind the development of the European gas market and the uncertainties facing the industry in Europe. There is widespread consensus within Europe about the advantages of natural gas to reduce air pollution and to enhance energy supply diversification. Thus taking into account these most fundamental prerequisites for increased gas demand, this volume addresses the more immediate question of how the conglomeration and organisation of European gas industries will be influenced by this latent demand potential. The purpose of this book is to focus both on the analysis of evolutionary organisational processes within the gas industry, and the pressures for change provoked by external forces such as interfuel competition, environmental imperatives and new trends in European economic policies. The potential for structural change in the organisation of the European gas industry is discussed, as well as the political, economic and commercial factors affecting its progress. With the present uncertainty as to whether the gas industry will take advantage of the obvious market opportunities that are opening up, this book takes a close look at the European gas industry at this time of change, and analyses how this process may develop and the possible implications this will have on the gas industry.

By most estimates, global consumption of natural gas - a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and oil - will double by 2030. However, in North America, Europe, China, and South and East Asia, which are the areas of highest-expected demand, the projected consumption of gas is expected to far outstrip indigenous supplies. Delivering gas from the world's major reserves to the future demand centres will require a major expansion of inter-regional, cross-border gas transport infrastructures. This book investigates the implications of this shift, utilizing historical case studies as well as advanced economic modelling to examine the interplay between economic and political factors in the development of natural gas resources. The contributors aim to shed light on the political challenges which may accompany a shift to a gas-fed world.

By most estimates, global consumption of natural gas - a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and oil - will double by 2030. However, in North America, Europe, China, and South and East Asia, which are the areas of highest-expected demand, the projected consumption of gas is expected to far outstrip indigenous supplies. Delivering gas from the world's major reserves to the future demand centres will require a major expansion of inter-regional, cross-border gas transport infrastructures. This book investigates the implications of this shift, utilizing historical case studies as well as advanced economic modelling to examine the interplay between economic and political factors in the development of natural gas resources. The contributors aim to shed light on the political challenges which may accompany a shift to a gas-fed world.

The global energy transition from carbon-intensive to renewable fuels has increasingly demanded a better understanding of the causes and consequences of the rapid development of unconventional oil and gas. Focusing on key countries including the United States, Canada, China, Argentina, the United Kingdom and Australia, this book consists of case studies and in-depth analyses that weigh up the risks and rewards at regional, national and global scales. Explaining how and why unconventional fuels are transforming the global energy landscape, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are explored through a political, economic and governance-based perspective. Emphasis is placed on how to regulate the industry, encompassing local issues, stakeholder engagement and the social licence to operate. The new baseline studies and standards introduced in this book provide a timely insight into the trade-offs across the social, economic and environmental domains, making this ideal for researchers and policymakers in energy fields, and for graduate students.

The federal government has been extensively involved in the production, storage, and use of helium since the early part of the twentieth century. The federal helium program is currently managed by the Department of the Interior's BLM. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Interior purchased about 34 billion cubic feet of crude helium for conservation purposes and to meet federal helium needs, such as for the space program and scientific research. Crude helium is a gas of 50 to 85 percent helium. While some of this helium was used to meet federal needs, most of it was retained in storage. The funds used to purchase this helium became a debt owed by the program. This book examines urgent issues facing BLM's storage and sale of helium reserves and perspectives of users.

Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used to free oil and natural gas trapped underground in low-permeability rock formations by injecting a fluid under high pressure in order to crack the formations. The composition of a fracturing fluid varies with the nature of the formation, but typically contains mostly water; a proppant to keep the fractures open, such as sand; and a small percentage of chemical additives. Some of these additives may be hazardous to health and the environment. The Shale Gas Production Subcommittee of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) has recommended public disclosure, on a well-by-well basis, of all the chemical ingredients added to fracturing fluids, with some protection for trade secrets. This book provides an overview of current and proposed laws and regulations at the state and federal levels that require the disclosure of the chemicals added to the fluid used in hydraulic fracturing.

Within the next five years, the United States may become a large exporter of natural gas for the first time in decades. Increased development of U.S. natural gas resources, particularly shale gas, along with low domestic prices in recent years and idle liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, have drive: change in the US. The United States has exported some amounts of natural gas for close to 100 years, but has generally imported more than it has exported. However, imports have been declining since 2005, while exports have been climbing. As the debates over the economy, energy independence, climate change, and energy security continue, Congress is beginning to face important questions regarding a potential increase in U.S. natural gas exports. This book examines the changes in the U.S. natural gas market and the prospects and implications of the United States becoming a significant net natural gas exporter.

"An academic career was in front of me, but I sampled the oil and gas industry and stayed. Thirty years later I became CEO of an international company based in Greece." Michael Earle's story is full of exploration and adventure from beginning to end. He witnessed the aftermath of the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and felt the threat of nuclear war between Pakistan and India; in the Sahara Desert he crossed a minefield in the war zone between Libya and Chad, and he was attacked by gigantic hornets in the spectacular mountains of Papua New Guinea - all in the line of duty. Extensive international travel came with the territory, and the narrative contains interesting portraits of many countries, and insights into the pros and cons of expatriate life. Finally, I am CEO recounts the hard lessons learned at each stage of a tortuous path through corporate life, and how passion for work and the need to support a family strained marriages and determined career choices.

The Global Oil & Gas Industry: Stories from the Field relates specific examples of challenges in decision making, changing business practices, and the difficulties in executing complex projects across the global industry. From contentious border disputes over mineral rights to the emergence of industry disrupters shaking the status quo, each story presents contemporary issues to distill lessons that are transferrable to management challenges both inside and outside of the global oil and gas industry. Bestselling PennWell authors Andrew Inkpen and Michael Moffett join with industry expert Kannan Ramaswamy to provide a narrative of 18 stories, each highlighting a different aspect of the industry. This collection provides an enriching, thought-provoking look into a business that many believe to be globally mature, but as these stories intimate, are increasingly local, emerging, and evolving with the global economy. Features and Benefits: Examples of the complex business situations in oil and gas and how excellent (and sometimes less-than-excellent) leaders navigate these difficult circumstances. Insights into the decision making of oil and gas companies from around the world Different themes that span the entire industry value chain: upstream, midstream, and downstream Timeless truths for the hydrocarbon sector and for many other businesses

Fluid-Solid Interactions in Upstream Oil and Gas Applications, Volume 78 delivers comprehensive understanding of fluid-rock interactions in oil and gas reservoirs and their impact on drilling, production, and reservoir hydrocarbon management. The book is arranged based on intervals of the oil and gas production process and introduces the basics of reservoir fluids and their properties, along with the rheological behavior of solid-fluid systems across all stages of the reservoir, including drilling processes, acidizing, and fracking. The reference then addresses different application-specific issues, such as solid-fluid interactions in tight reservoirs, the applications of nanoparticles, interactions during the EOR processes, and environmental concerns.

This study aims to raise policy makers' awareness of the business case for investing in gas flaring and methane reduction projects. It focuses on mid-sized flares that are too small to be prioritized by oil companies but represent 58 percent of global flare volumes.

Gas Lift Systems Design and Optimization: A Modern Modeling Approach captures how to optimize gas lifted fields using various modeling tools and communications technologies. This book presents a holistic design that assures a comprehensive system methodology. To help achieve the goals of production optimization, this text examines certain vital concepts such as - fluid properties and inflow capacities, gas lift design options, gas lift supply and production gathering facilities as well as operation of processing equipment. Furthermore, various field management strategies are demonstrated in this solid approach, which will enable engineers to apply and achieve many key performance indicators in field operations. A technical book that covers all aspects of production optimization of gas lift systems, it details efficient and practical ways of designing and managing gas lifted network systems from a field perspective. Gas lift system optimization methods described herein establish that superior economic benefits can be achieved if each component of the whole network is reviewed and optimized, instead of optimizing the well performance alone. Additionally, the book highlights the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science technologies that are available today to take asset optimization to greater heights and extend its benefits. The author brings to the table his 30+ years of leading-edge insight and practical know-how, which will equip the reader with the wisdom to embark on field gas lift system optimization using modern, pragmatic, applied, and proven methods.

Contamination Control in the Natural Gas Industry delivers the separation fundamentals and technology applications utilized by natural gas producers and processors. This reference covers principles and practices for better design and operation of a wide range of media, filters and systems to remove contaminants from liquids and gases, enabling gas industry professionals to fulfill diverse fluid purification requirements. Packed to cover practical technologies, diagnostics and troubleshooting methods, this book provides gas engineers and technologists with a critical first-ever reference geared to contamination control.

Natural Gas: A Basic Handbook, Second Edition provides the reader with a quick and accessible introduction to a fuel source/industry that is transforming the energy sector. Written at an introductory level, but still appropriate for engineers and other technical readers, this book provides an overview of natural gas as a fuel source, including its origins, properties and composition. Discussions include the production of natural gas from traditional and unconventional sources, the downstream aspects of the natural gas industry. including processing, storage, and transportation, and environmental issues and emission controls strategies. This book presents an ideal resource on the topic for engineers new to natural gas, for advisors and consultants in the natural gas industry, and for technical readers interested in learning more about this clean burning fuel source and how it is shaping the energy industry.

Exploration and characterization of conventional and unconventional reservoirs using seismic technologies are among the main activities of upstream technology groups and business units of oil and gas operators. However, these activities frequently encounter difficulties in quantitative seismic interpretation due to remaining confusion and new challenges in the fast developing field of seismic petrophysics. Seismic Petrophysics in Quantitative Interpretation shows how seismic interpretation can be made simple and robust by integration of the rock physics principles with seismic and petrophysical attributes bearing on the properties of both conventional (thickness, net/ gross, lithology, porosity, permeability, and saturation) and unconventional (thickness, lithology, organic richness, thermal maturity) reservoirs. Practical solutions to existing interpretation problems in rock physics-based amplitude versus offset (AVO) analysis and inversion are addressed in the book to streamline the workflows in subsurface characterization. Although the book is aimed at oil and gas industry professionals and academics concerned with utilization of seismic data in petroleum exploration and production, it could also prove helpful for geotechnical and completion engineers and drillers seeking to better understand how seismic and sonic data can be more thoroughly utilized.

Atmospheric Impacts of the Oil and Gas Industry provides the most up-to-date scientific and technological methods available to quantify oil and gas industry emissions and atmospheric impacts in a manner that is relevant to the development of, compliance with, and enforcement of effective policy and regulations. The book offers a concise survey of these methods to facilitate the implementation of solutions that promote sustainable energy production. Part I covers a technical and descriptive summary of air quality and global change issues relevant to the oil and gas industry, with Part II summarizing state-of-the-art methods pertaining to the analysis and solution of the problems identified in the earlier section. Examples of state-of-the-art methods covered include real-time monitoring with chemical ionization mass spectrometry, drone-mounted mini-lasers and gas cells, tomographic remote sensing, inverse modeling of emissions, 3D fluid, chemical, and transport models, and contemporary control technologies, such as flare minimization, oxidation catalysts, and vapor recovery. In addition, field studies, policy-relevant modeling assessments, and regulatory decisions from multiple geographic regions are presented, providing readers best practices from real world applications.