Shale Gas.....

Jegersmart

Hi Bigadaj

I have been working in the Commodities space for over a decade and before that in the financial markets in a plethora of different roles from trading, sales/trading, consultant, strategist and currently involved in the E&P side of things helping companies make "astute" investment decisions and how they can manage their various risks. So nothing that qualifies me professionally on the geological and practical risks of fracking..:D

What I do know, and I have spoken to a couple of families last summer from Texas as I was out hiking for a few months around Europe, and they confirmed the news that we see almost daily - relating to many landowners/owners/families having to sign NDA's by the company who is fracking.

Now I assume it is possible that the NDA's are there to prevent the owner in question to divulge how much they are receiving in rent and how awesome things are on their property after fracking has commenced. I feel however, that whilst NDA's protecting IP, technology and so on are appropriate, in this case this is simply a gagging order to cover up the *potential* negative effects of the fracking/drilling. Another example of complete lack of ethics and dishonesty by corporations.

The last statement includes the majority of my clients/counterparties/peers that I have been involved with over the past 15+ years of course. Isn't life a peculiar thing.....^^

My recommendation as a non-technical professional would be for you to be very careful with the recommendations that you make on this subject. I have learnt in many, many markets and business cycles that the idea that "this time it's different" - really doesn't mean sh.it. As I said, legislation in my view is not going to make this safer, it will just make the cost for entry higher. Throwing money at resolving pollution and damage to the environment after it has happened is unlikely to be a meaningful policy as has been proved everywhere else in the world....

imho
J

bigadaj

Fair enough our opinions can differ.

I think control and regulation in the uk may actually preclude development, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, like many things it's a balance between risk and reward. I do have a problem with the protests that have occurred in the uk, but am after a balanced assessment and take all points on board. You're involved in risk management so can understand the processes that should be followed, unfortunately the general public want zero risk, which as you're aware can't be achieved and this lack of practical knowledge present in teh world does frustrate me. So much is pr, spin and influence, on both sides of the debate.

NDAs are a common feature in most businesses, and we certainly come across them frequently, my view is that this doesn't prove things either way.

You've been on this board long enough to know I'm not giving advice or recommendations, just an opinion, which is based on a reasonable level of research, I'm certainly not a technical expert in this area.

I could be wrong in my interpretation but your last paragraph sounds as though you might want to consider a change of career?