Surprise, surprise! You've been hoodwinked.
The gas produced in the Eagle Ford Shale has been singled out to be converted to LNG and exported, according to NGI's Shale Daily which is available only to subscribers (trial subscriptions are available).
Eagle Ford Production Targeted for LNG Export published by NGI's Shale Daily: December 19, 2011 The latest proposal by Cheniere Energy Inc. singles out the Eagle Ford Shale as a source of gas to be liquefied.
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Cheniere's Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC is developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal at one of Cheniere's existing sites that was previously permitted for a regasification terminal. The site is in San Patricio County, TX. The Eagle Ford is about 60 miles northwest of Corpus Christi, Cheniere noted.
Last week I posted an analysis on Bluedaze of the recently released Global Insight report from IHS. The report paints a picture of “inflationary pressures which will rocket through the U.S. economy as a consequence of higher natural gas prices.” Exporting domestic natural gas will create more demand which will cause higher natural gas prices.
Driving up natural gas prices isn't the only reason exporting gas is a bad idea. It takes 11 to 13 million gallons of water to frack a well in the Eagle Ford Shale. That fracking water and the associated water used in mining frack sand would water a whole lot of cattle.
Our current drought, the worst drought in Texas history, is predicted to last for several more years. In August the cost to Texas farmers was estimated at $5.2 billion in crop and livestock losses. The Texas Forest Service estimates the drought has cost us a half-billion trees so far. Sacrificing, water, our most precious natural resource to develop domestic gas then exporting that gas rather than saving it or for future use domestically makes no sense unless you only focus on short-term profits.
As the drought lingers, natural gas won't be the only thing that's more expensive. Water prices are already skyrocketing in some areas.
Growth of large private water companies brings higher water rates, little recourse for consumers by Jeremy Schwartz and Eric Dexheimer When Robert White opened his water bill last month, his jaw dropped: $250 for a month's worth of water and sewer service.
Surprise, surprise! Our water has been privatized!
White's water service is provided by a private utility owned by California-based SouthWest Water Co. LLC. Just across the four-lane Pflugerville Parkway, where White's neighbors in the Springbrook Glen subdivision — a nearly identical grid of neatly arranged brick-faced homes — get their water from Pflugerville, rates are on average about 60 percent less.
We've obviously been hoodwinked by the Big Gas Mafia. Development of natural gas resources has nothing to do with national security or energy independence and everything to do with further enriching the 1%. It has derailed our clean energy future and all the jobs possible in that more hopeful future.
And, if you think the royalties you receive might be worth the trade offs in environmental destruction, you better keep a very close eye on those royalty checks because the Texas Supreme Court just ruled that the Big Gas Mafia can commit fraud when paying you royalties.
