Shaun Polczer, CALGARY: The US government has finally bought into the unconventional revolution, after President Barack Obama touted shale gas as part of a “made in America” energy policy in his State of the Union address, on 24 January.
In his speech, Obama held up the unconventional oil and gas industry as an example of US innovation and vowed that natural gas would play a larger role in his vision of the US’s energy future. “We have a supply of natural gas that can last nearly 100 years and my administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy ... The development of natural gas will create jobs, and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper – proving that we don't have to choose between our environment and our economy,” he said in the address.
Shale gas accounted for about 23% of US...