It’s Official – Natural Gas is Hot

There’s an old saying: “It’s not news until it runs in the Times.” Thanks to this story, natural gas has officially become America’s energy darling.

Huge shales beds that have been long overlooked are now or will soon generate enormous incomes for producers, taxing entities, and of course landowners. Not only are black or brown shales found in 23 states, but the energy they produce, or more specifically, their emissions, are cleaner than either coal or oil. This is a development that will effect tens of thousands of landowners in all sections of the country, and the writer details the possibilities in an effective, enjoyable read. (Full disclosure: I have been writing for The Times since 1996.)

More Field Reports From The Land Report:

1. Northeastern Landowners Get $165M For Natural Gas Rights
   A coalition of landowners in one of the country’s emerging natural gas hot spots has reached an agreement to lease 30,000 acres to Fortuna Energy for natural gas drilling...
2. Nebraska Governor to Address Wind Conference
   Gov. Dave Heineman is slated as one of the keynote speakers next month at the Nebraska Wind Power 2009 Conference. Scheduled for Nov. 9-10 in Kearney, the conference will...
3. America’s Largest Landowner Announces Renewable Energy Venture
   Ted Turner has announced a strategic alliance with Atlanta-based Southern Company to pursue development of renewable energy projects in the Southwestern United States, including his New Mexico land holdings....
4. Interior Department Investigates Renewable Energy Speculators
   Remember the Interior Department’s ongoing investigation into possible abuses of the Royalty-in-Kind program? Now the department’s Inspector General has started to look into possible abuses by companies seeking to develop renewable...
5. Foreign Investors Own Major Stake in Maine
   Foreign investors own an interest in 21.2 million acres of U.S. forest and farmland, an amount that equates to just under 1 percent of all the land in the...