Interesting incoming from Don Young via France....In April, 2010, Radio France International sent reporter, Murielle Paradon, to north Texas to tape interviews for a report on natural gas in the Barnett Shale, or as they say in France, "le gaz de schist."
(Photo above from Muriella Paradon's report of a Gas Drilling operation in Denton, Texas)
Why would people in France be interested in the Barnett? In January, Total, the French energy giant acquired 25% of Chesapeake Energy's Barnett shale assets for 2.25 billion. Total said it is "conscious of the environment impact and is confident in Chesapeake's ability to contain any damage." I wouldn't bet the chateau on that, Francois.
Murielle caught up with me on April 24 at Prairie Fest in Fort Worth. She also toured a gas rig and visited a playground-park in Denton and various other folks in the region. My French is not so good, but I'm pretty sure this report is one of those that tries to tell both sides of the issue.
Click on the small, red "headphone" button labeled "Ecouter" to listen in French.
Below is a slightly fractured translated English excerpt:
Exploitation of gas in Texas
By Murielle Paradon
It is the new gold rush in the United States: the schist gas. Natural gas enclosed in the rock, that the companies are from now on able to extract, thanks to novel methods: horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Thanks to that, the United States became into 2010 the first gas producers in the world, in front of Russia. The gas producer companies drill from now on with all goes. In Texas, where is most productive the schist gas layer of the United States, Barnett shale, the companies do not hesitate to install their derricks downtown full. What is not without posing problems with the local population. Between the environmental noise pollutions and risks, anger goes up.
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