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Nymex announced last week an expanded slate of natural gas products and services, including electronically traded Henry Hub swap contracts, large order execution (LOX) trading, an expanded listing of contracts (36 to 72 months), and a temporary program that will allow exchange of over-the-counter options positions for Nymex options positions.

Energy North Inc., an independent headquartered in Calgary, has entered into a joint venture agreement giving it the opportunity to earn access to lands by drilling in the Alberta foothills. It also has acquired what it called a significant land position in the project area in a joint venture project. Drilling is expected to begin nearly next year.

In an effort to bring energy policy to the forefront of the national security debate, Oklahoma Republican Sen. James M. Inhofe on Friday submitted two major energy bills as amendments to the $340 billion defense spending authorization bill, which is being taken up by the Senate this week. The amendments include Sen. Frank Murkowski’s National Energy Security Act and the energy bill (H.R. 4) House lawmakers passed in July.

In an effort to bring energy policy to the forefront of the national security debate, Oklahoma Republican Sen. James M. Inhofe on Friday submitted two major energy bills as prospective amendments to the $340 billion defense spending authorization bill, which is being taken up by the Senate this week. The amendments include Sen. Frank Murkowski’s National Energy Security Act and the energy bill (H.R. 4) House lawmakers passed in July.

Taking advantage of falling natural gas prices that have pushed down the worth of energy companies, Dominion announced last week it will acquire Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Corp.– with 89% of its production in natural gas — for $2.3 billion in cash, stock and assumed debt. The deal will improve the utility giant’s gas reserves by 60% and grow its energy trading business, which in turn could lead to some generation acquisitions down the road, according to Dominion’s CEO.

Taking advantage of falling natural gas prices that have pushed down the worth of energy companies, Dominion announced Monday it will acquire Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Corp.– with 89% of its production in natural gas — for $2.3 billion in cash, stock and assumed debt. The deal will improve the utility giant’s gas reserves by 60% and grow its energy trading business, which in turn could lead to some generation acquisitions down the road, according to Dominion’s CEO.

Gastar Exploration Ltd. has acquired, in arms-length transactions, a 75% working interest in about 4,000 net acres of leases in Campbell County, WY, as well as 11 pilot test wells and other acreage in the Appalachian Basin. The Wyoming acreage, located in the Squaw Creek area, is part of the Powder River Basin, which is rich in coalbed methane (CBM) deposits. It already has 65 CBM wells in the initial stages of dewatering and production, with several realized production rates approaching 75 Mcf/d after less than two months of dewatering. No financial details were disclosed for either deal.

Calgary-based Energy Exploration Technologies (NXT) said on Friday that it has acquired an interest in over 3,300 additional acres covering its Antelope Tail prospect in the Green River Basin of Wyoming, increasing its project area including its adjacent Poblano acreage block to a total of 25,000 acres.

Evergreen Resources grabbed another 17,800 acres of coalbed methane properties, representing about 40 Bcf of proven reserves in the southern Colorado portion of the Raton Basin for $19.2 million from Shenandoah Operating Co. The purchase brings Evergreen’s total gross acreage position in the Raton to 265,000 acres.