Thursday, May 12, 2011

Roof Caving In On Horwath/Cornell Study

The Scottish energy research firm, Wood Mackenzie (http://www.woodmacresearch.com/) became the latest expert to release an analysis of Professor Horwath's claim that gas is dirtier or as dirty as coal on carbon emissions that leaves it in tatters.

Horwath overestimated the average amount of gas vented during gas well completion and flowback stages by 60-65% and the impact from emissions during well completions by up to 90%, according to Wood Mackenzie.

Wood Mackenzie found that Horwath ignored in his analysis practices like reduced emission completions that are common in mature shale plays.  Reduced emission completions are not an act of idealism.  They capture gas that of course increases production.

Wood Mackenzie also points out that Horwath absurdly assumes all gas is vented and none is flared.  Venting is banned in some states and flaring is common.

Generally Wood Mackenzie found that Horwath uses a very limited, "obsolete, and erroneous data" set and then used that faulty foundation to produce a false indusrty average.

Hopefully the fall of the Horwath study will receive the same attention as its rise.

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