Barnett Shale

Gas exports not favored by many consumers, UT poll finds

More American think the United States should keep natural gas production for domestic use rather than export it, according to the latest University of Texas Energy Poll. The online survey, conducted March 11-20, found that 39 percent favored keeping U.S. gas production, versus 28 percent that supported exports. The rest were neutral.

Interestingly, it's not much of a partisan issue: 36 percent of self-described Democrats and 38 percent of self-described Republicans oppose exports, and an even closer 30 percent of Democrafts and 29 percent of Republicans favor exports. Independents were most likely to oppose exports, by 44 percent. The  big split was by gender. A third of men favored exports, while only 22 percent of women did.

Partisan differences on hydraulic fracturing were more defined, even as support for the production technique declined overall, from 48 percent a year ago to 45 percent in the new poll. Forty-one percent opposing fracking. But while 71 percent of Republicans favor fracking and 20 percent oppose it, that flips with Democrats as 60 percent oppose fracking and just 22 percent support it.

The poll's results are here.

-- Jim Fuquay

 

Range Resources commits to Mariner East pipeline

Fort Worth-based Range Resources, one of the biggest producers in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, said Wednesday it will become the anchor shipper on the Mariner East Project, which aims to transport 65,000 barrels daily of ethane and propane to a Philadelphia area terminal for shipping to U.S. and international users. Range commits to providing 40,000 barrels a day. The project expects to begin deliveries of propane in the second half of 2014 and deliveries of ethane in the first half of 2015 to Sunoco's Marcus Hook terminal.

Range also said it signed a 15-year ethane sales agreement with INEOS Europe AG, effective upon regulatory approval of Mariner East. INEOS, a petrochemical manufacturer, will start taking 10,000 barrels of ethane daily at Marcus Hook, where INEOS will use its own ships for transportation, and increase that over time to 20,000 barrels daily.

-- Jim Fuquay