Geology News - June 2006

Interesting geology articles and earth science news from around the world. Stories are archived monthly. All links are to external sites.

June 27, 2006

Historic scrapbook for display in city museum
John Phillips, one of the most remarkable scientists of the Victorian period, was also the first keeper of geology anywhere in the world.

Talks fuel speculation on Nova Scotia gas project
Speeches planned by the premier of Nova Scotia and his energy minister for later this week have fuelled speculation that EnCana's long-stalled Deep Panuke natural gas project may be revived.

June 23, 2006

Azerbaijan's geologists develop new mud volcano search method
Scientists of the Geology Institute with the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan developed a new method to search for mud volcanoes. This method includes decoding air and space photographs.

June 20, 2006

Azerbaijan participates in the project on creation of Central Eurasia geological atlas
The project was launched in 1996 at the initiative of Almaty Scientific-Research Institute of Natural Resources UTGEO and includes 9 countries: Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and China.

June 19, 2006

Quakes shake part of southwestern Montana
The earthquake studies office at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in Butte says the first quake was at 10:22 a.m. Saturday. It's magnitude was three-point-eight. A magnitude four quake occurred just after six p.m. Saturday.

June 16, 2006

Drilling rights hit $102M
With sky-high oil prices, oil and gas companies are buying drilling rights in Saskatchewan at a record pace, particularly in the light oil-prone southeast.

Oil sands resource 'largely untapped'
Although coalbed methane amounted only to two per cent of the province's total gas output, the Alberta Geological Survey estimates unconventional gas reserves of more than 500 tcf.

June 13, 2006

Big potential for diamonds in Ontario
The discovery of diamond-bearing kimberlites and other significant indicator minerals in northern Ontario has sparked increases in diamond exploration.

June 12, 2006

The state of natural gas
This article is a Web compilation of our annual three-part series on natural gas, which was printed in the three most recent issues of the Energy Tribune magazine.

June 10, 2006

Testing finds medicine and sunscreen in Montana wells
Trace amounts of nearly two dozen contaminants were found in a sampling of 38 Helena Valley water wells by state and local officials.

June 9, 2006

Firms from India, China among those eyeing Alberta oilsands investments
Oil companies in India are poised to plunge as much as $2 billion into Alberta's oilsands this year, Energy Minister Greg Melchin said.

Montana installing geological road signs
Department of Transportation officials unveiled the first of 16 geological road signs to be placed around the state this summer.

June 8, 2006

Diamonds sought in prime farm land
A Montreal-based junior resource player will be the first company working in Saskatchewan to look for diamonds south of the Saskatchewan River in prime farm country.

Utah examining landslide issues
This year's landslide season has already claimed several homes and threatened neighborhoods across the state. It all has Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. asking what the state can do to help and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff looking at possible intervention.

Mining sector looks for technological edge
Canadian mining companies are seeking new technologies to help them offset an anticipated 40-per-cent workforce reduction over the next decade.

June 7, 2006

Study shows our ancestors survived 'Snowball Earth'
New research shows organisms called eukaryotes existed 50 million to 100 million years before the ice age and somehow did survive.

June 3, 2006

Rockslide closes main route through Yosemite
About 300 tons of debris now block parts of highway 140 in Mariposa County.