Using Structural Topic Modeling to Explore the Role of Framing in Shaping the Debate on Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals in Oregon

2021 ◽  
pp. 000276422110562
Author(s):  
Greg Stelmach ◽  
Hilary Boudet
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Liquefied Natural Gas ◽  
Letters To The Editor ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Drastic Increase ◽  
Local Impacts

The drastic increase in domestic production of natural gas due to the fracking boom prompted efforts to develop a robust infrastructure in the U.S. to export natural gas. Given environmental concerns over increased fossil fuel development, significant opposition mobilized to “keep it [fossil fuels] in the ground” by acting to prevent not only natural gas production but also its transportation via pipelines and shipping via export terminals. Our analysis focuses on the latter component, specifically examining the long history of proposed liquefied natural gas infrastructure in two coastal communities in Oregon. Members of the public engaged in the formal siting processes and mobilized both opposition and support. We examine their use of collective action frames in both comments at public hearings and letters to the editor in local newspapers ( N = 4618) over the 16 years that these proposals were under consideration, quantifying the dynamic nature of framing using computational text analysis. We find that both groups vary their use of framing over time and by venue, reacting to exogenous events (e.g., September 11th, Fukushima) and tailor their messages to the context (e.g., an in-person hearing or a letter to the editor). Opponents concentrated on potential threats, initially emphasizing local impacts like tanker and pipeline safety but eventually focusing on climate concerns. Supporters, meanwhile, stressed the economic benefits of the projects but alternated their specific framing based on venue—focusing on employment when talking to regulatory agencies and community economic benefits in letters. While this juxtaposition of economic benefits and environmental threats was a key part of public discourse, opponents also expanded their framing to questions of local sovereignty and governance, allowing a broader coalition to develop and ultimately succeeding in defeating the proposals.

scholarly journals POTENTIAL OF CROATIAN LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) TERMINAL IN SUPPLYING REGIONAL NATURAL GAS MARKETS

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 93-101
Author(s):  
Ivan Smajla ◽  
Romana Crneković ◽  
Daria Karasalihović Sedlar ◽  
Filip Božić
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Liquefied Natural Gas ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Energy Strategy ◽  
Gas Supply

This paper analyzes the possible role of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the region in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by replacing a certain part of solid fossil fuels. Increasing natural gas consumption, declining North Sea natural gas reserves and increased natural gas production costs in Europe combined have created new opportunities for LNG in Europe. The Energy Strategy of Croatia is focused on intensifying the transit position for natural gas that could establish Croatia as a primary LNG market for countries from the region, which shows that the Energy Strategy supports LNG. Concerning LNG’s introduction into the regional gas market, this paper analyses the possibility of establishing a regional gas hub. The region in this paper includes the following countries: Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovenia, and North Macedonia. On the other hand, the observed markets are not organized and sufficiently liquid, which is a crucial precondition for hub establishment. In order to decrease the region’s dependence on pipeline natural gas, it is necessary to construct gas interconnections between Croatia – Serbia, Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia – North Macedonia. With the mentioned interconnections, the region could achieve greater security of natural gas supply. This paper discusses the possibility of utilizing the full capacity of a LNG terminal as a source of natural gas supply for the purpose of replacing solid fossil fuels in the region’s primary energy consumption. By replacing solid fossil fuels with natural gas, it is possible to achieve significant savings on CO2 emissions, which contributes towards a green and sustainable future.

scholarly journals Modeling and Analysis of Coal-Based Lurgi Gasification for LNG and Methanol Coproduction Process

Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gu ◽  
Yang ◽  
Kokossis
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Methanol Synthesis ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Liquefied Natural Gas ◽  
Utilization Efficiency ◽  
Separation Unit ◽  
Gas Removal

A coal-based coproduction process of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol (CTLNG-M) is developed and key units are simulated in this paper. The goal is to find improvements of the low-earning coal to synthesis natural gas (CTSNG) process using the same raw material but producing a low-margin, single synthesis natural gas (SNG) product. In the CTLNG-M process, there are two innovative aspects. Firstly, the process can co-generate high value-added products of LNG and methanol, in which CH4 is separated from the syngas to obtain liquefied natural gas (LNG) through a cryogenic separation unit, while the remaining lean-methane syngas is then used for methanol synthesis. Secondly, CO2 separated from the acid gas removal unit is partially reused for methanol synthesis reaction, which consequently increases the carbon element utilization efficiency and reduces the CO2 emission. In this paper, the process is designed with the output products of 642,000 tons/a LNG and 1,367,800 tons/a methanol. The simulation results show that the CTLNG-M process can obtain a carbon utilization efficiency of 39.6%, bringing about a reduction of CO2 emission by 130,000 tons/a compared to the CTSNG process. However, the energy consumption of the new process is increased by 9.3% after detailed analysis of energy consumption. The results indicate that although electricity consumption is higher than that of the conventional CTSNG process, the new CTLNG-M process is still economically feasible. In terms of the economic benefits, the investment is remarkably decreased by 17.8% and an increase in internal rate of return (IRR) by 6% is also achieved, contrasting to the standalone CTSNG process. It is; therefore, considered as a feasible scheme for the efficient utilization of coal by Lurgi gasification technology and production planning for existing CTSNG plants.

Papua New Guinea in 2016

Asian Survey ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald May
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
University Students ◽  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Liquefied Natural Gas ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
Step Down

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill came under continuing pressure to step down pending resolution of corruption charges but resisted demands from university students and civil society groups and convincingly defeated a parliamentary vote of no confidence. Papua New Guinea experienced a further decline in GDP growth and faced landowner threats to shut down liquefied natural gas production.

A Supercritical CO2 Combined Power and Liquefaction Cycle

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Griffin Beck ◽  
David Ransom ◽  
Kevin Hoopes
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Horizontal Drilling ◽  
Power Cycle ◽  
Natural Gas Liquefaction ◽  
Comparable Performance ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Natural gas production has increased dramatically in recent years due to advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques. There are still challenges that must be addressed by industry to better utilize these abundant natural gas resources. For example, due to the cost and complexity with piping installations from remote well sites to processing facilities (should they exist), natural gas is often flared at the site whereas the liquid hydrocarbons are stored in holding tanks. For the natural gas that is recovered and processed, there are currently economic benefits to exporting the gas to international markets, provided that the gas can be liquefied and shipped. While the number of liquefaction facilities has increased in recent years, additional liquefaction plants are needed. This paper introduces a novel liquefaction cycle that utilizes a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle to provide power and initial stages of refrigeration to a natural gas liquefaction cycle. The liquefaction cycle uses a flow of CO2 extracted from the power cycle as well as natural gas to provide several stages of refrigeration capable of liquefying the process stream. The combined sCO2 power and liquefaction cycle is described in detail and initial cycle analyses are presented. The cycle performance is compared to small-scale natural gas liquefaction cycles and is shown to provide comparable performance to the reviewed cycles. Due to the compact nature of the sCO2 power cycle equipment, the sCO2 liquefaction cycle described herein can provide small, modular liquefaction plants that can be employed at individual well sites to liquefy and store the natural gas as opposed to flaring the gas.

scholarly journals The Application of Analytical Hierarchy Process in Combination with PESTEL-SWOT Analysis to Assess the Hydrocarbons Sector in Cyprus

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michail Tsangas ◽  
Mejdi Jeguirim ◽  
Lionel Limousy ◽  
Antonis Zorpas
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Analytical Hierarchy Process ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Weighting Method ◽  
New Energy ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Hierarchy Process

Natural gas reserves have been recently found offshore of Cyprus. Hence, a new energy sector is under development, creating potential for raised welfare for the small insular EU member. Several social and economic benefits could be achieved from the resources’ exploitation. However, natural gas is a non-renewable energy source, connected with the major environmental issues of fossil fuels. The research goal of this work was to evaluate the sustainability of the new hydrocarbons sector. This was attained using a set of indicators, developed from the combination of PESTEL (Political, Economic, Technical, Social, Environmental, Legal) and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analyses. These were quantified using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) weighting method. They were pairwise compared and evaluated, resulting to a size for each one. The judgements of four evaluators, representing diverse interested parties, were used. The strengths and opportunities of the sector were found to be more than the weaknesses and threats. The relevant indicators quantification demonstrates also that the value of the positives is higher than the negatives. Therefore, if the first are enhanced and the latter are mitigated, there is sustainability potential. The sectors environmental issues are evaluated as the most important, followed by the economic. The other takes lower but comparatively significant values, and must be handled accordingly. These results lead to useful conclusions and could be exploited for decision-making and policies formulation.

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