While several industries have suffered through the recession since 2008, one sector that has surged through the financial crisis is the U.S. energy industry. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques have completely flipped the U.S. from being a buyer to now a possible seller of natural gas.

It was less than a decade ago when the U.S. was at one of its highest levels of demand for natural gas and oil imports, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported. However, the rise in fracking technology has turned the shale formations in the U.S. into a natural gas venture for the nation's oil and gas industry. Companies are producing more natural gas than the country can even use, and that's why many lawmakers are looking to lift the ban on U.S. exports.

The fracking process relies on precision gearing and gearboxes to make sure pumps are able to send a pressurized stream of sand, chemicals and water into shale deposits to reach trapped gas. The process has helped get the most out of shale developments where many once thought it was impossible to reach the natural gas deposits, reported The Hill.

U.S. allies needing support with gas supply

While natural gas production in the U.S. remains stable, other ally countries are trying to find a way to get the nation to export resources. According to The Hill, Ukraine, and other European allies, are under Russia's control of natural gas resources, and currently, Russia stands as the leading-source of energy for Europe.

Foreign officials are pleading with the U.S. to lift liquefied natural gas (LNG) export bans to help lessen Vladimir Putin's grip on Europe's natural gas supplies. According to the source, if the U.S. lifted the ban, it could make the nation one of the largest energy export suppliers in the world.

The idea of the U.S. becoming a global leader in natural gas exports would have been heavily criticized just two decades ago, and figured to be impossible. However, even though the demand is growing for U.S. resources, many in the nation fear what it will do to the natural gas costs once the country lifts its bans on exports.

Numerous oil and gas researchers believe that it will have a miniscule affect on the U.S. oil and gas market, and several studies agree with this logic. According to The Hill, many oil and gas market experts think exporting LNG will have a small impact on the U.S. costs.

Applications for LNG still on hold

There are currently more than 20 applications to get LNG exporting privileges for U.S. oil and gas companies. If the bans were lifted, companies could ship LNG from ports in East Texas and Louisiana along the Gulf Coast to Europe and Asian countries. Many want the legislature to lift the ban because it could create thousands of new jobs in the LNG export industry.

The Obama administration's Energy Department is still moving slowly to approve the applications. According to The Hill, the application that has been waiting approval the longest has reached more than 800 days.

Allowing LNG exports could also help Asian allies such as South Korea, India and Japan - which is still struggling to recover from the Fukushima nuclear plant explosion that halted many from investing in nuclear power.

Cheniere Energy is still moving forward with its plans to build a LNG export facility in Houston, which could potentially provide other countries with resources by 2017, The New York Times reported. When the facility is completely operating, it will be able to provide approximately a sixth of the amount of natural gas that Europe imports from Russia.

Many believe the process won't happen overnight, but oil and gas executives are looking to cut the red tape around the restrictions.

"LNG exports are not about snapping your fingers and making them happen," Marvin E. Odum, president of Shell Oil, said according to The New York Times. "These are large business development projects that take several years of construction and several years of business development and engineering design."

With LNG exports becoming more likely, drilling operators need to ensure their wells are working at full capacity. Equipment suppliers can turn to Broadwind Energy for gearbox, gearing and repair services to help ensure less downtime and maximum output.

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