Activities

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Thursday finalized amendments requiring commodity pool operators (CPO) and commodity trading advisors (CTA) to bring their swaps activities under the agency’s oversight. They will be required to register with the Commission, giving their customers the benefit of the protections of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Dallas-based J-W Energy Co. said it is consolidating midstream activities currently conducted by subsidiaries J-W Gathering Co., J-W Pipeline Co. and Q-West Energy Co. into a single subsidiary, J-W Midstream Co. The goal of the new subsidiary is to expand J-W Energy’s presence as a full-service provider of midstream services to the upstream natural gas sector. J-W Midstream operates more than 400 miles of natural gas pipeline systems in Louisiana, Texas and Wyoming, and has the capacity to gather and treat more than 600 MMcf/d at 17 facilities, the company said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Thursday published a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) describing how offshore oil and natural gas activities in the U.S. Beaufort and Chukchi seas could affect marine mammals and the Alaska Native communities that depend on them for subsistence.

Following lengthy public hearings and the arrival of thousands of written comments by experts and stakeholders, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said Wednesday it needs another month to complete an environmental review and proposed regulations for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state.

NGPL advised shippers of a potential OFO “for oversupply or undertake activities across its entire system due to the lack of significant market load.” Shippers can mitigate the need for an OFO by ensuring that imbalances are not in a long position and that point operators are flowing as nominated the pipeline added. It said that if it is determined that the OFO is required, “any gas left on the pipeline is at risk of OFO penalties.” See the bulletin board for details.

National Fuel Gas Co.’s Seneca Resources Corp. more than doubled fiscal fourth quarter production from its activities in Appalachia. This contributed to better Seneca results and for National Fuel overall during the quarter and fiscal year.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued more Marcellus Shale drilling permits in September than in any other month of the year, but drilling slowed from summer highs.

Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is considering new rules to regulate hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) activities in the state and has scheduled a public hearing on proposed rules for June 15.

A lawsuit seeking class action status has been filed in Arkansas against a trio of energy companies alleging that their activities have caused “thousands of earthquakes in central Arkansas.”