 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
There will be no February auction at the Creston Community Building.
The weather continues to be the main event in the Creston area with more snow and the mercury dropping into the zero range. The folks at Accuweather indicate that cold will be the rule for the rest of the season and Europe continues to have winters more like those during what was called "the little ice age". The global warming purists insist that the cold is because of global warming but those who are aware of the scientific method have debunked their specious claims although futile government programs "to fight global warming" continue costing citizens and business much money and rewarding the "select" who are "entitled" to the filthy lucre. The EPA continues to plan to assess fees for CO2 produced in America to assist the movement of more manufacturing to the Big Eared One's friends in communist China.
Speaking of China, Hu, the present dictator of that place was given a gala feed at the White House and the pianist played an anti-American song for him. The song was from a communist movie glorifying the Chicoms who killed Americans in the Korean
War. Several local men were killed and wounded during what was then called "a police action" as some didn't want to offend the communists. The Chinese are now building missiles that will take out our aircraft carriers but, they like the Iranians and their bombs are only doing it for peaceful purposes.
Those who follow politics are taking a keen interest in the new doings down at the Mouth of the Elk with a governor's race coming up later this year. One of the wild cards will be Jim Lees, a Democrat who does not have the blessing of the ruling oligarchy. Of course Sen. Clark Barnes and Betty Ireland are also considered serious contenders in the race.
A number of local folks from Creston & Brooksville, led by Winnie Elliott attended the IOGA meeting in Charleston. A certain blonde who resides on Yellow Creek noted that if "the boys" went to town to find "entertainment" down next to St. Albans likely better might be found close to home and before it was over one fellow might be "asking for mercy". Well, it seems the gents stayed away from 'the ladies' but they did go to a state sponsored gambling den which relieved them of their money (all to help senior citizens and other civic causes, of course).
There were 800 at the meeting and while there heard acting governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel who is often featured on Sean Hannity's Tee Vee program. Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake and Roy Mork's son John of Energy Corp. of America, formerly known as Eastern American and before that Pacific States Gas & Oil spoke to those present.
Mork of ECA stated that the Marcellus wells cost 8 times as much as a regular well but give 40 times the production with reserves of 4 to 5 billion cubic feet/well. He noted that the Marcellus gas wells are as good as any wells anywhere in the world and, of course they are better for the companies that drill them as the royalty is only 1/8th compared to 1/4th or more anywhere else.
Audrey McClendon stated that his company has 7,500 Marcellus locations in West Virginia and each well will drain 640 acres which wells will last for 100 years. He also noted that his company produces 3 BCF of gas/day and that the ethane in the Marcellus in the western part of W. Va. should fuel a boom in the Ohio Valley chemical industry since it is the feedstock for polyethylene.
John Walker of Enervest reported being at a meeting in Washington where an administration representative showed up and said his job was to "shut down drilling in America". For certain all the new gas and oil (especially from the Bakken shale) has changed America's energy picture and now there is no reason to import natural gas (as LNG) from Russia much to the chagrin of George Soros who was prepared to make another fortune on the backs of American citizens. Soros, like the GE head are close buddies of the Big Eared One -- it is called crony capitalism and was famously practiced some years back with IBM, Volkswagon, Krupp, etc in a certain European nation.
It was also noted that way back when the Nazis developed technology to convert gas to liquid fuel as did the South African government when they were under sanctions but the federal government opposes natural gas vehicles "because of the gas shortage".
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude fell to $83.75 while most local natural gas fetched in the $3.25 range. It was noted that, because of the glut of new natural gas, prices will remain low for some time.
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