Pennsylvania congressman backs export of shale gas

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Pennsylvania Congressman Glenn "GT" Thompson says he favors exporting Marcellus shale natural gas to countries like China that do not have free trade agreements with the United States.

Thompson -- whose Fifth District is the state's largest in area and sits squarely atop the massive Marcellus fields in northern and central Pennsylvania, acknowledges in a Tribune-Review interview that this position on exporting might appear to contradict his previous statements favoring Marcellus shale exploration so that America can secure its energy future and wean itself from foreign dependency.

But the congressman says that's only because the situation with exploration has rapidly changed. He said he now believes the United States could eventually find itself with a surplus of gas with no place to go.

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Thompson's comments to the Trib appear to differ from what was displayed Tuesday on his congressional Web page. The page includes comments like these from a February press release: "Situations like that in Egypt continue to underscore the need to cease America`s reliance on foreign energy. Our prosperity as a nation is dependent upon access to sustainable, low-cost energy and I will continue to push for a comprehensive energy plan that meets these demands, promotes American energy and builds a foundation for long-term economic growth and security."





Read more: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_733052.html#ixzz1K6UwWPZm

[Curmudgeoness]

1. The old "wean us off of foreign energy" line is a lie. It always has been.

The truth is that they have always been looking out for the wealthy oil and gas companies who intend to make money on the open market. The same thing happens with our oil. It is not oil for the US. It is oil to ship to the highest bidder. Did anyone expect the gas industry to be any different?

Here is an idea, if there is more gas than we can use because we are drilling so much, slow up on the drilling and we will have gas available for a lot longer.

[Ikonoklast]

2. There is a LOT of gas in the Marcellus.

They know there's a huge amount, but the real question is just how huge is it.

I read one engineer speculate that if had a delivery system in place, every vehicle in this country could be fueled with LNG.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. That may be possible, but I doubt that it would be probable.

The oil industry is not willing to give up their golden goose and fight hard against any new technology.

I wonder how long the gas will last if that were to happen. We do a LOT of driving. If I remember correctly, they were estimating that there was enough gas in the Marcellus to meet all the US needs for 100 years. But that would be under the present consumptions.

[Ikonoklast]

4. Don't think they can stop this.

They are pricing themselves out of the market, and natgas is very clean-burning.


I would love to see it happen.

[NickB79]

6. Too bad we now know shale gas is worse than coal for global warming

Oops.

[Taverner]

5. And in the long run, you make more money that way

Think about if no one has gas and we do - cha ching!

[Curmudgeoness]

8. That is what I was thinking. It isn't like Marcellus gas is milk.

It will not go bad if it stays there a while longer.

[livetohike]

7. He's my idiot Representative

I have been to town halls where he just spouts the standard GOP bull. He isn't very bright, either.

[greiner3]

9. I remember then pipeling from Alaska's North Shore;

Was being proposed. It would be safe, would not harm the environment or animals. In fact Exxon and BP ran expensive ads showing migrating animals next to pipelines. This made it ok in the eyes of the sheeple and a token protest was put up. Ha. 30+ years later and the pipeline leaks more than my grandfather after his prostate problems.

Oh and another thing. The pipeline was proposed as a way to cut our dependence on foreign oil. Jokes on us again. Most of the oil pumped through there had already been earmarked for delivery to Japan. After this fact became public the PR guys at there oil companies said this was ok because the oil was going there to be distilled and we would reap the benefits. What were we, stupid?

[freshwest]

10. Absolutely. Most people missed that element. I suppose this operation in PA will be fracking, too.