Affect

Up to 40 Bcf/d of firm capacity contracts on pipelines is expected to expire by 2015, which would affect the “vast majority” of pipelines that transport natural gas to the Northeast, said an executive with Massachusetts-based Skipping Stone.

United States natural gas production is expected to increase every year through 2035 thanks to increased shale development, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) complete version of the Annual Energy Outlook 2012 (AEO2012). Just as the preliminary report released in January found (see Shale Daily, Jan. 24), the EIA also believes the United States will transition from being a net importer to a net exporter of natural gas in approximately nine years.

The promised re-application of a newly split two-part Keystone XL oil pipeline project to the U.S. State Department is still six to eight weeks away, a Calgary, Alberta-based spokesperson for TransCanada Corp. told NGI’s Shale Daily.

Texas regulators Wednesday approved new air emissions rules affecting producers in the Barnett Shale of North Texas. Industry groups have said the rules are too strict, while environmentalists said they don’t go far enough.

Assumptions for pricing of volatile natural gas liquids (NGL) have been changed, but this should not affect the credit ratings of NGL companies, according to a report released early this month by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P). Generally, there is a 20-25% discount relative to average spot market prices.

Assumptions for pricing of volatile natural gas liquids (NGL) have been changed, but this should not affect the credit ratings of NGL companies, according to a report released Friday by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P). Generally, there is a 20-25% discount relative to average spot market prices.

Assumptions for pricing of volatile natural gas liquids (NGL) have been changed, but this should not affect the credit ratings of NGL companies, according to a report released Friday by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P). Generally, there is a 20-25% discount relative to average spot market prices.

NuStar Energy LP has signed separate deals with Valero Energy Corp. and EOG Resources Inc. that will affect several shale plays. Under the Valero deal, NuStar will construct a new pipeline to transport Eagle Ford crude oil to Valero’s processing plants. Meanwhile, EOG will ship 70,000 b/d of crude oil from the Bakken, Eagle Ford and other shale plays by train to NuStar’s terminal at St. James, LA, and will add 360,000 bbl of storage capacity there. NuStar’s share of construction costs should be between $30 million and $40 million.

As West Virginia takes up the issue of Marcellus Shale regulatory reform, officials are also continuing their efforts to attract at least one thermal cracker facility to the state.