The latest monthly U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Drilling Productivity Report (DPR) for September, issued yesterday (below), shows EIA believes shale gas production across the seven major plays tracked in the monthly DPR for October will *decrease* production from the prior month of September–by a large quantity. This is the third month in a row EIA predicts shale gas production will decrease for the combined seven plays. EIA says combined natgas production will slide by 339 MMcf/d (million cubic feet per day)–roughly one-third of a billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). The Marcellus/Utica, called “Appalachia” in the report, is predicted to slump by 137 MMcf/d in October compared with September–the biggest slump of any of the seven plays.
Read More “EIA Sep DPR: Shale Gas Production Drops Like a Rock, M-U Leads Drop”

Methanol is a type of alcohol made primarily from natural gas. It’s a base material in acetic acid and formaldehyde, and in recent years, it is also increasingly being used in ethylene and propylene. Mixing methanol with substances like these enables it to be used as an intermediate material to make literally thousands of methanol and methanol derivative products used in practically every aspect of our lives. Methanol and its derivative products, such as ascetic acid and formaldehyde created via chemical reactions, are used as base materials in acrylic plastic; synthetic fabrics and fibers used to make clothing; adhesives, paint, and plywood used in construction; and as a chemical agent in pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals. Researchers in Japan say they’ve discovered a way to manufacture methanol from natural gas at room temperature in water using a special enzyme that can be easily mass-produced. Translation: It is a really cheap way to create new methanol.
Read More “New Cheap Way to Convert Methane to Methanol in Water at Room Temp”