Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) has agreed to acquire SouthTex Treaters, a manufacturer, designer and fabricator of natural gas treating plants that remove carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, for about $155 million. The manufactured amine plants range in size from five to 1,200 gallons per minute of treating capacity. Kinder Morgan Treating, a subsidiary of KMP, is a large provider of contract-operated treating and hydrocarbon dew point conditioning plants. “This acquisition will enable us to provide large amine plants for centralized treating facilities, which are often needed in the rapidly developing shale plays,” said Bill Stokes, vice president of Kinder Morgan Treating. “We will also be able to replenish our already large inventory of amine plants and offer our customers even more flexibility for their treating needs.” Closing is expected during the fourth quarter.

Looking to help property owners and oil and gas companies stay up to date on shale-related developments in specific areas, New York based geospatial consulting firm Select Analytics LLC is rolling out ShaleNavigator, a web-based news and mapping system. The system is designed to “help landowners, landowner groups, drillers, pipeline, and consulting companies interpret the continuous shale development activity at the local level.” Users can also view the latest available well permit and production points for Pennsylvania and Ohio, generalized company lease positions, major pipeline right of ways, and even recent lease offers as layers in the map, according to the company. “These recent well results, new permits, buyouts, partnerships, and new midstream investments all contribute to defining where the future development paths are going to be, as well as where value can be found today” says Edward Camp, owner and developer of ShaleNavigator. “There is a need for a system that can capture and context all this news and information that has such incredible value once layered together, and we believe ShaleNavigator has done just that.” For more information visit www.shalenavigator.com.

The first webcast in a three-part webinar, “Hydraulic Fracturing: Fress Facts and Critical Choices,” hosted by Clean Water America Alliance (CWAA) and American Water Resources Association (AWRA), is scheduled for Nov. 1. During the webcasts CWAA President Ben Grumbles and AWRA President Michael Campana will facilitate expert panels and audience questions on the hydraulic fracturing issue. Scheduled to appear on the first webcast are Christopher Harto of Argonne National Laboratories and Carol Collier of the Delaware River Basin Commission. Kevin Heatley of Biohabitats Inc. and Mike Paque of the Ground Water Protection Council are scheduled to appear on a Nov. 17 webcast. Donald Siegel of Syracuse University and Joseph Romm of the Center for American Progress are scheduled to appear on the final webcast on Dec. 1. Registration is available at www.cleanwateramericaalliance.org.