Fracking - What is it?

Fracking....a geological process to get more natural gas from the subsurface

Generally speaking fracking is the process of using a water solution under high pressure to fracture shale formation in order to extract natural gas and oil.

The Topic: Hydrofracking

The water - sand - chemical solution is injected into the shale formation and used to separate layers of shale from one another. Once these crevices have been forced open natural gas and oil can escape from the shale and be captured for fuel. 

Conservationists are concerned with the wastewater polluting the waters supply. The industry is in favor of using this technique because it opens up new sources of fuel for North America.

The Process:

Natural gas or energy companies will drill down deep into the rock formation and allow small explosions to start the initial fracking. Once the shale is broken up natural gas and brine will begin to seep out. The water - sand - chemical solution is then pumped into the newly opened fissures to keep them open and fracture the shale layers further.

Conservationists are again concerned with the potentially carcinogenic chemicals leaching into groundwater. Some scientists are also concerned with the potential for small earth tremors due to the fracturing process.

Overall - Good idea of Bad idea

 The energy industry of course believes this fracking process is necessary in order to increase production of natural gas and oil in America, creating jobs and increasing our energy independence...

Environmentalists believe that the potential for groundwater contamination is too great a risk for some extra natural gas or oil.....

So there you have it....energy independence is very important, but the potential for groundwater contamination is a major concern.

Perhaps as the process continues these industries will alter their process to capture and limit the potential for contamination.

American Power Group's Dual Fuel Natural Gas Glider Kit

American Power Group Corporation

Has Been Selected by Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine as One of Their Top 20 Products for 2014

LYNNFIELD, MA--(Marketwired - Feb 18, 2014) - American Power Group Corporation (OTCQB: APGI) announced thatHeavy Duty Trucking Magazine recognized American Power Group's Dual Fuel Natural Gas Glider as one of their Top 20 Products for 2014.

A committee of editors from Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine("HDT") selected products that appeared in HDT's editorial pages or in editorial coverage on Truckinginfo.com during their 2013 qualifying period based on: 1) its level of innovation; 2) whether it addresses significant industry issues; and 3) its potential to improve a trucking operation's bottom line. Then additional input was received from a panel of experienced fleet executives and maintenance managers, including HDT's Truck Fleet Innovators, and a panel of Technology and Maintenance Council ("TMC") members led by past TMC President Darry Stuart. The Top 20 Products are featured in HDT's February issue -- HDT Announces 2014 Top 20 Products.

READ MORE HERE

American Power Group Corporation and VFG Energy Leasing and Finance Announce a New Leasing Program for APG Dual Fuel Conversions

American Power Group Corporation

Over $18 Million of Natural Gas Related Transactions Funded by VFG in Calendar 2013

LYNNFIELD, MA--(Marketwired - Feb 10, 2014) - American Power Group Corporation (OTCQB: APGI), today announced a new leasing program for APG dual fuel conversions and related natural gas tank systems that will be offered by Vision Financial Group, Inc. through its specialty unit VFG Energy Leasing and Finance ("VFG") of Pittsburgh, PA.

Lyle Jensen, American Power Group Corporation's Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Many fleet owners interested in natural gas conversions of their existing fleets have found it challenging to obtain traditional bank financing for alternative fuel add-on systems for their diesel trucks. We are excited that VFG has seen the value of APG's dual fuel technology and are willing to provide financing terms with and without a perfected security interest on the entire vehicle chassis. This is critical for many of the fleet operators we've spoken to who are looking to convert multiple units at a time. We believe our ability to offer fleet customers with a viable financing solution will provide them with a path to convert a larger percent of their fleet sooner rather than later."

Mr. Jensen added, "APG's vehicular conversion technology is generating customer validated net monthly fuel savings of $1,000 to $1,800 per month depending on the miles driven and cost of fuel. While each customer's circumstance will differ, we believe that after lease related costs, a fleet owner can see his take-home income increase by $200 to $1,000 per month. We know of no other truck-related technology that can create that kind of incremental savings and income."

Read More Here

Sapphires - Synthetic or Real

With scientific advancements comes the potential to run into more and more convincing synthetic stones.
How can you tell the difference?
The most effective way to tell the difference is in their Refractive Index of the natural stone. Also all stones formed from the earth will have some inclusions. 
Specific Gravity is not helpful in determining a synthetic from a natural stone.




3 simple tools together -- Loupe, Chelsea filter, and Dichroscope -- which are also useful in the field. And if you have a portable LW/SW UV lamp, that's also an important tool. For example, garnet is single-refracting and will show no dichroism (with a dichroscope, a dichroic stone will show one color in one window, and a different color or different "shade" of color in the other window of this small instrument). So this will immediately separate a garnet, glass or synthetic SPINEL imitating another gem from ruby, sapphire or emerald. In terms of tsavorite, when viewed through the Chelsea filter, tsavorite will appear reddish, but green glass or syn green spinel will NOT. Tsavorite is SINGLE refracting so it will show the same color in each window of the dichroscope, but some of its imposters (syn corundum) are double refracting and show dichroism, but in any event, those stones do not go red through the Chelsea filter. And then, the loupe will show inclusions in tsavorite that you will never see in glass, syn spinel, and so on. Natural, untreated blue sapphire will usually show no fluorescent reaction (under either wavelength) whereas treated-blue sapphire usually shows a blue/white reaction and synthetic blue sapphire will have a stronger reaction, and even stronger under short-wave. And so on. There is never just one test that will tell you what you need to know....it's a matter of collecting the "clues" from information provided by at least a couple of tests, and putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
Do you have my book "Gem Identification Made Easy" (published by Gemstone Press -- www.gemstonepress.com)? I talk about how to use a variety of instruments, and explain how valuable small, portable tools can be when you know how to use them PROPERLY, and when you use them together to collect the "clues" you need.

The Copper that I have scavenged

Bare Bright Copper

 Scavenge Scrap Copper

After scavenging and stripping copper for over a span of two years I have accumulated a mound of insulated wire and a small amount of bare bright. The small amount of bare bright that I spent a long time stripping only amounted to 13 pounds.... at 2.20 a pound did not seem to be worth the time I had spent.
The rest of the wire was graded at insulated 50/50 but I had around 130 pounds of that.
Overall the end result was about 175 dollars...The effort to collect all the copper was not very difficult so this is a viable source of secondary income. I was even considering applying to work at the place.

Stripped Scrap Copper

I feel pretty good about the wire that I could recycle because most of it came form an old farm. I went with a friend to his family farm while he did some other maintenance while I began stripping the place of all discarded wire. It took me a while to eventually gather and secure all of the scrap but eventually I got it done and in return for recycling I got about 175$

Scrap Copper