Colorado State University to Host Natural Gas Conference Oct 1-3 in Fort Collins

Note to Reporters: Registration is required for the conference due to limited space; reporters interested in attending should contact Emily Wilmsen at (970) 491-2336. To see a sampling of cutting-edge natural gas research at CSU on YouTube, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2q3dqBzw3A.

Registration is now open for Colorado State University’s second annual Natural Gas Symposium Oct. 1- 3, which will explore the complexities of the natural gas economy and its impacts in Colorado, the West and around the globe.

Among the expected participants are former Gov. Bill Ritter who now directs CSU’s Center for the New Energy Economy, Bryan Willson, director of CSU’s Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory, and Diana Wall, director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability.

The symposium will be at Colorado State University’s main Fort Collins campus. The event is free and open to the public, but due to limited space, registration is required at http://www.naturalgas.colostate.edu/. An agenda is available at http://naturalgas.colostate.edu/agenda.

“Colorado State offers neutral ground for the discussion of complex issues surrounding the natural gas industry, its contribution to the economy and its impact on the environment,” said Willson, whose laboratory has worked with industry officials for more than 20 years to reduce the environmental impacts of natural gas drilling. “We are bringing together heavy hitters on all sides of the discussion to educate the general public and discuss solutions to some of these challenging issues.”

Pre-symposium activities will focus on “Natural Gas 101,” a day of one-hour seminars designed to provide participants with a broad overview of the science and engineering behind natural gas development, extraction, distribution and emissions. Topics will include the geology of natural gas, drilling and completion, processing and distribution, the role of water in hydraulic fracturing and other processes and the supply outlook.

Day two will focus on the need for natural gas, current challenges and uses and international implications. The day will feature a mix of keynote speakers and panel sessions featuring a diverse mix of academic, industry and environmental experts talking about such topics as community impact.

The final day of the symposium will examine responsible, environmentally sound solutions to natural gas development. Keynotes and panel sessions will be intermixed with working group visioning workshops. The day will feature a discussion on a successful partnership between the Southern Ute Tribe and BP in LaPlata County.

Increasingly, industry leaders, environmental groups and communities are looking to Colorado State to provide credible, non-partisan solutions to the complexities facing the oil and natural gas industry and the general public including issues related to water, land use, production, air, policy and cultural or social changes. CSU is known nationally for its work with natural gas beginning with the earliest elements of the exploration process – from training geologists and controlling emissions to land reclamation. The university is committed to working with industry to tackle environmental problems and to serve as good environmental stewards at the local, national and international scale.

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