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After a decade of steady decline, natural gas demand in California is forecast to grow annually, albeit slowly, during the next 10 to 15 years, an updated statewide report to the state legislature says.

In the midst of continued oil/natural gas production growth, albeit at a slower pace, North Dakota’s drilling activity has slowed significantly and the amount of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) even more so, according to the state’s top oil/gas official. Activity is projected to increase again next year, however, with continuing technology advances.

The latest monthly totals for oil and natural gas production in North Dakota show continued growth in September, albeit at a slower pace than previous months, a report from the state Industrial Commission’s Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) showed Tuesday.

A vast majority of natural gas cash points took their cue from Tuesday’s 10.5-cent increase in September futures to post gains — albeit small — on Wednesday for Thursday delivery. However, if they continue to follow that model, declines could be in store on Thursday as the prompt-month futures contract on Wednesday gave nearly all of the prior-day’s gains away.

As another indicator of what sub-$3 natural gas prices can produce, MDU Resources Group Inc. will be selling some of its gas assets this year — albeit small ones — and raising its proportional amount of oil production from its exploration and production (E&P) mix in the Bakken, Niobrara, Heath, Big Horn Basin and other shale plays, senior executives told analysts during the company’s 4Q2011 earnings conference call.

As another indicator of what sub-$3 natural gas prices can produce, MDU Resources Group Inc. will be selling some of its gas assets this year — albeit small ones — and raising its proportional amount of oil production from its exploration and production (E&P) mix in the Bakken, Niobrara, Heath, Big Horn Basin and other shale plays, senior executives told analysts on the company’s 4Q2011 earnings conference call Thursday.

The shale rocks that are reconfiguring the North American energy landscape eventually will be unearthed around the world, albeit at a much slower pace, but the economic impacts will be gigantic, an ExxonMobil Corp. executive said last week.

The shale rocks that are reconfiguring the North American energy landscape eventually will be unearthed around the world, albeit at a much slower pace, but the economic impacts will be gigantic, an ExxonMobil Corp. executive said Tuesday.

Early results, albeit preliminary and limited, indicate that the Niobrara play in southeast Wyoming is slow in coming to fruition, according to the state’s top oil/gas exploration and production official.