Natural Gas

Connecting Hog Farms To Pipelines Could Streamline Methane Gas Energy

Will Michaels — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:26:07 +0000

Researchers at Duke University say they have shed more light on the prospects of using hog waste to produce energy.

What Is The Future Of Fracking In North Carolina?

Nicole Campbell and Frank Stasio — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:10:37 +0000

The natural gas extraction process called hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, has been a source of debate and contention in the state for quite some time now. It involves drilling horizontally through thousands of feet of shale and blasting the shale with water, sand and chemicals to release natural gas. Several states allow the process, some are in the process of figuring out how to regulate it, and some, like New York, have placed a moratorium on the process due to environmental concerns.

Fracking North Carolina: What Do We Do With The Waste?

Richard Ziglar — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

The price of natural gas has fallen to all time lows and is replacing dirtier fuels like coal. So why are environmentalists so concerned about drilling for natural gas here in North Carolina? The process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, used to release the gas from the surrounding shale rock brings with it its own environmental problems including massive amounts of wastewater. This is the second story in our “Fracking North Carolina” series.

Fracking North Carolina: Why Now?

Richard Ziglar — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:33:37 +0000

North Carolina has never been a player in natural gas production, but that could change thanks to a new extraction process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Fracking involves cracking shale rock to release natural gas so that it can be pumped out of the ground. This story is the first in a special “Fracking North Carolina” series.

There’s a North Carolina sound that only a few dozen people have ever heard: gas escaping from a well in Lee County.

Standing in front of a well called Butler #3, you can see that it’s a shut-in well, which means it’s been capped with something called a “Christmas tree.” The Christmas tree is only about five feet tall; it’s painted green and it has three shut-off valves coming out of it. It’s set up this way so people can come back and attach pipes to it, but it has been shut off since the 1990s.

New Emissions Standards Could Make Natural Gas Cheaper Than Coal

Isaac-Davy Aronson — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 21:13:37 +0000

A new study from Duke University says new air quality standards could spur a shift away from coal power to natural gas as a means of generating electricity. A natural gas boom has already made it almost as cheap as coal to turn into electricity, but when researchers factored in new emissions standards from the Environmental Protection Agency, they found that most coal electricity will become as expensive as gas, even if gas prices rise.

Lee County Residents Ponder Fracking

Jessica Jones — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Lee County is one of a handful of central North Carolina areas known to have natural gas reserves. Ever since state legislators passed a law to allow the horizontal drilling method of extracting natural gas known as fracking, county residents have been wondering when and if they’ll see gas wells sprouting up in their backyards. People in the community are divided over what fracking could mean for them.

Governor Creates Fracking Task Force

Jessica Jones — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:10:00 +0000

Governor Bev Perdue has issued an executive order creating a task force to develop regulation for the controversial natural gas drilling practice known as fracking.

"Propane Village" Opens In Raleigh

Isaac-Davy Aronson — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:40:00 +0000

A training center opens in Raleigh this afternoon to highlight the latest uses for propane. North Carolina is the second largest user of the fuel behind California. John Jessup is the executive director of the North Carolina Propane Gas Association. He says propane burns cleaner and is cheaper than gasoline and diesel. He also says the natural gas boom is behind the boost in the propane supply.

Lawmakers Discuss Fracking

Jessica Jones — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:35:00 +0000

A legislative committee that's studying a method of natural gas drilling sometimes called fracking met in Raleigh today. Representatives of oil and gas interest groups as well as environmental non-profits spoke at the meeting. Ray Covington of Lee County is a co-founder of a company that has entered into mineral rights agreements with many landowners in the area.

Duke Conference Examines Fracking

Eric Hodge — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

The boom of shale gas extraction in the US and elsewhere has prompted Duke University to organize a two day conference on the topic. Organizers say the controversial process of gas extraction called fracking will be one of the main focuses of the gathering. Rob Jackson is a professor of environmental sciences at Duke and one of the event's organizers. He says his department is ready to monitor water supplies if fracking is allowed to take place in this state.