America

Natural gas supplies from Nova Scotia are dwindling, but the province of New Brunswick could join the shale gas renaissance sweeping much of North America, provided its shales can be exploited without harming the environment, New Brunswick Energy and Mines Minister Craig Leonard said Wednesday.

Houston-based Plains Exploration & Production Co. reported Friday that it has completed the separate acquisitions of Gulf of Mexico (GOM) properties owned by BP Exploration & Production Inc., BP America Production Co. and Shell Offshore Inc. for a combined total of $6.1 billion.

Natural gas supplies from Nova Scotia are dwindling, but the province of New Brunswick could join the shale gas renaissance sweeping much of North America, provided its shales can be exploited without harming the environment, New Brunswick Energy and Mines Minister Craig Leonard said Wednesday.

Lamar McKay, who has served as chairman and president of BP plc subsidiary BP America since 2009, will take over as CEO of the Upstream business unit effective Jan. 1. In his new role McKay, who has worked for BP for 32 years, would lead the operator’s combined upstream businesses, which include the exploration, development and production divisions, together with the strategy and integration team. The upstream divisions were created in 2010 following the Macondo deepwater spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which led to a major reorganization designed to improve risk management and global standards. McKay would report to Group CEO Bob Dudley. McKay’s successor has not been announced.

Natural gas vehicles (NGV) are finding growing demand throughout North America, including Mexico, according to presentations at the recent NGV Global 2012 conference in Mexico City. Tepeapulco, Mexico-based Dina Camiones said it has an order for 50 compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled intercity-suburban route buses that would be built in 2013 for use in the Guadalajara area. With a range of more than 500 miles, the buses include 8.9-liter ISL G engines from Cummins Westport and advanced carbon fiber-on-aluminum CNG fuel cylinders from Luxfer.

BP plc, one of the largest producers in North America, agreed Thursday to pay more than $4.5 billion in fines to the federal government to settle criminal claims related to the Macondo well blowout in April 2010, which destroyed the Deepwater Horizon platform and killed 11 men.

BP plc, one of the largest producers in North America, agreed Thursday to pay more than $4.5 billion in fines to the federal government to settle criminal claims related to the Macondo well blowout in April 2010, which destroyed the Deepwater Horizon platform and killed 11 men.

Following President Obama’s re-election to a second term, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) has formed a task force to challenge in court federal regulations issued by the government over the next four years that may affect oil and natural gas.

The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) has requested a public forum with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on the agency’s plans regarding the Endangered Species Act (ESA) because members are concerned that new listings could harm domestic oil and natural gas exploration and production. In a letter to FWS Director Daniel Ashe, IPAA CEO Barry Russell said members understand that the agency is obligated to meet certain deadlines under a court-approved settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity and Wild Earth Guardians. However, there has been “little transparency afforded to the public on which species are coming up for review,” Russell said. “The pure depth and breadth of these settlement agreements could harm our membership and create uncertainty in the development of domestic oil and natural gas.” By 2016 FWS is required to complete a review of 250 candidate species for final listing on the ESA and is required to complete other actions on listings and critical habitat petitions of more than 1,000 species.