http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Natural gas is an abundant energy resource for the United States, but much of it remains trapped in shale or tight-sand formations. Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology hope to develop a way to extract that gas by studying the energy source at the molecular level. http://phys.org/news223120669.html Space & Earth Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:40:01 EST news223120669 Crews in Pennsylvania gained control Friday of a natural gas well that blew out and spilled thousands of gallons of chemical-laden drilling fluid into the environment over two days. http://phys.org/news222709133.html Space & Earth Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:39:09 EST news222709133 (PhysOrg.com) -- Japanese officials increased the nuclear crisis level at the Fukushima plant on Monday to match that of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. But, unlike the Soviet disaster, most of the radiation from the Fukushima plant is spread locally, and that's an important distinction, said New York Times reporter Matthew Wald, who has written about energy for more than 30 years. http://phys.org/news222086046.html Technology Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:34:23 EST news222086046 The greenest car you've likely never heard of will soon be hitting Honda showrooms across the United States as the Japanese automaker expands sales of its compressed natural gas powered Civic. http://phys.org/news221808540.html Technology Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:29:20 EST news221808540 The turmoil in oil-producing nations is triggering turmoil at home, as rising oil prices force Americans to pay more at the pump. Meanwhile, there's a growing industry that's promising jobs and access to cheaper energy resources on American soil, but it's not without its controversy. Deborah Kittner, a University of Cincinnati doctoral student in geography, presents, "What's the Fracking Problem? Extraction Industry's Neglect of the Locals in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Region," at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers. Kittner will be presenting April 14 at the meeting in Seattle. http://phys.org/news221736498.html Space & Earth Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:28:45 EST news221736498 (PhysOrg.com) -- This flow chart of the estimated US energy use in 2009, assembled by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), paints a pretty sobering picture of our energy situation. To begin with, it shows that more than half (58%) of the total energy produced in the US is wasted due to inefficiencies, such as waste heat from power plants, vehicles, and light bulbs. In other words, the US has an energy efficiency of 42%. And, despite the numerous reports of progress in solar, wind, and geothermal energy, those three energy sources combined provide just 1.2% of our total energy production. The vast majority of our energy still comes from petroleum (37%), natural gas (25%), and coal (21%). http://phys.org/news221588062.html Technology Sat, 09 Apr 2011 17:14:47 EST news221588062 The United States faces tough questions as it tries to plot its energy future in the wake of the Japan nuclear disaster and long-running environmental and security concerns, analysts say. http://phys.org/news220762821.html Technology Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:30:04 EST news220762821 Natural gas extracted from the nation's coal beds and methane-rich geologic features must first be purged of hydrogen sulfide before it can be used as fuel. Until now, processing methods have often proved to be inefficient, requiring large amounts of heat. http://phys.org/news219054575.html Space & Earth Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:28:44 EST news219054575 (AP) -- Wyoming, famous for its crisp mountain air and breathtaking, far-as-the-eye-can-see vistas, is looking a lot like smoggy Los Angeles these days because of a boom in natural gas drilling. http://phys.org/news218812341.html Space & Earth Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:14:17 EST news218812341 (PhysOrg.com) -- Our fossil fuel reserves are limited. When they run out, we will not only be lacking in fuel, but chemical industry will lose its most important feedstock. In contrast, natural gas has barely been used as a raw material. If it were possible to efficiently convert methane, the main component of natural gas, into chemically useful materials like methanol, we would gain some time to make the transition to alternative sources of raw materials. http://phys.org/news218794559.html Chemistry Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:40:01 EST news218794559 (PhysOrg.com) -- A Californian company has found a way to reduce the cost of making steam for use in extracting oil from old oil fields: they heat the water using free sunlight. http://phys.org/news218263854.html Technology Wed, 02 Mar 2011 06:50:01 EST news218263854 Thinking big while focusing on small, a solar company and a national energy lab combined talents to develop a solar power concentrator that generates electricity at prices competitive with natural gas. http://phys.org/news217089130.html Technology Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:32:51 EST news217089130 Every time a car brakes, energy is generated. At present this energy is not used, but new research shows that it is perfectly possible to save it for later use in the form of compressed air. It can then provide extra power to the engine when the car is started and save fuel by avoiding idle operation when the car is at a standstill. http://phys.org/news216298254.html Technology Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:51:10 EST news216298254 (PhysOrg.com) -- Using seawater and calcium to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) in a natural gas power plant's flue stream, and then pumping the resulting calcium bicarbonate in the sea, could be beneficial to the oceans' marine life. http://phys.org/news214673171.html Space & Earth Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:40:01 EST news214673171 A team of Northern Illinois University scientists, with a major role played by NIU Ph.D. students, has discovered a new, convenient and inexpensive way to make high performance hydrogen sensors using palladium nanowires. http://phys.org/news214141175.html Nanotechnology Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:39:53 EST news214141175 Hawaii may be the first state in the nation to successfully build a fueling infrastructure that will support thousands of hydrogen fuel cell cars. http://phys.org/news213957524.html Technology Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:00:01 EST news213957524 Russia vowed Friday to keep Finland fully informed about the environmental impact from the controversial Nord Stream natural gas pipeline to Europe it is currently building under the Baltic Sea. http://phys.org/news211209807.html Space & Earth Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:24:34 EST news211209807 The University of British Columbia welcomed the announcement of federal support for research and development of natural gas engine technology. http://phys.org/news206368271.html Technology Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:31:22 EST news206368271 (PhysOrg.com) -- The pace and extent of Marcellus Shale development across Pennsylvania can be "seen" in animated maps produced by the Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research. http://phys.org/news205508090.html Space & Earth Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:50:03 EST news205508090 Electric cars hold greater promise for reducing emissions and lowering U.S. oil imports than a national renewable portfolio standard, according to research conducted by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. http://phys.org/news204813206.html Technology Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:50:01 EST news204813206 A severance tax on natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania would add to the operating costs of gas drilling companies, but the resulting increase in state revenue would yield positive results for the state’s economy and population, according to a new report by two researchers at Penn State. http://phys.org/news203697295.html Other Sciences Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:00:03 EST news203697295 If you are looking for an environmentally friendly automobile, think about getting a hybrid car or one running on natural-gas. In terms of CO2 emissions both perform significantly better than gasoline or diesel fuelled vehicles. On behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Empa has conducted an investigation into the CO2 emissions of hybrid cars. When compared to natural gas fuelled vehicles, hybrids do better during inner-city driving, whereas on the motorway natural gas has the upper hand. http://phys.org/news203678729.html Space & Earth Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:26:02 EST news203678729 (AP) -- Hundreds of people are gathering outside a theater in Binghamton, N.Y., ahead of what is expected to be a pair of contentious public hearings on a federal study of a natural gas-drilling technique. http://phys.org/news203533026.html Space & Earth Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:57:24 EST news203533026 Americans are using less energy overall and making more use of renewable energy resources. http://phys.org/news201864904.html Technology Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:35:26 EST news201864904 (AP) -- Federal researchers studying a natural gas drilling technique that involves blasting chemical-laced water into the ground got an earful from residents who say it's poisoning them and killing their animals and from industry experts who say it's being unfairly demonized. http://phys.org/news199078281.html Space & Earth Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:50:01 EST news199078281 Chemical engineers at Purdue University have developed a new method to process agricultural waste and other biomass into biofuels, and they are proposing the creation of mobile processing plants that would rove the Midwest to produce the fuels. http://phys.org/news197724374.html Technology Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:26:34 EST news197724374 Two Rice University researchers are calling on policymakers to encourage the transition from coal-based electricity production to a system based on natural gas through a carbon tax. http://phys.org/news197720494.html Space & Earth Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:22:04 EST news197720494 Natural gas will play a leading role in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions over the next several decades, largely by replacing older, inefficient coal plants with highly efficient combined-cycle gas generation. That’s the conclusion reached by a comprehensive study of the future of natural gas conducted by an MIT study group comprised of 30 MIT faculty members, researchers, and graduate students. The findings, summarized in an 83-page report, were presented to lawmakers and senior administration officials this week in Washington. http://phys.org/news196699271.html Space & Earth Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:41:37 EST news196699271 Some bacteria destroy oil. Might those bacteria lead oil companies to change their methods of harvesting the energy of the oil while at the same time reducing the carbon dioxide that burning oil and gasoline discharges into the atmosphere? Steve Larter thinks that may be possible. http://phys.org/news195970744.html Space & Earth Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:19:23 EST news195970744 An estimated 223 trillion cubic feet (tcf) (mean estimate) of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas are in the Nile Delta Basin Province, located in the Eastern Mediterranean region. http://phys.org/news193925003.html Space & Earth Mon, 24 May 2010 13:40:01 EST news193925003