Revolution Watch---Natural Gas and Reality

I recently heard that natural gas was about to be exported to the Ukraine as a a way of putting it in Putin's face. With the Ukraine getting 80% of it's natural gas fuel from mother Russia it would seem they have themselves in a bit of a pinch-----along with most of Europe. So sure as hell, we get some of our politicians of both strips from Boehner to Udall  thinking it is time for us to start exporting our "abundant" natural gas all over the world.
/http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2013/11/05/78610/u-s-liquefied-natural-gas-exports/

The first time I heard this, (and that was we were already doing it), I was a bit startled, like soiling myself,  because it has been illegal to export crude oil and natural gas with a few exceptions. The gas out of the Cook Inlet in Alaska is sent to Japan (and that will be stopping soon as that source is getting weak ---and Anchorage is getting spooked). In the lower 48 we do export some but it is not in liquid form and it goes to Mexico and Canada. We also have been importing from them and have for years. The US is, for most purposes, self sufficient in natural gas, particularly since the fracking started.




Recently, however, there has been a push to be able to export some liquefied natural gas because there is a bit of a glut here due to the fracking---but keep in mind there may only be a 5% difference between a glut and a shortage. The push has come from gas companies who want to get more than $4 per unit as it cost around $6 to produce it in these new multimillion dollar frac wells----that would be the ones that last only about three years. It sells for up to $20 in other countries. There reasoning is obvious, and they don't really give a shit about the USA but want money.

The odd part of this all is that the amount of natural gas here is not really that abundant but everybody is all hyped up due to the narrative being seized by the gas companies. Art Berman an independent analyst has spelled this out clearly. The Bakken and Eagle Ford plays are already showing signs of being in decline with only the Marcellus showing strength. At present, Obama has approved a couple of liquidizations plants but they are NOT built and only one is started. The companies have said it will be 2015 before it is ready to go. So where the hell do we think we are going to get this liquid natural gas is beyond me.
http://oilprice.com/Interviews/Shale-Gas-Will-be-the-Next-Bubble-to-Pop-An-Interview-with-Arthur-Berman.html

It is also widely thought that by 2015 it will be obvious that there is not that much gas and no one will be willing to export it---as the price here goes up. Simply, the "Red Queen Affect" will kick in and no matter how hard they try they will not be able to increase production. Why these politicians think there is so much gas is beyond me. Either they are incredibly ignorant or are lying sons-a-bitches.

The other day a politician suggest we export crude oil. What? We import 7-8 million barrels a day! and will never be oil independent. What jackasses. What is this game? Most disturbing is that no one seems to even mention the idea that we may need to save some of this stuff for our kids and grand-kids. I mean, Jesus Christ, the alternatives so far discussed will never scale up. We have to drag this one-time allotment of fuels out as long as we can.

I guess my main point is that we need to get real. We need to understand what we have and what we do not. If we were to cut our fuel use by half, like Europe, this treasure we have in the ground, will last for maybe a century but if we sell it hither and yon it will be gone in my life time. Fricking idiots.