Inergy LP‘s Tres Palacios 20-mile header pipeline extension is now in service, allowing shippers to transport up to 300 MMcf/d of natural gas from the tailgate of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP‘s Houston Central gas processing plant in Colorado County, TX, to the Tres Palacios gas storage facility. The 24-inch diameter extension also enables delivery of gas from the Houston Central plant to any of the 10 interstate and intrastate pipelines interconnected with the Tres Palacios header system. “Beyond providing Eagle Ford Shale producers with significant new market options, we believe our new Houston Central interconnection will increase liquidity at the Tres Palacios hub point for marketers to access supply,” said Bruce Page, Tres Palacios vice president for commercial operations and business development. The Houston Central plant provides 700 MMcf/d of processing capacity and 22,000 b/d of fractionation capacity and is being expanded to process an additional 400-800 MMcf/d of rich gas from the Eagle Ford Shale.

Range Resources Corp. and two subsidiaries have settled a class action lawsuit in the District Court of Grady County, OK, for $87.5 million (James A. Drummond and Chris Parrish v. Range Resources-Midcontinent LLC, et al, CJ-2010-510). Landowners filed a lawsuit in 2010 seeking $160 million for damages related to gas marketing costs and interest on the disputed amounts of 12%, Range said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. A memorandum of understanding is expected to result in executing a settlement that provides for a cash payment to the class.

Radnor, PA-based Preferred Sands, a proppant, well logistics and resin technology company, has opened the Preferred Technology Center in Houston. The company said the expansion would allow it to further incubate and collaborate in developing high-performance technology solutions for more efficient and cost effective well sites. Bob McDaniel, vice president of technology, is to oversee a team of researchers at the facility. McDaniel is responsible for inventing a wide variety of hydraulic fracturing products and treatments, which have led to 11 U.S. patents awarded and six new U.S. patents pending, the company said.