Across

Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Commissioner David Porter said Wednesday the state must work to mitigate the impact of numerous gas flares across the state as Texas develops its oil and gas reserves from shale plays.

Several municipalities in the Southern Tier of New York have adopted nonbinding resolutions that take a stand that would allow high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking), a position that dovetails with an assertion by state officials that the drilling stimulation practice, if eventually approved by regulators, only would be permitted in communities that allowed it.

The physical market overall was largely unchanged Friday although points in the Northeast skidded on forecasts of mild weather. Prices across the Midwest and the Gulf showed no more that a couple of pennies’ movement either way. At the close of futures trading June had risen 2.2 cents to $2.509 and July was up by 2.0 cents to $2.589. June crude oil fell 95 cents to $96.13/bbl.

Even with the Marcellus Shale fueling new growth across the region, Pennsylvania still faces barriers to building natural gas vehicle (NGV) infrastructure, in part because of public fueling needs and high vehicle costs, according to a recent report by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, a nonprofit organization focused on economic development in the state.

Amid forecasts that see no end to low gas prices across North America, overseas exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are being rated as a must for development of the Canadian version of shale supplies in northern British Columbia (BC).

Abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania may be a technically viable source of water for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations, but economics and regulations ultimately could decide whether operators find the solution feasible, according to a recent report by the Rand Corp.

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.

Net Midstream’s Eagle Ford Midstream LP plans to construct a 105-mile, 24- and 30-inch diameter extension of its existing pipeline, supported by a long-term gas transportation agreement with Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

As Marcellus Shale development has been expanding across Pennsylvania, dairy production has been falling, but it’s unclear how the two trends are connected, according to a report from Pennsylvania State University.