When a Rig Moves In Next Door

[phantom power]

IN the sparsely populated pastures of De Soto Parish in Louisiana, the ability to extract gas from shale — which can involve a process known as fracking — has been welcomed as an economic windfall. Some residents call it a gift from God.

But 1,400 miles to the north, in Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania, shale gas development has divided neighbors, spurred lawsuits and sown deep mistrust. Along Grove Avenue in Montrose, the county seat, a billboard looms overhead, advertising the services of a personal-injury law firm. “HURT by DRILLING?” it asks.

Natural gas currently satisfies nearly a quarter of the nation’s power needs. And with vast methane reserves now available in previously inaccessible layers of shale deep underground, its position as a cornerstone of the domestic energy supply may well be secured for decades — if the public supports it.

...

The differences between De Soto and Susquehanna, both historically poor locales that are now rich fountains of natural gas, arise from a mixture of culture, geography and history. Understanding those differences may prove nearly as important as geology in determining how much gas will ultimately be produced — and at what cost.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/business/energy-environment/07frack.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

[Kennah]

1. If a rig moves in next door to one ...

... get hold of the documentary "Split Estate" and watch it. When the documentary "Gasland" comes out next month, get it. Then try to light your tap water on fire, before the fracking begins.

[guardian]

2. Know your mineral rights before you buy

Or you might end up with an oil well or natural gas well in your yard.