Back in 2008, near the height of the natural gas drilling boom in the Barnett Shale, more than 200 drilling rigs operated in the big North Texas field. With the collapse in natural gas prices this year, that number is down nearly 80 percent from its peak.

But not in the northwestern reaches of the field. In Montague, Jack and Wise counties, there is nearly as much drilling activity as in 2008, accounting for half the 48 rigs now in the Barnett. Read more »

Oil hovered above $80 a barrel Thursday June 28, 2012 in Asia amid signs the U.S. economy, the world's largest crude consumer, may be improving.

Benchmark oil for August delivery was up 10 cents at $80.31 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 85 cents to settle at $80.21 in New York on Wednesday.

In London, Brent crude for August delivery was down 40 cents at $93.10 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. Read more »

Active drilling in the Marcellus shale is going to solve the United States’ economic problems, and Janney Montgomery Scott knows why.

Not only Janney, but other large financial planning firms, banks, businesses and even the housing market.

Trickle-down.

That, at least, was the consensus of Thought Leadership in the Shale Gas Industry held recently at the University of Pittsburgh. Read more »

There are a few societal costs to the development of shale gas. Potential contamination of groundwater, complications in treating and recycling water used in fracking. Then there’s air pollution from leaking methane (a potent greenhouse gas) and from the diesel-powered rigs and trucks involved in drilling. Read more »