The push for natural gas exporation and development is increasing:

By Jack Z. Smith / Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Thursday, March 11, 2010

"HOUSTON -- Shale-gas fields such as the Barnett Shale in North Texas are a "game-changer," a "veritable shale gale" that could account for 50 percent of the U.S. gas supply by 2035, according to a study released Wednesday.

Shale gas now accounts for about 20 percent of the U.S. natural gas supply, up from just 1 percent in 2000, said Daniel Yergin, chairman of international energy consulting firm IHS CERA, which announced its study results at its CERA Week 2010 energy conference.

The shale-gas phenomenon "is long-lasting, it is powerful, it has a major impact on the North American energy picture," Yergin said.

According to the study, environmental risks of shale-gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing on groundwater supplies are minimal because of "considerable geological separation, including impermeable rocks, between the underground fraccing sites and drinking water supplies."

Mary Barcella, director of IHS CERA’s North American gas group, said, "The standout finding is that the shale-gas deposits are at very deep locations several thousand feet below" groundwater aquifers, so "the seal there is pretty good," assuming a well is properly drilled." More>>>>