2013

A well count “evolution” is taking place across the United States because the “cost of opportunity of drilling shale gas is growing,” said Societe Generale analysts in a note to clients.

Funding for a proposed study of the health impacts of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is not included in a $132.5 billion state budget that the New York State Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed to on Tuesday.

With the Marcellus and Utica shale ethane situation under control for the moment, propane is becoming the next natural gas liquid (NGL) to trouble producers in Appalachia.

Williams Partners LP on Monday agreed to pay $2.5 billion to buy Caiman Energy’s midstream business, giving it a much bigger footprint in the natural gas liquids (NGL) portion of the Marcellus Shale in northern West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The two companies also are teaming up to build a midstream business in the Utica Shale.

Chevron Corp.’s Angola LNG (liquefied natural gas) liquefaction project in southern Africa is speeding toward first cargo some time during the second quarter. While capacity contracting has long been under way on the company’s Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG projects in Australia, not so with Angola LNG, which was conceived years ago as an LNG supplier to the United States.

Shippers have stepped up for long-term contracts for capacity on the proposed Texas Express Pipeline (TEP) and the natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline project will move forward, a trio of project sponsors said Tuesday.

Going to bat in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2013 budget request of $8.344 billion before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittees on Energy and Power, Environment and the Economy, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson last week testified that the proposal focuses “on fulfilling EPA’s core mission of protecting public health and the environment, while making the sacrifices and tough decisions that Americans across the country are making every day.” She said the proposal represents an approximate $105 million trim from current funding levels.

Inergy Midstream LP, UGI Energy Services Inc. and Capitol Energy Ventures Corp., a unit of WGL Holdings Inc., plan to develop the Commonwealth Pipeline to carry Marcellus Shale production to market.

Baker Hughes Inc. is planning to open a regional headquarters in Massillon, OH, in 2013 to take advantage of the business opportunities generated by the growing shale gas resources in the Utica and Marcellus formations.