Gas Industry Buys Ads to Counter Matt Damon's 'Promised Land' Fracking Movie

[dudeone]

Fracking Group Fights 'Promised Land'

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=18132574&sid=81

By COLLEEN CURRY Jan 5, 2013, 4:01 PM

When the new movie "Promised Land" featuring Matt Damon opens in theaters around the country today, viewers in one state may be surprised by what they see: a commercial from the natural gas industry.

The movie, written by Damon and John Krasinski, is a fictional account of a Pennsylvania town grappling with whether to allow natural gas drilling, known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking." The gas drilling process has been controversial among environmental groups.

Fracking crews blast sand, water and chemicals into the rock to draw out previously unreachable deposits of oil and gas. Proponents argue that the U.S.'s ability to draw fuel from the country's vast shale deposits has the potential to turn America into an energy giant that could rival OPEC. Critics, however, argue that fracking threatens to pollute water supplies, foul the air and poses a health threat to people.

In response to the movie's release, a gas industry trade group called the Marcellus Shale Coalition has released a 15-second commercial that will run before the movie in about 75 percent of movie theaters in Pennsylvania, according to Travis Windle, a spokesman for the group.

The coalition represents drilling companies and manufacturers that produce drilling equipment, Windle said. The group decided to run the ad spot because they felt the film was "a purely fictional movie that is in no way, shape, or form reflective of how the natural gas industry deals with land owners."

In the movie, Damon plays a gas company executive and Krasinski plays an environmental activist battling to win over the allegiance of landowners. The film focuses on potential environmental risks of fracking.

An American Oil Find That Holds More Than All of OPEC The ad suggests that viewers who have questions about the drilling process look for answers on the group's website, Learn About Shale.

"Recognizing that this purely fictional Hollywood film would increase focus on our industry, which supports 240,000 jobs in our state, we said, how about we do in-theater promotions of this website where some folks may have additional questions," Windle said.

"So it's just 15 seconds, a reminder to folks that if you have questions, we recognize and appreciate and understand that many folks in the region have questions despite the long history of drilling in Pennsylvania," he said.

The group has also compiled negative film reviews culled from critics who "widely panned the movie," Windle said. The reviews were provided to ABC News.

Windle noted that the ad will run for two weeks in theaters only in Pennsylvania because that is where the group is based.

James Schamus, the chief executive of Focus Features, the studio that produced the film, called the coalition's actions "propaganda."

"To be honest, if I could afford the kind of propaganda specialists the fracking industry has sent after our little movie...They're pretty impressive at what they do," Schamus said in a statement to ABC News. "Gus (Van Sant), Matt (Damon), and John (Krasinski) made a wonderful and entertaining film about what happens when big money collides with small town values, so I suppose we should have seen this coming."

[Noheart]

I work in the shale play in Pennsylvania and this movie is the last thing we need.

I wouldn't be doing this if I knew I was hurting the environment. It is fueled and blown out of proportion by uneducated college students.

The hydraulic fracturing takes place over a mile into the ground.

we use 2 cemented surface casing strings to isolate the ground water from the production zone.

these strings are checked with bond logs to ensure casing is completely cemented to the formation.

It is 100% safe in that aspect, we use a lot of water to fracture but we are looking at alternatives like propane. I'm in the drilling end of it so don't quote me.

I believe natural gas is the only way to be free of Petroleum.

You can't realistically run everything off a battery.

It is the bridge between oil and clean energy.

Here in the USA they converted nearly 50% of the goal burning power plants to natural gas and carbon omissions have dropped for the first time in recorded history in some places 8-10% the majority of gasoline/diesel engines can easily be converted to burn natural gas. This would greatly reduce greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.

It just when this fuel is harvested in someone's backyard it becomes a big issue.

Americans think its better to destroy countries and start wars over dirty foreign oil.

We have all the fuel we need under our feet, it's clean and no blood was spilled over it.

[woofwoofmoomoo]

I work in the shale play in Pennsylvania and this movie is the last thing we need.

I wouldn't be doing this if I knew I was hurting the environment. It is fueled and blown out of proportion by uneducated college students.

The hydraulic fracturing takes place over a mile into the ground.

we use 2 cemented surface casing strings to isolate the ground water from the production zone.

these strings are checked with bond logs to ensure casing is completely cemented to the formation.

It is 100% safe in that aspect, we use a lot of water to fracture but we are looking at alternatives like propane. I'm in the drilling end of it so don't quote me.

I believe natural gas is the only way to be free of Petroleum.

You can't realistically run everything off a battery.

It is the bridge between oil and clean energy.

Here in the USA they converted nearly 50% of the goal burning power plants to natural gas and carbon omissions have dropped for the first time in recorded history in some places 8-10% the majority of gasoline/diesel engines can easily be converted to burn natural gas. This would greatly reduce greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.

It just when this fuel is harvested in someone's backyard it becomes a big issue.

Americans think its better to destroy countries and start wars over dirty foreign oil.

We have all the fuel we need under our feet, it's clean and no blood was spilled over it.

[n00bxQb]

[TOMapleLaughs]

Maaaaat Daaaamooon.

[kurtis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUa5oHgYV2k

[Armada]

Maaaatttt Dammmoonnnn

[Perfect From Now On]

A preview of a very interesting movie.

This is a very important issue for British Columbians, we have a large abundance of natural gas in out province and anyone who follows the news should be aware of Christy Clark's ambitions to greatly expand our natural gas extraction.

Given that fracking is the leading method for extracting natural gas and our federal environmental legislation has recently been extensively eroded, there could be serious consequences for British Columbians. Specifically those living in the north and interior where the largest gas deposits are found, and ground water is the primary source for drinking water.

I'm sure this post will garner some responses from the the pro energy members of this forum, saying that we need to meet our energy demands, and therefore that somehow makes environmental concerns a second priority. So let me be clear, I am not specifically against the expansion of natural gas use and extraction, however I am strongly opposed to the fracking method and cannot support any expansion that uses this method.

Natural gas as an energy source is far superior to oil in a number of ways: it burns much cleaner producing less greenhouse gases, and poses a lessened environmental risk once extracted, due to its physical properties posing less of a risk in terms of pipeline and other transportation forms. However as I have already stated, these relative advantages over oil and the great abundance in our backyard are not sufficient reasons to ignore the immense problems that come with fracking.

[Perfect From Now On]

Americans think its better to destroy countries and start wars over dirty foreign oil.

We have all the fuel we need under our feet, it's clean and no blood was spilled over it.

[dKs89]

Fracking and Matt Damon..this is too much to handle lma0

[Noheart]

yeah, who needs clean ground water? So what if its so contaminated that you can light it on fire?

[Noheart]

That sounds a lot like the tired Alberta oil sands rhetoric of "ethical oil"

[Noheart]

A preview of a very interesting movie.

This is a very important issue for British Columbians, we have a large abundance of natural gas in out province and anyone who follows the news should be aware of Christy Clark's ambitions to greatly expand our natural gas extraction.

Given that fracking is the leading method for extracting natural gas and our federal environmental legislation has recently been extensively eroded, there could be serious consequences for British Columbians. Specifically those living in the north and interior where the largest gas deposits are found, and ground water is the primary source for drinking water.

I'm sure this post will garner some responses from the the pro energy members of this forum, saying that we need to meet our energy demands, and therefore that somehow makes environmental concerns a second priority. So let me be clear, I am not specifically against the expansion of natural gas use and extraction, however I am strongly opposed to the fracking method and cannot support any expansion that uses this method.

Natural gas as an energy source is far superior to oil in a number of ways: it burns much cleaner producing less greenhouse gases, and poses a lessened environmental risk once extracted, due to its physical properties posing less of a risk in terms of pipeline and other transportation forms. However as I have already stated, these relative advantages over oil and the great abundance in our backyard are not sufficient reasons to ignore the immense problems that come with fracking.

[canucks since 77]

Fracking blows then sucks.

[Jägermeister]

Fracking Matt Damon...

Mmaaaatt Daaaaammooonnn

[SamJamIam]

The US could slash its vehicle emissions with CNG and while BC has had natural gas readily available for a while it hasn't been available at viable quantities/prices to use as a widespread fuel. Fracking is what made most of the US reserves accessible. With their own reserves accessible, the weak link is not enough vehicles that can run on the stuff. The tech is there already though, so if the US government has the sense to subsidize the Big Three even slightly for making CNG cars, they'll bite. Asian manufacturers are getting a similar push because the price means more people in India and South East Asia can afford to run their cars. Over here, it makes sense because it's the most realistic way for automakers to reach the American MPGe fleet requirements while keeping costs low for them and consumers, plus less need for foreign oil (they'll still need plenty of Albertan oil though ). Fracking is good news for North America and the UK is going nuts for it as well.

If CNG cars do enter widespread usage, it solves a lot of other resource-related problems too. We'll be able to use way less platinum in catalytic converters, be able to change spark plugs far less often, and change our oil less often.

So all do respect to Matt Damon, but last I checked the market really doesn't give a damn what he thinks. If it saves us money, reduces pollution, frees up resources and generally makes everyone happy, his complaints about a case of badly executed fracking in its infancy don't really matter.

[hsedin33]

I've never heard of this movie until I saw this. All they did was create more hype over the movie, probably shooting themselves in the foot. I've seen documentaries and stuff on fracking, ruining the ground water and poisoning the land. It sounds nasty.

[Mr. Ambien]

I work in the shale play in Pennsylvania and this movie is the last thing we need.

I wouldn't be doing this if I knew I was hurting the environment. It is fueled and blown out of proportion by uneducated college students.

The hydraulic fracturing takes place over a mile into the ground.

we use 2 cemented surface casing strings to isolate the ground water from the production zone.

these strings are checked with bond logs to ensure casing is completely cemented to the formation.

It is 100% safe in that aspect, we use a lot of water to fracture but we are looking at alternatives like propane. I'm in the drilling end of it so don't quote me.

I believe natural gas is the only way to be free of Petroleum.

You can't realistically run everything off a battery.

It is the bridge between oil and clean energy.

Here in the USA they converted nearly 50% of the goal burning power plants to natural gas and carbon omissions have dropped for the first time in recorded history in some places 8-10% the majority of gasoline/diesel engines can easily be converted to burn natural gas. This would greatly reduce greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.

It just when this fuel is harvested in someone's backyard it becomes a big issue.

Americans think its better to destroy countries and start wars over dirty foreign oil.

We have all the fuel we need under our feet, it's clean and no blood was spilled over it.

[dudeone]

Ohio Government Confirms Earthquakes Caused by Fracking-Related Injection Wells

http://www.allgov.com/news/controversies/ohio-government-confirms-earthquakes-caused-by-fracking-related-injection-wells?news=844162

Monday, March 12, 2012

In addition to drinking water contamination, earthquakes can now be added to the harmful consequences of the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, according to the Ohio state government. In fracking, energy companies use powerful pumps to force pressurized fluid into deep layers of rock, causing fractures, which allow the extraction of otherwise unavailable natural gas or oil. In a recently released report, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) concluded that a rash of 12 earthquakes in the Youngstown, Ohio, area between March and December 2011 was likely due to nearby fracking operations. Those temblors began just three months after fracking began, ranged from 2.1 to 4.0 magnitude and led ODNR to shut down the wells on December 30. In the new report, ODNR also promulgates several new regulations to prevent future fracking-related earthquakes.

Despite industry complaints that the report is premature in linking the quakes to the wells, and as AllGov has previously reported, earthquakes have been tied to fracking in other locales as well. These include Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, British Columbia, Lancashire and other locales. Oklahoma, a major location for fracking, experienced between two and six earthquakes a year between 1972 and 2008; but in 2010 there were 1,047, including a 5.6 quake on November 5 that was the strongest in the state’s history. Although the earthquake problem appears to be related not to the drilling itself, but to the disposal of wastewater from the drilling by forcing it back into the earth into injection wells, the fact remains that this is a necessary part of the overall fracking process.

-Matt Bewig

[Noheart]

Ohio Government Confirms Earthquakes Caused by Fracking-Related Injection Wells

http://www.allgov.co...lls?news=844162

Monday, March 12, 2012

In addition to drinking water contamination, earthquakes can now be added to the harmful consequences of the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, according to the Ohio state government. In fracking, energy companies use powerful pumps to force pressurized fluid into deep layers of rock, causing fractures, which allow the extraction of otherwise unavailable natural gas or oil. In a recently released report, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) concluded that a rash of 12 earthquakes in the Youngstown, Ohio, area between March and December 2011 was likely due to nearby fracking operations. Those temblors began just three months after fracking began, ranged from 2.1 to 4.0 magnitude and led ODNR to shut down the wells on December 30. In the new report, ODNR also promulgates several new regulations to prevent future fracking-related earthquakes.

Despite industry complaints that the report is premature in linking the quakes to the wells, and as AllGov has previously reported, earthquakes have been tied to fracking in other locales as well. These include Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, British Columbia, Lancashire and other locales. Oklahoma, a major location for fracking, experienced between two and six earthquakes a year between 1972 and 2008; but in 2010 there were 1,047, including a 5.6 quake on November 5 that was the strongest in the state’s history. Although the earthquake problem appears to be related not to the drilling itself, but to the disposal of wastewater from the drilling by forcing it back into the earth into injection wells, the fact remains that this is a necessary part of the overall fracking process.

-Matt Bewig