The six participating planning authorities of the Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative(EIPC) — ISO New England, New York ISO, Ontario’s Independent Electric System Operator, Midcontinent ISO, PJM Interconnection and the Tennessee Valley Authority — have issued a request for proposals (RFP) to conduct an analysis of natural gas infrastructure and its interfaces with the electric grid within their combined footprints. The Gas-Electric System Interface Study, which is to be completed by mid-2015, “will develop a baseline of the electric and natural gas systems, including their planning, operation and interactions,” EIPC said. “In addition, the study will look at the adequacy of the gas system to satisfy generation needs over five- and 10-year horizons; identify contingencies on the gas and electric systems that could negatively affect the other; and examine the pros and cons of dual-fuel capability for generation versus expanding gas system infrastructure.” Study results are expected to help improve gas-electric coordination to ensure electric system reliability. Intent to bid notices are due by Friday (Aug. 9) and proposals are due Aug. 30. The study would be funded under a U.S. Department of Energy grant.

The Federal Energy Regulatory‘s Office of Enforcement said it has preliminarily determined that Houston-based Enterprise Texas Pipeline LLC violated Section 311 of the Natural Gas Policy Act and its FERC-approved statement of operating conditions by charging a title transfer tracking fee without agency authorization. A small title transfer tracking fee is charged when natural gas changes hands from one party to another. Spokesman Rick Rainey said the Texas intrastate affiliate ofEnterprise Products Partners LP is in “the process of working with FERC to reach a settlement…I got the impression that it won’t be too long.” In a notice of alleged violations FERC staff said the notice “does not confer a right on third parties to intervene in the investigation or any other right with respect to the investigation.”

Republican leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have asked U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to explain how the agency’s forays into three controversial sites will affect its ongoing comprehensive study of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). At issue are EPA investigations into claims that fracking polluted groundwater in Dimock Township, PA; Pavillion, WY; and Parker County, TX. The EPA has since concluded the water in Dimock is safe to drink, and it withdrew a claim that fracking was responsible for contaminating water wells in Parker County, and it retracted a report alleging the same in Pavillion (see NGI, April 29; July 30, 2012; April 2, 2012). The lawmakers asked McCarthy to respond by Aug. 13.

Questar Corp.‘s exploration and production subsidiary Wexpro Co. has agreed to pay $106.4 million to bolt-on more natural gas wells to an existing leasehold in Wyoming, which would increase its working interest to 88% from 46% in 78 existing wells it operates in the Trail Unit of the Vermillion Basin. The transaction adds an estimated 118 Bcfe net of proved reserves, including 53 Bcfe (45%) that are currently proved developed. Estimated total reserves are 195 Bcfe. Wexpro develops and produces gas from cost-of-service reserves for customers of subsidiary Questar Gas.

Union Gas and Gaz Metro LP are holding a binding open season through Sept. 12 to solicit market support for their Parkway Extension Project to provide firm transportation capacity from a new interconnect at Enbridge Gas Distribution‘s system at Albion, ON, to a new interconnect withTransCanada Pipelines near Maple, ON. The project would provide up to 1.2 million gigajoule (GJ)/d with full capacity set for Nov. 1, 2016. A portion of the capacity could be available in 2015 at a new interconnect with TransCanada south of Maple at Vaughan, ON. In addition, Union would provide firm transportation capacity of up to 750,000 GJ/d from the Dawn market hub to Parkway, with interconnects to both TransCanada and Enbridge starting as early as Nov. 1, 2016.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has rejected Alaska’s plan to explore the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), asserting state authority to submit a plan under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act Section 1002(e) “expired long ago.” The state plans to appeal. Alaska officials recently provided a plan to the U.S. Department of Interior for 3-D seismic testing in ANWR to better understand the probable quantity and quality of hydrocarbons beneath the surface of the coastal plain, or 1002 Area (see NGI, July 15).

Bradford County, PA, Commissioner Doug McLinko and Lycoming County, PA, Chairman Jeff Wheeland, who represent heavily drilled areas of the Marcellus Shale, said they support plans by theU.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct baseline testing at the counties’ private water wells in their counties in 2014 in tandem with Guthrie Health, Geisinger Health System andSusquehanna Health. The testing would be done on 70 wells in each county that elect to do so. The county officials plan to write to the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development to voice support for a $250,000 grant to fund the testing. According to reports, the USGS plans to contribute another $100,000.

A relief well is underway at South Timbalier Block 220 in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico after a natural gas well blew out in late July (see NGI, July 29). It’s expected to take a little more than a month to complete the new well, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, which is coordinating the response with the U.S. Coast Guard and Walter Oil & Gas Corp., which operated the well. Walter has contracted with Rowan to drill the new one; theHercules Offshore Inc. jackup that was being used on the first well suffered major damage in the blowout.

Australia’s Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd., (LNG Ltd.), whose Magnolia LNG LLC (MLNG) unit is developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility at the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana, has struck a preliminary agreement with Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners LP for $660 million in project financing in exchange for a near-half stake in the proposed terminal (see NGI, Dec. 24, 2012). Stonepeak founding partners Michael Dorrell and Trent Vichie formerly led theBlackstone Group‘s infrastructure division before forming Stonepeak in 2011.

Alaska natural gas could be on its way to the state’s interior by the end of 2015 under Gov. Sean Parnell‘s Interior Energy Plan, which could relieve inland residents from of fuel oil prices for space heating, according to the Alaska Interior Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) and theAlaska Energy Authority. They issued a report analyzing multiple private sector proposals to implement the plan. AIDEA determined that a 9 Bcf/year liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on the North Slope is technically and economically feasible for serving the initial Fairbanks North Star Borough heating demand. The plant is projected to meet the community’s price targets and reduce the annual heating cost for borough residents and businesses to around $14.09-17.09/Mcf at the burner tip, which is the equivalent of $1.88-2.28 per gallon of fuel oil. Residents pay about $4.00/gallon for fuel oil.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has cancelled a public auction on Dec. 12 to sell leases for 4,525 acres in Ohio’s Blue Rock State Forest. According to reports, the BLM halted the lease sale after officials with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) complained. ODNR spokesman Mark Bruce said the federal government owns 75% of the mineral rights under the state forest, while the state agency owns the rest, plus the surface rights. It was not clear if or when the sale might be rescheduled.

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York judge has approved plans byNorse Energy Corp. USA to sell its assets, especially oil and gas leases for about 130,000 net acres in the state’s portion of the Marcellus and Utica shales. According to court documents, the deadline for prospective bids is 4 p.m. (EST) on Aug. 23. The court scheduled bid assessments for Aug. 30, followed by a sale hearing on Sept. 23. Norse filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December after a judge ruled the cash-strapped company had to deposit $7.65 million into an escrow account for a legal dispute with a driller (see NGI, Dec. 10, 2012). Norse has been unable to do much with its assets in New York due to the ongoing moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing.

Germany’s RWE Supply & Trading GmbH is selling its 50% stake in floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) company Excelerate Energy LP to Excelerate co-owner George B. Kaiser for an undisclosed amount. The Woodlands, TX, based operator develops FLNG import facilities based on shipboard regasification technology and has deployed eight Energy Bridge storage regasification units. RWE acquired its stake in Excelerate in 2008 for about $500 million. Kaiser is principal owner of theKaiser-Francis Oil Co., one of the largest private energy producers in the United States.