Pickens: U.S. needs to approve Keystone, increase use of natural gas

Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens chatted via Twitter for about half an hour Wednesday afternoon, answering questions about Oklahoma State University football, energy independence and even a loan request.

Pickens continued to call for increased use of domestic natural gas, which has been part of his eponymous Pickens Plan since its inception.

He maintained that demand for natural gas will increase, even if lawmakers fail to pass legislation like the NatGas Act to speed the process.

“Nat gas is a long term energy solution,” he said. “We need to use our own resources. Key is to increase demand in US.”

Pickens said the Marcellus Shale, which is found in parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York, is the biggest natural gas field in the U.S. He called it a “huge opportunity for America, jobs and domestic energy security.”

He said he is not opposed to natural gas exports, which could allow companies to get the best price for their product, but he would rather see

Pickens also endorsed TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline project, which would transport oil from Canada and the northern United States through Cushing on its way to Gulf Coast refineries.

“We are extremely stupid if we don’t do the Keystone Pipeline,” he said. “Extremely important to our country.”

Pickens sidestepped a loan request, assuring Twitter user @Mpaff23 he could get a loan “somewhere.”

Pickens also predicted Oklahoma State’s football team would finish 9-3 this year, including a win over Iowa State — the only team to beat his alma mater last season as the Cowboys earned their first Big 12 championship.

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