CURRENT ISSUE

Where Valves Are Used: On the Sea and Under the Ground

Valve Magazine takes a look at the roles valves and actuators play in two unique industry segments—marine and mining.

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Severe Service Valves Respond to New Pressures

Valves are called upon to respond to increasingly difficult conditions.

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Engineering Challenges for Flow Control of Reclaimed Water

Opportunities and challenges for the growing use of reclaimed water for irrigation and other purposes.

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The True Meaning of Double Block and Bleed

Rudy Garza of Exxon Mobil Upstream explains that while many think their block and bleed valves provide double isolation, they don’t—and that could be dangerous.

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Spotlight on Suppliers

Check out the sampling of new products from some of many suppliers that serve valve, actuator and control manufacturers.

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WEB EXCLUSIVE

Natural Gas from Shale: A Boon or a Danger?

Written by Peter Cleaveland, Contributing Editor, Valve Magazine
Thursday, 22 July 2010 20:27
The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has greatly increased public attention to U.S. energy supplies (as well as severely tarnishing the image of BP and, by extension, the entire oil industry). At the same time there has been great movement in the natural gas arena, with promises that gas, widely perceived as more environmentally friendly than oil, may account for a greatly increased share of U.S. energy. Interest in gas is also driven by concerns that the government will be imposing increasingly-strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions (read “carbon emissions). California already has a sweeping environmental law that requires the state to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by about 25% below 2006 levels by 2020, with regulations adopted by 2011 and enforcement of limits and reduction measures to begin by 2012. New York and several other Northeastern states have adopted less severe measures. Gas is widely seen as a way to meet these goals.
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