2009 was a boom year for Marcellus shale gas exploration. Will the good times continue in 2010?



For Pennsylvanians, shale gas exploitation is jumpstarting the economy of the chronically depressed northern regions of the Commonwealth. Jobs, lease fees and associated gas industry spending are already giving the region’s economy a much-need boost.



Benefits of shale gas production are not limited to Pennsylvanians; all Americans stand to gain from the gas bonanza.… Continue

Russian energy giant Gazprom’s deputy chief executive, Alexander Medvedev, belittled the future of shale gas production, suggesting the break-even price for shale projects is too high to be commercially viable.



Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?



Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and Russia’s largest company. The energy giant supplies about one-quarter of the European Union’s (EU’s) natural gas. For some countries, Gazprom has what… Continue

Marcellus shale gas production promises a bountiful supply of domestically produced clean natural gas for millions of American consumers. Why then, is the city of New York adamantly opposed to gas drilling and what impact will their resistance have on Pennsylvanians?



In late December, the Department of Environmental Protection for New York City asked state officials to ban natural gas drilling in the Catskills watershed. Their reason? Concern that the city's upstate drinking water… Continue

A few weeks ago, Energy behemoth Exxon/Mobil purchased domestic natural gas supplier XTO, a company heavily invested in the Pennsylvania shale gas business.



On Wall Street, XTO share prices rose following the merger announcement. Indeed, the value of many companies involved in domestic shale exploration surged on the news of the purchase. The XTO purchase is the most significant acquisition Exxon has made since they purchased Mobil back in 1999. What does this thirty-one… Continue