Thursday, June 30, 2011

What? Natural Gas without Hydraulic Fracturing?

One of the biggest arguments by opponents of natural gas development  has always been about hydraulic fracturing and water; "too much water" and "too high a risk to drinking water" since water is featured well drilling, well stimulation and in the disposal of the spent water.
Would the process of obtaining natural gas be more favorable if it did not use chemicals? How about if the process used a “greener” technology? Luca Technology yesterday filed an S-1; they are going public. This Colorado based company has developed a process where naturally occurring coal digesting microbes along with water and nutrients are injected into coal beds. The bacteria essentially consume the coal and produce “biogenic” methane. What this does is “grow” gas from depleted coal bed reservoirs thus leading to a new term "natural gas farming."
One would think that this process would be a welcome change. However, the environmental activists have weighed in. They argue that the process still has the ability to impact the drinking water aquifers. 
Natural gas development naysayers need to start putting out ideas and stop acting as road blocks to those who are trying to move forward. Change is inevitable, become a part of the change by contributing useful solutions. Change always brings new challenges and obstacles; it is all about overcoming the challenges and obstacles. Our energy problem needs a solution. A typical naysayer really doesn’t know how to respond to challenges because they choose not to be solution driven but instead focus on the problems and never move past the problem.

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