Eagle Ford Air Quality to be Monitored - TCEQ

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has plans to monitor emissions levels related to the Eagle Ford Shale. The commission will place monitors in 24-Eagle Ford counties. This comes as no surprise as San Antonio is already close to reaching nonattainment. That means San Antonio is close to not meeting EPA standards for emissions. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston are the only two areas in Texas considered nonattainment areas. If the Eagle Ford development adds significant emissions in the San Antonio metropolitan area, it's not likely the city will stay in compliance with federal standards. With monitors in place, we should know relatively soon. Natural Gas and oil production do not directly contribute to higher emissions levels, but truck traffic and remote power sources do. The use of both will decrease as adequate pipeline infrastructure comes online and as electric utilities bring power to the more remote areas of drilling. 

With recent Texas and EPA squables regarding water in the Barnett Shale, it will be interesting to see how this evolves in South Texas. Eagle Ford Shale water concerns have lead headlines to date, but it won't take much publicity from the EPA to bring air quality to the forefront of everyone's thoughts.

Read more about the commissions monitoring at bizjournals.com

Eagle Ford Barges Taking Crude to Houston - New Orleans - Port Arthur

Barges are being utilized to move Eagle Ford crude oil to refining markets in Houston, New Orleans, and Port Arthur. Kirby Corp, a company that operates inland barges, said yesterday that as many as 140 barges across the U.S. are being used for crude oil. (That's in all areas and not just the Eagle Ford). The 140 represents a ten-fold increase from a decade ago. Moving oil on barges had become an almost non-existant business until plays like the Eagle Ford began producing oil in areas without spare pipeline capacity. Without pipelines, you begin looking for the next best thing. Utilization rates for trucks, tanks, and barges are at modern day highs.

Some of the Eagle Ford movements will be ultimately be kind of medium term" said Pyne, adding that pipelines under construction will eventually replace some of the barges as a means to carry crude from the Eagle Ford.

"But I do think that the the volume coming out of the Eagle Ford and Canadian crude that is being exported to Baton Rouge is sustainable."

Shale oil from the Eagle Ford deposit in southeast Texas has come on strong this year, rising to 272,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June from 70,000 bpd in April, according to energy consultancy Bentek. Some experts say it could top 400,000 bpd by 2013.

Read the full news release at reuters.com

Eagle Ford Shale Jobs Available

Available jobs in the Eagle Ford Shale are now easier than ever to locate through the Eagle Ford Jobs section at EagleFordShale.com. And, for employers, introductory pricing is now available to list your job openings specific to the Eagle Ford Shale Play. The Eagle Ford play is booming across South Texas. Not only are employers from large oil and gas cities like Houston, Dallas, and Oklahoma City looking for help, but the smaller towns such as Victoria, Carizzo Springs, Catoula, and others across the play are also ripe with opportunity. If you're looking for a job in the Eagle Ford, be sure to check the Eagle Ford job listings for your opportunity. Visit Eagle Ford Shale Jobs or click "Jobs" in the navigation bar at the top of the page.