Natural Gas Hype

Last week, I crossed the line.

I got testy with a talk show host at a local Florida radio station during an interview.

To be honest, I should really stop doing these interviews. I just have no patience anymore for these know-it-all media whores who, ironically, know very little when it comes to energy investing.

The interview started off well…

We talked about solar and wind and the new high-performance battery that IBM is working on. This new battery could actually allow electric vehicle prices to fall dramatically while extending driving ranges to no less than 500 miles.

It’s a fascinating technology, one that will help transition electric vehicles from talk show piñatas to just another vehicle option for consumers.

But things took a strange turn when I was blamed for helping to “fan the flames of misinformation” about oil and natural gas.

It’s All Polish to Me

I guess there was a recent article that highlighted a couple of failed attempts by Exxon to get at some shale gas in Poland.

My gracious interviewer brought this to my attention: “Isn’t this just more proof that all these big natural gas projections you talk about are really turning out to be nothing more than hype?”

I’m sure my response is what set him off… and ended our interview rather abruptly.

Here’s how the conversation proceeded:

“Well, I love a good pierogi with a side of borscht. But I’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying these delicacies in Poland.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand? I’m simply answering your irrelevant question with an appropriately irrelevant response. When have I ever written about natural gas in Poland? When have I ever made big claims about Poland’s natural gas potential?’

“Well, all this stuff is related.”

“No, no it’s not. Unless you want to talk about how we’re going to be exporting more and more of our natural gas wealth to Europe. That’s the only connection. Here’s the bottom line: There is a major natural gas boom going down right now in the United States. As a result, I have been investing accordingly and sharing this information with other investors so they can profit, too.”

“So it’s really just about making money.”

“Yes.”

And that’s pretty much how things concluded.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I make no apologies for profiting from emerging trends in energy.

I did it with solar while armchair analysts labeled me a “treehugger.” I did it with electric car batteries while fake conservatives called me a socialist. And I’m doing it now with domestic oil and natural gas, while being attacked as a purveyor of misinformation.

Here’s the deal, folks…

When it comes to the oil and natural gas boom in the United States, I look at two things: industry data and major deals.

The fact is, in just five of the largest oil and gas deals of 2011, major oil and gas companies spent more than $105 billion to get their hands on these domestic properties. That’s billion with a ‘b’.

Meanwhile, North Dakota is now producing 510,000 barrels a day — representing 10 percent of all oil now produced in the U.S. — not to mention that 10 percent of all rigs drilling in the U.S. have been deployed to North Dakota.

Although North Dakota does not monopolize domestic production, it is where the most lucrative action is right now.

But don’t take my word for it…

To a new way of life and a new generation of wealth…

Jeff Siegel

Check us out on YouTube!

@JeffSiegel on Twitter

Jeff is the founder and managing editor of Green Chip Stocks. For more on Jeff, go to his editor’s page.

Want to hear more from Jeff? Sign up to receive emails directly from him ranging from market commentaries to opportunities that he has his eye on.