BBC discovers shale

Until now the BBC, the outlet which usually leads UK print media and puts it to shame, has not had it's finest hour in reporting on shale gas.

But now even they have suddenly discovered shale, and unlike those who report shale more as a US phenomenon, the BBC goes straight to what we've always said is the heart of it all:

  Upgraded shale gas reserves are particularly relevant ahead of the Copenhagen summit, as it could help the world meet the Kyoto targets for carbon emission cuts,

With coal being too dirty and wind farms and nuclear power plants arriving late, it seems the world is left with a stark choice: keep on polluting or turn out the lights.

Unless, that is, someone comes up with an alternative.
Energy executive Rune Bjornson thinks he has the answer.

"Natural gas, more than any other fuel, is an option we have here and now," he tells the BBC in an interview.

The video is the really interesting part here:  Bjornson when asked for a comparison of shale reserves in Europe says they are 14 times those of the Troll field, which is already the largest off shore field in Europe and in the US the reserves are "significantly more".

We have to point out here that it is Statoil who supply 80% of UK gas imports, so we're glad to see they are being listened to.

The BBC, in the spirit both of "balance" and good old fashioned English pessimism (notice we didn't say British pessimism) is desperate to create a controversy.  So who pops up, but Arthur Berman the world's most popular shale gas debunker.  Of course that is a very small field.  In fact, apart from Berman, it's empty.

The Texas-based geological consultant believes the latest estimates are vastly exaggerated and suggests the shale gas reserves are neither as large as nor as profitable as many in the industry predict.

The BBC doesn't provide balance to the many who have an alternative view on Berman :

HOW ARTHUR BERMAN COULD BE VERY WRONG…

There isn't anything in the BBC story that hasn't been said here at some length and some months ago.  However, to have shale put into the spotlight, directly discrediting previous BBC lights are going out stories will be important in changing the UK energy debate.  With a piece on shale in the UK's small, but influential Spectator Magazine, unavailable online,  and some other news coming up that we know of,  ignorance will soon be no excuse for UK energy "experts".

Which leads us back to the BBC piece, directly to No Hot Air's target audience:

Unconventional gas will exert downward pressure on energy prices for years to come," predicts Mr Sterne - in the US, as well as elsewhere.
"As shale gas fields come on line in the next five years, it is likely that European prices will drop in half."

Which leads us to ask:  Why use an energy consultant in a world where security of supply and energy prices risk no longer exist?

Comments

[Andy]

The "alternate link" does not work.

[Guru]

Link is fixed now