Oil shale, coalbed gas, geothermal trends sized up

A look at the currents trends in oil shale, coalbed methane, and geothermal resource exploration is presented. The factors affecting energy mineral exploration, development and consumption are noted. These include: supply and demand in world commodity markets; the state of the world economy; resource market competition; the size of the resource; technology development; government fiscal policy and environmental regulations; lease terms; and finally, and most importantly, company mindset and budgets.