Georgia and fracking
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Oil and gas drilling has never taken place in Georgia, and exploration for conventional fossil fuels stopped in the 1970s. In the 2000s oil and gas companies began buying up leases to explore the state's shale plays. Most exploration in the state remains focused on the Conasauga shale field, which contains 625 trillion cubic feet of gas underlying Alabama. It has been reported that a similar amount could be underground in Northwest Georgia, but this so far remains speculative.[1]
Contents
Background
North Georgia has become a wildcatting ground for natural gas. Oklahoman Jerry Spalvieri's company, Buckeye Exploration, drilled a test well outside Dalton in Whitfield County in 2010. Spalvieri has 7,500 acres to drill. One hundred and 130 landowners leased him the mineral rights. Spalvieri offered $5 an acre for mineral leases.[2]
A 110-mile gas pipeline from Dalton, Georgia through Atlanta could commence summer 2016. Two interstate pipelines are planned in eastern and southwestern Georgia.[3]
Offshore Drilling
In January 2014, 300 residents of Kure Beach, North Carolina protested Mayor Dean Lambeth's decision to sign a letter, written by America's Energy Forum part of the American Petroleum Institute, supporting seismic testing for future offshore oil and gas drilling. The seismic testing is part of a plan to open an area 50 miles off the East Coast from Virginia to Georgia to oil and gas drilling by 2022. [4]
LNG Terminals
Southern LNG
Southern LNG is a re-gasification facility on Elba Island, in Chatham County, Georgia, five miles (8 km) downstream from Savannah, Georgia. The initial authorization for the Elba Island facility was issued in 1972. LNG shipments ceased during the first half of 1980.
On March 16, 2000, the project received Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization to re-commission and renovate the LNG facilities.[5]
On April 10, 2003, FERC issued an order authorizing the expansion of the facility, which included adding a second and third docking berth, a fourth cryogenic storage tank, and associated facilities. The expansion enabled an increase of working gas capacity and an increase of the firm sendout rate.[6]
El Paso Corporation, the owner of the Southern LNG facility, announced the start up of the expanded facility, called Elba II, on February 1, 2006. The expansion cost approximately $157 million and adds 3.3 billion cubic feet (93,000,000 m3) equivalent[7]
El Paso Corporation also applied for an additional expansion, on February 1, 2006, called Elba III, to double capacity again by 2010.[7] On September 20, 2007 FERC approved El Paso's expansion for Elba III.[8]
Citizen activism
Resources
References
- ↑ Dan Chapman, "Georgia tees up for next shale gas boom," AP, March 10, 2013.
- ↑ Dan Chapman "North Georgia becomes a hunting ground for natural gas," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Oct. 7, 2015.
- ↑ Dan Chapman "North Georgia becomes a hunting ground for natural gas," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Oct. 7, 2015.
- ↑ "NC town called 'ground zero' in offshore drilling fight shows political cost of backing Big Oil over local jobs" Facing South, January 2016.
- ↑ Elba Island LNG Expansion. - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
- ↑ "Order Authorizing Expansion". - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). - April 10, 2003. - (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF document)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 El Paso Corporation Announces Start of Service From Elba II Expansion - El Paso Corporation. - February 01, 2006
- ↑ "Commission approval of New, Expanded Natural Gas Facilities includes LNG, Storage, Pipeline Projects". - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). - September 20, 2007 | In Adobe Acrobat *.PDF document format | Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) - Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
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