Approximately

Halliburton, Apache Corp. and Caterpillar have developed a dual-fuel technology for using natural gas and diesel to operate pumping equipment used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) at oil and gas well sites.

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco) has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a $182 million expansion to meet growing natural gas demand in New York City and the Rockaways. The Rockaway Delivery Lateral Project would provide 647,000 Dth/d of gas delivery capacity to National Grid’s distribution system in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; targeted in service date in late 2014. The project is targeted for service in the second half of 2014. The Transco and National Grid facilities would interconnect with National Grid’s proposed 26-inch diameter lateral. The 3.2-mile, 26-inch diameter Rockaway Delivery Lateral would consist of 2.9 miles of offshore pipeline and 0.3 miles of onshore pipeline. The small pipeline would pass under Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways portion of Queens and under Jamaica Bay to a new meter and regulator station on the decommissioned airfield Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. Jacob Riis Park and the airfield are part of the Gateway National Recreation Center. President Obama signed a bill allowing for Transco’s expansion (see NGI, Dec. 3, 2012).

Gulfport Energy Corp. said Monday it has agreed to buy 30,000 net acres in the Utica Shale in eastern Ohio for approximately $300 million, a transaction that would boost the company’s position in the play to about 137,000 gross acres (99,000 net).

Expanding its presence in the Bakken Shale region, Global Partners LP has agreed to acquire a 60% membership interest in Basin Transload LLC, which operates two transloading facilities in North Dakota with a combined rail loading capacity of 160,000 b/d.

Rapid City, SD-based Black Hills Corp. closed a previously announced $243 million sale of approximately 85% of Bakken and Three Forks shale assets in the Williston Basin held by its Black Hills Exploration & Production Inc. (see Shale Daily, Aug. 27). The sale was effective July 1. CEO David Emery said the sale will allow the energy holding company to reduce its overall debt and fund growth projects. Black Hills also said it intends to redeem $225 million of senior unsecured 6.5% notes that were scheduled to mature May 15, 2013.

Malaysian national oil company Petronas has increased to approximately C$6 billion its bid for Progress Energy Resources Corp. in a deal that would create a company that would deliver Canadian natural gas to world markets, Progress said. The amended offer was made in an effort to block an unsolicited proposal from another company.

Malaysian national oil company Petronas has increased to approximately C$6 billion its bid for Progress Energy Resources Corp. in a deal that would create a company that would deliver Canadian natural gas to world markets, Progress said. The amended offer was made in an effort to block an unsolicited proposal from another company.

Houston-based Vanguard Natural Resources LLC has closed on its acquisition of natural gas and liquids assets in the Arkoma Basin from Antero Resources for an adjusted price of $434.4 million, subject to post-closing adjustments. The effective date is April 1, 2012. The deal was announced early last month (see Shale Daily, June 5). Vanguard funded the acquisition with borrowings under its existing reserve-based credit facility. The borrowing base was increased from $670 million to $975 million in connection with an interim borrowing base redetermination to include the properties from the acquisition. Updated 2012 production and financial results guidance will be included with second quarter results, which are expected to be released on Aug. 2.

Legislators in the Pennsylvania General Assembly are scrambling to put the finishing touches on a tax code bill that could potentially offer billions in a tax break to companies in exchange for investing billions in an ethane cracker and associated manufacturing facilities.