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  • Author(s): Levine, Steve
  • Source:
    New Republic. 5/13/2010, Vol. 241 Issue 7, p12-14. 2p.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      The article discusses the process of natural gas prospecting known as fracking and the effect it may have on global politics. The fracking technique allows access to gas deposits housed thousands of feet underground in areas which had previously been considered unattainable. Some energy analysts believe that the shale-gas deposits will provide the U.S. with up to 100 years worth of of natural gas supplies. As a result, oil companies are buying up areas believed to be rich in shale-gas in both the U.S. and Europe. Some experts are advising caution, saying that environmentally safe extraction methods have not yet been established in all cases, such as near groundwater. If produced on a global scale, shale-gas could have a significant effect on oil-producing countries like Russia and Iran.