Five years into the exploration for natural gas in the Fayetteville Shale, most Arkansans know about the hydraulic fracturing process and its links to environmental havoc, including poisoned wells and radioactive wastewater in various parts of the United States and increased earthquakes here in Arkansas. Now, a mushrooming side industry is beginning to attract national attention to farming communities in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Read more »

The Fayetteville shale is one of the largest and highly concentrated natural gas resources in the US. The Fayetteville shale is located in Arkansas in the Arkoma Basin. The shale play has large amounts of undiscovered and technically recoverable hydrocarbon reserves. The shale is as deep as 1,000 to 7,000 feet with a thickness of 20 to 200 feet.

The shale looks to continue to grow into output and become a continued major player among the gas industry players.

Mining company Freeport-McMoRan is buying a pair of oil and gas producers for $9 billion, creating a natural resources conglomerate with assets ranging from oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico to mines in Indonesia.

Freeport-McMoRan, based in Phoenix, is paying $6.9 billion in cash and stock for Plains Exploration & Production Co., and $2.1 billion for McMoRan Exploration Co. Freeport will also assume $11 billion in debt in the deal. Read more »

The Nature Conservancy stated it will use a $900,000 commitment from Southwestern Energy Co. natural gas company to fund the first phase of the restoration of the Archey Fork area.

The organization announced Thursday November 8, 2012 the project will improve habitat for rare aquatic species and improve water quality at Greers Ferry Lake.

The Nature Conservancy has been working with various organizations to restore a 3.2-mile stretch of the Upper Little Red River at the confluence of the South Fork and Archey For, what was altered in the 1980s for flood control. Read more »