HOME PAGE: No matter what your political views might be... One thing is for certain. In these days of fast news and even faster life styles... We all seem to have forgotten those moments in history that so abruptly and tragically changed this beloved Country of ours... 9/11… How soon we forget…
Says Lawmakers Can Subpoena Bush Administration Aides... And The Left Cheers Wildly For This Ruling That Will Produce Nothing... Thursday, July 31, 2008
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FoxNews.com brings us this report this morning and it starts of like this... A federal judge ruled Thursday that Bush administration advisers are not immune to congressional subpoenas... The decision gives Democrats on Capitol Hill a major victory in their attempts to hamstring the Bush administration through a number of ongoing investigations... In one of the probes, the House Judiciary Committee wants to question the president's chief of staff, Josh Bolten, and former legal counsel Harriet Miers, about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. Congress has subpoenaed them both, and issued contempt citations... But President Bush says the two are immune from such subpoenas and Congress can't force them to testify or turn over documents... U.S. District Judge John Bates disagreed... Read the rest HERE * CNN.com has this take on the story... White House aides not immune from subpoenas, judge says
Photo Credit: Beverly Rezneck from DCD.USCourts.gov website
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More to come out on this story, I’m sure... AubreyJ.........
No. 648-08 July 31, 2008 DoD Announces Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. James A. McHale, 31, of Fairfield, Mont., died July 30th at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds suffered July 22nd in Taji, Iraq, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany. For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or email: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil
* Photo for the Day *Iraqi Security Forces lead the way on a clearing mission with Coalition forces during Operation Rock Thrasher in the Diyala province of Iraq earlier this year. The operation now under way to clear enemies from the province is Iraqi-conceived, Iraqi-planned and Iraqi-led. Read the story at link below... Officials Discuss Start of Iraqi-Led Operations in Diyala Province Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Mulligan
No. 645-08 July 30, 2008 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Faoa L. Apineru, 31, of Yorba Linda, Calif., died July 2nd, 2007, from wounds sustained while supporting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. Staff Sgt. Apineru was wounded on May 15, 2005. After his death on July 2, 2007, the initial medical examiner concluded that Apineru did not die from injuries sustained during his deployment, but a subsequent opinion by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology indicated that his death was a result of his injuries sustained in Iraq. For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Forces Reserve public affairs office at (504) 678-6539.
Afghanistan/Pakistan: On Ground Updates U.S. Military Predator Drone Strikes in Pakistan Kills Al Qaeda Weapons Expert Tuesday, July 29, 2008
* Yahoo News website brings us this report by Stephen Graham, an Associated Press writer and it starts off like this... Missiles hit a building in a Pakistani village on the border with Afghanistan on Monday, and intelligence officials said they were investigating reports that a senior al-Qaida figure was among six people killed. Pakistan's army said it had not confirmed the strike killed al-Qaida operative Abu Khabab al-Masri, described by Washington as an expert who trained terrorists in the use of poisons and explosives. The U.S. offers a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture...A Pakistani military intelligence official said al-Masri's wife told authorities that her husband died in the attack in South Waziristan. The woman was wounded and hospitalized, he said... Read the full report at link below... Al-Qaida man reported killed in missile strike * Reuters.com reports... Al Qaeda chemist killed in U.S. strike
. *********************************** . This bit of news also came out of Afghanistan today... Coalition Forces Kill Militants in Afghanistan Province BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Several militants were killed during a coalition forces operation targeting a Taliban leader yesterday in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, military officials reported.
Coalition forces searched compounds in the province's Gairo district, targeting a militant leader known to conduct foreign fighter operations in Ghazni and Paktika provinces, officials said.
Militants inside a building and around other buildings engaged the force with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Coalition forces responded with small-arms fire and air strikes, killing the militants and damaging a building, officials said.
During their search, coalition forces found bomb-making materials and rigged explosives within a building, as well as a vehicle rigged with explosives. Troops also found several rocket-propelled grenades and a vehicle used to transport them.
Coalition forces destroyed the munitions, explosives and both vehicles after moving all residents to a safe location, officials said.
From a news article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service that was taken from a Combined Joint Task Force 101 news release
Iraq: On Ground Updates Soldiers Kill Known Terrorism Facilitator, Detain Suspects in Iraq American Forces Press Service Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Coalition forces killed a known terrorism facilitator during an operation in Baghdad today when the man refused to follow instructions to surrender, military officials reported.
Coalition forces shot and killed the man -- who was known to be part of a network that provides false documents and moves supplies around Iraq -- when he made a threatening movement that was perceived as hostile intent, officials said.
In other operations today:
-- Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists in Baghdad while targeting a car-bombing cell.
-- East of Samarra, coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida leader and one other suspect. The wanted man reportedly oversees terrorist activity in the region and recruits women to conduct suicide bombings.
-- Coalition forces targeted associates of al-Qaida senior leaders during operations in and around Mosul, detaining 13 suspected terrorists.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained a key suspected criminal and four of his suspected associates in eastern Baghdad. Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team detained the suspects while conducting an operation specifically targeting them in the New Baghdad district. The individuals allegedly house and hide key criminal leaders, officials said. In addition to detaining the five suspected criminals, the soldiers seized weapons including an AK-47 assault rifle, AK-47 magazines, knives, a camcorder and assorted documents.
In other news from Iraq, coalition forces identified a suspected foreign terrorist facilitator driving southwest of Qaim yesterday. They stopped the man, who was with four children, and detained him without incident. Coalition forces drove the children home and left them in the care of family members.
Taken from a news article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service - Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases
This Post Last Updated: Saturday, August 02, 2008 2:30 pm CDT Haynesville Shale Large Natural Gas Deposit, Northwest Louisiana
UPDATES: Monday, July 28, 2008
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Image courtesy of Chesapeake Energy
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*Let’s get caught up with the Haynesville Shale News by starting off with this news article posted on the Shreveport Times website early this Monday morning, July 28th. It starts off like this... The biggest topic dominating financial talk in our area is the impact of gas reserves in the Haynesville Shale, and that a lot of people are receiving very large checks. Millions of dollars of lease bonus payments, which are treated as ordinary income for income tax purposes, are flowing into people's pockets... This means that a $1 million check will produce approximately $410,000 in taxes to be paid to the federal and state governments. That is 35 percent to the IRS and 6 percent to the state. Depending on the future political debate of estate taxes, your family may have even more to pay later. Hopefully, royalty checks will dwarf these lease bonus payments in the future — but you do not know that yet. Right now, you know you only get to keep 59 percent of the lease bonus payment. That's right; you get to keep $590,000... Read this news article by the Shreveport Times in full at link below... Financial Fundamentals: Shale income considerations . * Haynesville Shale Companies & Stock website brings us the following post, titled... Haynesville Shale Companies & Stock - List of Well Drilling Companies . * Stockhouse.com has this report on the Haynesville Shale gas production by Petrohawk Energy. It starts off like this... Short sellers want nothing to do with PetroHawk (HK). The short interest in the company dropped 62% between June 30 and July 15, falling to 7.3 million, which is less than 4% of the float. At just over $33, the stock is trading at the middle of its 52-week price range. The firm's stock dropped 15% last week, and the company had a $88 million money flow on Friday... Read the full report at link below... Shorts flee Petrohawk Energy
. * ArkansasBusiness.com has this report posted it starts off like this... China's top state oil firm is considering placing a bid on acreage in the Fayetteville Shale Play, the South China Morning Post reports. China National Petroleum Corp. could bid on a minority stake in acreage in Arkansas and Pennsylvania owned by Chesapeake Energy Corp. of Oklahoma City... Read the full report at link below... Chesapeake Could Sell Fayetteville Acreage to Chinese Firm
* The Shreveport Times website has the following and it starts off like this...Anxiety in Mansfield over cash bonuses that may or may not be coming to about 400 residents should serve as a cautionary tale in the saga of the Haynesville Shale... Do your research. Don't get stampeded. Be careful what you sign... Questions surrounding Fortress Management, which has been working to secure leases for natural gas deposits in DeSoto Parish, ultimately could work themselves out. But at present Mansfield area residents are unclear whether the bonuses they thought they were accepting - as much as $24,000 an acre - will ever arrive... Read the rest at link below... Editorial: Beware the 'shale' game . * EarthTimes.org reports on Continental Resources, INC 2008 Second Quarter Report. It goes in part like this... ...During the second quarter, Continental continued to expand its undeveloped acreage positions in the Bakken, Anadarko Woodford, Atoka, Rhinestreet, Marcellus, Huron and Haynesville shale plays. The Company has added approximately 325,000 net acres to its lease holdings since the beginning of 2008, increasing its acreage position to almost one million acres in U.S. shale resource plays... "We continue to see opportunities to add significant additional acreage in these plays," Mr. Hamm said. "We are planning to ask our board of directors for a second increase in the 2008 lease acquisition budget that would raise it by $100 million, bringing the total 2008 land budget to approximately $178 million."... Read the full report at link below... Continental Resources Reports Record Results for 2008 Second Quarter
. . * EarthTimes.org reports on Continental Resources, INC 2008 Second Quarter Report. It goes in part like this... ...During the second quarter, Continental continued to expand its undeveloped acreage positions in the Bakken, Anadarko Woodford, Atoka, Rhinestreet, Marcellus, Huron and Haynesville shale plays. The Company has added approximately 325,000 net acres to its lease holdings since the beginning of 2008, increasing its acreage position to almost one million acres in U.S. shale resource plays... "We continue to see opportunities to add significant additional acreage in these plays," Mr. Hamm said. "We are planning to ask our board of directors for a second increase in the 2008 lease acquisition budget that would raise it by $100 million, bringing the total 2008 land budget to approximately $178 million."... Read the full report at link below... Continental Resources Reports Record Results for 2008 Second Quarter
... *Oil and Gas Investorwebsite has this interesting report and it starts off like this... Think $25,000 an acre is top of the market for the Haynesville play? Don’t stop there... Haynesville, Do I Hear $50,000/Acre? ... * NWLA.com reports... Haughton to hold Haynesville Shale seminar The Town of Haughton is hosting an informational and educational seminar on the Haynesville Shale from 6:30... Read this short report HERE
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* UPDATE * Wednesday, July 30, 2008
*The Shreveport Times website gets us going this early Wednesday morning with the following reports...
>One week before its regular monthly meeting, the Broadmoor Neighborhood Association hosted a public town hall panel discussion... Approximately 475 to 500 local residents attended this Haynesville Shale meeting at 6:30 p.m. July 22 the Captain Shreve High School auditorium... BNA had strongly recommended homeowners hold off on signing oil/gas leases until attending the meeting to listen and discuss various matters related to mineral leases, bonus payments, drilling and other related topics. Nonbinding letters of intent for membership in Shreve Centre Coalition LLC, legal since July 18, were distributed to attendees. BNA President Ken Krefft served as moderator at the panel discussion, which included a question-and-answer session.. Heard, McElroy and Vestal Certified Public Accountant Alice Frazier was the first panelist to speak. Frazier addressed what part of the lease bonus homeowners don't get to keep and said it's important for homeowners to put away 40 percent for taxes. She also clarified a mineral lease is not a sale, but an agreement between the homeowner and oil/gas company... Read the rest at link below... BNA hosts Haynesville Shale panel discussion
>Sewers and roads aren't attention-grabbing topics - until they stop working... So the good news for residents of three towns in Bossier Parish - Benton, Haughton and Plain Dealing- is your toilets could flush a little easier, your roads could be a little smoother and your local governments might be a little happier thanks to that ubiquitous, subterraneous friend northwest Louisiana has come to know and love: the Haynesville Shale... "Small towns like Haughton and the rest of us are always strapped for cash, so it could really be bonus money for us to use to improve infrastructure," Plain Dealing Mayor Dale Barnette said... His town's government is in the same boat as most of its residents: Barnette and company have heard a lot about the Haynesville Shale but have yet to be approached by anyone... Read the rest at link below... Bossier towns in the shale game, too
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. * UPDATE * Thursday, July 31, 2008
... * LATime.com has this article posted today that’s a must read and it goes in part like this...Energy firms have offered Chris Moreno $750,000 to drill for natural gas on his land on Caddo Lake, La., as well as 25% of whatever the wells yield, which could bring him an additional $900,000 a year. But the bids keep getting bigger, so he’s waiting... Read this article in full at link below... Natural gas find in Louisiana makes Jed Clampetts of property owners . *Reuters UK website has these 2 report posted today... >IP sells Haynesville rights to Chesapeake >Industry report says U.S. natural gas supply abundant . *MarketWatch.com has these reports up today... >Penn Virginia Corporation Provides Second Quarter 2008 Oil and Gas Operational Update > Chesapeake Energy Corporation Reports Financial and Operational Results for the 2008 Second Quarter . * SeekingAlpha.com website reports... Southwestern Energy Company. Q2 2008 Earnings Call Transcript . * CNNMoney website brings us this report... International Paper to sell subsurface mineral rights to Chesapeake Energy for about $263M... International Paper to sell mineral rights . * KTAL website has this News/Video... Tax Free Holiday for Shoppers . * KTBS website has this must see News/Video report at link below... Landowner says she could have signed away royalties if she hadn't read fine print . * Shreveport Times website has the following report... State workers trying to keep up with shale permits . * I’ll end today’s posting with this great report I found on the EasyBourse.com website and it starts off like this... The chief executive of natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) on Wednesday tried to broaden the market for natural gas by appealing to political concern over the U.S.'s energy crisis, telling Congress that the fuel can provide a solution to both high gasoline prices and climate change... Hours after presiding over the release of a new report showing that the U.S. has enough natural gas supplies to meet more than 100 years of demand at current levels, Chesapeake Energy Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon told a U.S. House committee that the country could build more natural gas vehicles and gas-fired power plants without raising prices for fertilizer, chemicals and other products that are made with natural gas... "Three years ago I would have said no," McClendon told Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Markey had asked whether natural gas supplies were enough to reduce the nation's reliance on coal-fired plants to about 35% of electricity from 50% currently, without raising natural gas prices. "Today, I say yes," said McClendon... Read the full report at link below... Chesapeake CEO Offers Natural Gas As Answer To US Energy Woes
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. * UPDATE * Friday, August 01, 2008
. The Forbes.com website gets us started off today with this report... The natural gas industry has been turning up the heat this summer in the nation's capital. Advocates are explaining to lawmakers that while oil is expensive, scarce and imported, there's enough natural gas in the U.S. supply to last more than 100 years... One example: Aubrey McClendon, Forbes 400 member and chief executive of Chesapeake Energy, (NYSE: CHK) the second-largest independent producer of natural gas in the country. Speaking at a Congress hearing Wednesday, he sounded more like someone in the business of political snake oil... "Imagine if tomorrow you could announce a new energy plan that would in one stroke cut your constituent's gasoline bill in half, reduce our oil imports, improve our air quality, enhance national security, strengthen the dollar, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create tens of thousands of new jobs in the U.S," McClendon said. "I believe your upcoming reelection chances would be even higher than they already are."... Read the full report at link below... Natural Gas: Booming In The Beltway . * SeekingAlpha.com website has this report posted early this Friday morning... Marathon Oil Corp. Q2 2008 Earnings Call . *KDBC website has this AP report posted on their site today and it goes in part like this...McClendon said that by the end of this year, Chesapeake anticipates using 12 rigs to develop its 450,000 net acres of leasehold in the play. He said that, on average, the company should be able to complete a new Haynesville well every five days... Read the full report at link below... Chesapeake Energy buys more acreage in Haynesville
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. * UPDATE * Saturday, August 02, 2008 ...
* KSLA website had this News/Video up Friday evening and it goes in part like this...The first 'fruits' of the Haynesville Shale are now blossoming in the local economy as property owners begin to spend some of their lease bonus payments. At least some of them are buying 'big ticket items' like cars, boats and RV’s... The jury may be out on the exact scale of the Haynesville Shale economic boom. But, there's no denying one fact: Many property owners getting bonus lease payments aren't putting their money in their mattresses. And, it's all because of the natural gas trapped inside rock called shale two miles beneath the surface... Click out the rest at link below... Haynesville Shale money begins trickling into economy
. * KTBS website also had a News/Video report up Friday evening and it goes in part like this...Business is booming in east Texas and some are crediting oil and gas production... Restaurant owners in Marshall say they've seen a tremendous increase in business--especially at the downtown restaurants which are close to the Harrison County Courthouse and where all the landmen are working... Click out the rest at link below... Haynesville Shale brings business to Marshall
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. * UPDATE * Sunday, August 03, 2008 . * Here’s a News Release from International Paper... International Paper Agrees to Sell Mineral Rights to Chesapeake Energy Corporation for Approximately $263 Million
. International Paper (NYSE: IP) has agreed to sell approximately 13,000 net acres of subsurface mineral rights located in the Haynesville Shale natural gas formation in northwest Louisiana to Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) for approximately $263 million, subject to various adjustments at closing.
The transaction is expected to close in late August.
"The proceeds will be used to pay down debt," said John Faraci, International Paper's chairman and chief executive officer. "We will continue to look for opportunities to monetize our remaining U.S. forestlands, real estate, and mineral holdings, to strengthen our balance sheet and maximize shareholder value."
This agreement is part of International Paper's transformation plan to focus on global uncoated paper and packaging, as well as xpedx, its North American distribution business.
About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global paper and packaging company with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia and North Africa. Its businesses include uncoated papers and industrial and consumer packaging, complemented by xpedx, the company's North American distribution company. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., the company employs more than 50,000 people in more than 20 countries and serves customers worldwide. 2007 net sales were approximately $22 billion.
. For more information about International Paper, its products and stewardship efforts, visit internationalpaper.com . This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current views and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Factors which could cause actual results to differ relate to: (i) the ability of the parties to successfully consummate the transactions contemplated by the purchase agreement without a purchase price adjustment; (ii) the successful fulfillment (or waiver) of all conditions set forth in the purchase agreement; and (iii) the successful closing of the transaction within the estimated timeframes.
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* MORE TO COME SO CHECK BACK! *
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* Links of Interest * ... *City of Shreveport website... Shreveport Shale
Hope everyone has been having a great weekend! This is just a short post to let you know that I will be doing another new and lengthy Update Post on the Haynesville Shale tomorrow, Monday, July 28, 2008....
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*But for now... You can find my latest updated posts on this hugeNATURAL GAS FIND...HERE ... Enjoy the rest of the Weekend!!! And be sure to check back tomorrow...
AubreyJ’s Energy Update Report Taking a Look at Oil Billionaire T. Boone Pickens' One Man Energy Plan Saturday, July 26, 2008
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T. Boone Pickens Photo from PickensPlan.com .. ... Our oil dependence has gone from 24% in 1970 to 70% today. Oil dependence is a crisis, but we can solve it... Let’s get this post started with the first TV spot by Mr. Pickens...
The above Video Ad is from T. Boone Pickens & was posted on YouTube by AubreyJ818 . > In the following video... T. Boone Pickens Explains His Plan
About this Video:T. Boone gives us a four-minute presentation about his plan to save America's energy future. Video posted on YouTube by pickensplan . . > On July 10th, Newsweek.com had this News Article and News Video posted on their website and it starts off like this… It's beginning to feel like 1992, and not just because economic woes are dominating the presidential campaign. Last week a billionaire Texan with a disarming drawl started a media blitz to focus attention on a dire financial and public-policy problem. In 1992, it was H. Ross Perot and his charts on the deficit. Today, it's T. Boone Pickens, the 80-year-old oilman. In ads on CNBC and CNN and in newspapers—and before NEWSWEEK's editors—Pickens laid out his plan to stop the madness of spending $700 billion each year on foreign oil. "We have to take control of our own destiny as far as foreign oil is concerned." But unlike Perot, Pickens isn't interested in public office. Now running a hedge fund, and a big investor in wind energy, he's going green to make green... Read the rest at link below... .. Also make sure to click out the News Video about the man himself, T. Boone Pickens.Here’s a little bit about the video at the following link:NEWSWEEK business and technology editors meet with Texas oil magnate T. Boone Pickens and discuss his plan for fighting America's dependency on foreign oil... (Video: Jessica Bloustein, Imani Cheers) Click it all out at this link HERE .. > WSJDigitalNetwork YouTube website brings us the following report... * Pickens Isn't In It For The Money *.
About News Video: Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens says his "Pickens Plan" to increase the role of natural gas and wind power as energy sources is not a play for personal gain. Steve Gelsi reports. From a July 9th News video Report News Video posted on YouTube by WSJDigitalNetwork .. > KSLA gives us a local take on oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens' One Man Energy Plan and it starts off like this... By now, you may have seen the television commercials by Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens. He's started a one man campaign to reduce the nation's crippling 700-billion dollar dependence on foreign oil... So, we wanted to take a closer look at that plan... Read the rest at link below... Reaction to oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens' energy plan .. . I’ll end this post with the following Video... * Pickens Plan: Behind the Scenes *
About Video: T. Boone Pickens behind the scenes, pushing the Pickens Plan Video posted on YouTube by pickensplan
******************************* . Final note:Please be sure to check out Mr. Pickens official website for lots of informative info and videos… PickensPlan.com
Haynesville Shale Its Not, but Pennsylvania Farmers Hope for Natural Gas Windfall too Friday, July 25, 2008
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Image courtesy of Chesapeake Energy
The following news video is not about the Haynesville Shale but it describes events happening now in Pennsylvania that reflects what has happened and is still happening right now in northeast Louisiana and some eastern parts of Texas... . Pennsylvania Farmers Hope for Natural Gas Windfall
About News Video: Farmers in Northeast Pennsylvania are leasing their land to natural gas companies and hoping for a multi-million dollar windfall... News Video posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress
No. 630-08 July 24, 2008 Soldier Missing in Action from Korean War is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today thatthe remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identifiedand will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is: Master Sgt. Cirildo Valencio,U.S. Army, of Carrizo Springs, Texas.He will be buried on August 4th in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
Representatives from the Army met with Valencio's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
Valencio was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division then occupying a defensive position near Unsan, North Korea in an area known as the "Camel's Head." On Nov. 1, 1950, parts of two Chinese Communist Forces divisions struck the 1st Cavalry Division's lines, collapsing the perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. In the process, the 3rd Battalion was surrounded and effectively ceased to exist as a fighting unit. Valencio was one of the more than 350 servicemen unaccounted-for from the battle at Unsan.
In 2002, a joint U.S.-Democratic People's Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a burial site south of Unsan near the nose of the "Camel's Head" formed by the joining of the Nammyon and Kuryong rivers. The team recovered human remains.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420 or (703) 509-1905.
Iraq: On Ground Updates Surge Successful By Any Measure, Pentagon Official Says Wednesday, July 23, 2008
. The surge in Iraq has been a success by any measure, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said during a news conference today.
The surge has allowed Iraq to make improvements from security, political and economic standpoints, Morrell said. The last of the five surge brigade combat teams recently left Iraq. The policy, announced by President Bush in December 2006, pushed the brigades in to Iraq to provide a security umbrella so the Iraqi military could build and the country's government could grow.
"By every metric that we measure violence in Iraq, there has been a dramatic improvement from where things were before the surge," Morrell said. "I'll just point to one, and that is [that] in July of last year, we had 79 U.S. [servicemembers killed in action] in Iraq. We have four thus far this month."
The dramatic security gains have provided room for political and economic successes. "You name it, it is happening in Iraq," Morrell said. "Do you want to talk about political gains? We've had basically all the major benchmark legislation passed."
The Sunni bloc has returned to the government, 10 of 18 Iraqi provinces are under local control, and Najaf International Airport has reopened. "You see a $300 million luxury hotel opening up in the Green Zone [and] $50 million in refurbishment of the airport road," Morrell said. "There's economic investment, and there's political progress. There's increased security. All those things are undeniable, and they are attributable to the fact that we plussed up forces in there."
There were, of course, other factors at work in the security improvement, Morrell said, but the surge and the change in U.S. counterinsurgency strategy made all else possible. The "Anbar Awakening" that allied formerly insurgent Sunni Muslims with the coalition and influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's cease-fire were other factors, he said, but he noted they didn't happen independently of other events.
"If we think that Sadr acted in a vacuum, I think we're kidding ourselves," Morrell said. "There clearly was political and military pressure which caused him to make a decision to have his troops stand down.
"But we benefitted from it, no doubt," he continued. "There's no question that the awakening in Anbar, the cease-fire by Sadr, simultaneous to the surge, has helped the overall security situation in Iraq."
Taken from DoD’s American Forces Press Service News Article That was written by Jim Garamone - Defense Dept. photo by R. D. Ward . ***************************************** . * Pentagon Briefing *
Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell speaks with reporters at the Pentagon.
No. 628-08 July 23, 2008 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Pfc. Ivan I. Wilson, 22, of Clearlake, Calif.,died July 21st while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at (760) 763-5397.
9:30pm CDT Haynesville Shale Large Natural Gas Deposit, Northwest Louisiana
UPDATES: Monday, June 21, 2008
Note: This post will be updated over next few days so check backPhoto Credit: AubreyJ......... Wells of Past, 1967 - Grandfather’s Farm - Red Shute Plantation Bossier Parish . ***************************************
*Let’s get caught up with the Haynesville Shale Newsby starting off with this news article posted on the Shreveport Times website, July 19th...
* IStockAnalyst.com had this informative Market Report up on the 19th and it goes in part like this...Unconventional oil and gas fields offer significant advantages. Not only are they in politically stable areas, they offer relatively little risk. Because each well is much like another, costs can actually go down over time, a sharp contrast to the rapidly rising costs of wells overseas... “I think they’re blown away with what the end results are,” said Jefferies & Co. analyst Subash Chandra. “The resource grows over time and the costs go down.”... The numbers are huge. The first major shale field to be produced, the Barnett Shale near Fort Worth, Texas, is estimated to contain 50 trillion cubic feet of gas, the equivalent of nearly nine billion barrels of oil — about as much as the recently discovered giant Tupi field off the coast of Brazil. Chesapeake estimates that the Haynesville field could hold five times that, and other major shale fields have been found in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and British Columbia... Chesapeake Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon said the deal with BP should highlight the importance of such fields... “What the market should pay attention to is that a company like us has assets that have appeal to the biggest companies in the world,” Mr. McClendon said... Read the full report at link below... Big Oil Targets Unconventional Nat. Gas * Star-Telegram.comhad this article up on the 20th. It starts off like this... In a packed sanctuary of the Shreve City Baptist Church, Larry Farley is spreading the gospel of mineral rights... Speaking to residents in the middle-class neighborhood of Anderson Island a few miles south of downtown Shreveport, Farley has a simple message: Organize and you’ll get a better deal... The model originated with Fort Worth neighborhoods, and residents of Shreveport, a city of 200,000, have been busily taking notes... "This process is the same process as in Fort Worth," Farley said. "It’s just moved 250 miles to the east." Farley, president of the Captain Shreve Neighborhood Association, is part of the ShreveCentre Coalition, which comprises 16 Shreveport neighborhoods... and may attract more... that have banded together to negotiate a natural gas lease... Read the rest at link below... Shreveport looking to learn from the Barnett *ResourceInvestor.com has this report up today... Chesapeake’s Shale Gas Plays Pay Big Dividends
. ************************************** * UPDATE * Tuesday, July 22, 2008 *The Bossier Chamber of Commerce and Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation reports it will be host of an Educational Seminar on the Haynesville Shale from 6:00 to 8:00pm July 29th, at the Bossier Parish Community College. *Bloomberg.com had this report up Tuesday morning and it goes in part like this... Growth in North American gas drilling, which has lagged behind overseas oil exploration, will likely accelerate as producers develop fuel deposits in shale formations stretching from Texas to Pennsylvania, analysts said... Calgary's EnCana Corp. said last month that the Haynesville Shale in Louisiana may be as prolific as the Barnett Shale in north Texas, where output is about 3 billion cubic feet of gas a day and rising. Range Resources Corp. of Fort Worth on July 14 raised reserve estimates for Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale... Read the full report at link below... Halliburton Profit Drops 67% After 2007 Gain From KBR
************************************** * UPDATE * Wednesday, July 23, 2008 . * KTAL Website had this News/Video report up Tuesday evening... Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal Talks To Small Towns In the Pelican State . * Guardian.co.uk had this read up today and it goes in part like this... Drilling in U.S. shale fields, which are believed to hold massive natural gas reserves, should provide handsome profits in coming months to companies like Halliburton Co that sell the technology needed to tap the complex wells... Other large companies like Baker Hughes Inc and BJ Services Co, which have extensive service offerings and a large North American business, are best poised to benefit as drilling accelerates in areas like Louisiana’s Haynesville Shale and the Marcellus Shale in Appalachia in the Northeast... Read the full report at link below... US shale drilling a boon for big oil service firms . * MarketWatch.com brings us this report... Cubic Energy, Inc. Provides Update On Its Northwest Louisiana Haynesville Shale Activity . * KSLA website has this informative News/Video posted up on their website today and it goes in part like this...The city of Shreveport has taken a step toward cashing in on the region's recently-discovered natural gas deposit known as Haynesville Shale... Councilmembers voted Tuesday to give the state Mineral Board the green light to put more than 2,600 acres of city-owned land-- including parks, golf courses, utilities and rights of way-- up for bids... That process will eventually lead to the leasing of the mineral rights attached to those public properties, giving a designated company permission to drill for natural gas on that land... Click the rest out at link below... Shreveport to open up public land for gas drilling
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. * UPDATE * Thursday, July 24, 2008 ... * CNW Group website brings us this report this early Thursday morning and it goes in part like this...Shale plays continue to show promise -- "In the second quarter we announced an expansion of our sizeable position in British Columbia's Horn River and Louisiana's Haynesville natural gas shale plays. At Horn River, two of our recently completed wells are producing at a very strong first-month average rate in excess of 5 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). At Haynesville, during a two-day test, the initial flow rate of a second horizontal well was 15 MMcf/d. These well results are exceptional and are a strong indication that the addition of these plays has the potential to accelerate the pace of our natural gas growth," Eresman said... Read their full report at link below... EnCana generates second quarter cash flow of US$2.9 billion, or $3.85 per share - up 16 percent . * The Shreveport Times posted this news article up on their website today and it goes in part like this...Bossier City Council will hold a special meeting Friday to put all of the city's 3,300 acres of mineral rights on public land up for bid through the state mineral board — the biggest potential payday at possibly $90 million for any government in the area so far regarding the Haynesville Shale... The council will vote on whether to send the city's mineral rights to the Louisiana Mineral Board, which will conduct the auction for the city in October. The minimum bid must be at least $27,500 per acre, with a minimum of 25 percent on royalties... Read the full article at link below... Bossier City could get a big mineral payday . * MiningTopNews.com brings us this report... Cubic Energy, Inc is reported to have announced the Company has reached total depth of 11,950 feet on its Estes 7 No. 1. 7 5/8“ casing was set at 10,208 feet and 4 1/2” liner was set at 11,950 feet. The Estes 7 No. 1 is Cubic’s fourth Haynesville Shale well in its northwest Louisiana acreage. With the 7 5/8“ casing, the Company will be able to drill horizontally in the Haynesville Shale at a later date, after being vertically completed in the Haynesville Shale. The Estes 7 No. 1 is Cubic’s first Haynesville Shale well to be drilled in the Company’s southern acreage position of Bethany Longstreet... Read the rest of their report at link below... Cubic Energy, Inc On Its Northwest Louisiana Haynesville Shale Activity ...
* The Leesville Daily Leader website had this article up this afternoon and it starts off like this... Rumors that the Haynesville Shale stretches further south into Vernon Parish are as yet unfounded, said Kevin McCotter, director of corporate development for Chesapeake Energy, one of the most aggressive energy companies seeking mineral leases in Northwest Louisiana... But only time will tell if that will change, he added... "I know it's a top of mind issue for a lot of folks," he continued, but Chesapeake is concentrating on Caddo, Bossier, Webster and DeSoto parishes in what many are characterizing as a modern-day gold rush... Read the rest of this news article at link below... No play for Vernon on Haynesville Shale . * MrSwing.com reports... Did Wall Street Forget About Chesapeake Energy's Haynesville Shale Monetization? . * MarketWatch.com has this report out on Cabot Oil & Gas Company operations and it goes in part like this... ...The Company has several initiatives to evaluate or enhance the stratigraphic section deeper than its traditional field pay zones. Specifically, Cabot will spud a vertical well testing the Bossier and Haynesville sections in the middle of August. "This is a 35-day well with results conservatively expected by November," added Dinges... Read the full report at link below... Cabot Oil & Gas Provides Operations Update, Increases Capital Program
. ... Now... How about some local News Video Reports...? Got you covered! . * KTAL has this News/Video posted on their site that goes in part like this... Just a couple of months ago ArkLaTex residents began signing mineral leases for less than $300 an acre. Now, folks are getting more than $5,000 per acre. That means someone who leases 200 acres would get a signing bonus of $1,000,000. No matter how big your bonus is, financial experts say, be sure to save some for Uncle Sam... Click out the rest at link below... Digging Deep...The Haynesville Shale . * KSLA has this news article posted on their website today, (I’m hoping a News Video on topic will follow later on in the day,) and it starts off like this... The Haynesville Shale could help deliver millions of dollars for yet another Ark-La-Tex government. This time it's the city of Shreveport... Read the rest at link below... Shreveport wants Haynesville Shale Payout too (NOTE: Video is now up at the above link)
> KSLA also put up this News/Video update report titled...
. * UPDATE * Friday, July 25, 2008 ... * KTBS had this News/Video posted on their site today and it starts off like this...The Bossier City Council this morning voted to put the mineral rights for all of the city's 3,300 acres of public property up for bid... Click out the rest at link below... Bossier council approves energy leases for city property . * KTAL reports it this way with the following News/Video... Bossier City Prepares for a More Than 85 Million Dollar Paycheck.
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. * UPDATE * Saturday, July 26, 2008 . * The PXP website has this older but still informative post up from July 1st and it starts off like this... CHESAPEAKE AND PXP ANNOUNCE HAYNESVILLE SHALE JOINT VENTURE
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK AND HOUSTON, TX, JULY 1, 2008 – Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) and Plains Exploration & Production Company (NYSE:PXP) (“PXP”) today announced they have entered into a Haynesville Shale joint venture (the “JV”) in North Louisiana and East Texas...
PXP has agreed to acquire a 20% interest in Chesapeake’s Haynesville Shale leasehold as of June 30, 2008 for $1.65 billion in cash. In addition, PXP has agreed to fund 50% of Chesapeake’s 80% share of drilling and completion costs for future Haynesville Shale JV wells over a several year period until an additional $1.65 billion has been paid. Chesapeake estimates that its Haynesville leasehold as of June 30, 2008 was approximately 550,000 net acres. As a result of the transaction, PXP will hold approximately 110,000 net acres of this leasehold and Chesapeake will hold approximately 440,000 net acres. Chesapeake plans to continue acquiring leasehold in the Haynesville Shale play and PXP will have the right to a 20% participation in any such additional leasehold.
The companies currently plan to develop the Haynesville Shale using 80 acre spacing, which could support the drilling of up to 6,875 horizontal wells on the leasehold.
Assuming that per well estimated ultimate reserves (EUR) average between 4.5 and 8.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent (bcfe), the companies’ present Haynesville Shale leasehold could hold net unrisked unproved reserve potential of 23-44 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent (after deducting an assumed average royalty burden of 25%). Chesapeake is currently utilizing five operated rigs in the Haynesville Shale play and anticipates operating at least 12 rigs by year-end 2008, at least 30 rigs by year-end 2009 and up to 60 rigs by year-end 2010. Under this planned rig allocation, the companies anticipate drilling at least 600 wells over the next three years...
Read the full report at the PXP website HERE... or read the ‘PDF Version’ HERE
former legal counsel Harriet Miers, about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. Congress has subpoenaed them both, and issued contempt citations... But President Bush says the two are immune from such subpoenas and Congress can't force them to testify or turn over documents... U.S. District Judge John Bates disagreed...
