Deputy Secretary of Interior, Governor to Headline Colorado State University 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 the cutting-edge natural gas research at CSU on YouTube, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2q3dqBzw3A.

What/when:

David Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Gov. John Hickenlooper are scheduled to headline the Colorado State University Natural Gas Symposium Oct. 1- 3, which will explore the complexities of the natural gas economy and its impacts in Colorado and the West and around the globe.

The conference 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.

Details:

Hayes and Hickenlooper are expected to speak during the first full day of the symposium, Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Additional participants include 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.

Pre-symposium activities on Monday, Oct. 1 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, Colo.

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