The Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service has released the guide “Oil and Gas Leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf,” detailing the federal offshore oil and gas leasing process. The 10-page brochure highlights statutory requirements and authorities, the process for developing the Five Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program, the process for planning and conducting specific lease sales and other related topics. “Given the importance of the national discussion regarding offshore energy development and this administration’s commitment to transparency, we are providing this brochure as a quick reference on the basic processes for authorizing oil and gas development on the OCS,” MMS Director Liz Birnbaum said. The guide is available at www.mms.gov.

DCP Midstream Partners LP is paying DTE Energy subsidiary MichCon Pipeline Co. $45.1 million in cash to acquire some natural gas gathering and treating assets in the Antrim Shale of Michigan. The assets are in northern Michigan adjacent to the partnership’s Antrim Shale assets. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the year, the partnership said. In a related announcement, the partnership said it would launch an underwritten public offering for at least 2.5 million of its common units with the proceeds to be used to fund the MichCon purchase or, if the acquisition isn’t completed, to reduce outstanding debt.

©Copyright 2009Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.