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Cash natural gas prices vaulted 24 cents higher overall on Monday on supportive weather forecasts in several key market areas. Just as the market on Friday priced in the double-digit futures loss on Thursday, Monday’s trading was faced with the task of acknowledging the screen’s 12-cent jump Friday. The Mid-Atlantic region posted gains of close to 40 cents, but Southern California, Gulf, Midcontinent and Rockies points all enjoyed exuberant pricing. At the close of futures trading, June had risen 3.5 cents to $4.090, and July was up 3.8 cents to $4.141. June crude oil added 69 cents to $96.71/bbl.

The Bakken Shale and Three Forks formation in the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota contain a combined estimated 7.4 billion bbl of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, 6.7 Tcf of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 530 million bbl of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids (NGL), according to an assessment released Tuesday by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Fuel switching policies to move more end-users to natural gas should be a part of each state’s energy strategy, particularly in rural areas, according to a panel of experts speaking Wednesday at a National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI) teleseminar.

The natural gas cash market worked lower by 9 cents on average Tuesday for Wednesday delivery with all market and producing areas declining. Rocky Mountain points were hit hard, but locations in the Midwest were weak as well. Most major trading hubs lost anywhere from a nickel to a dime. At the close of futures trading the May natural gas contract had fallen 6.5 cents to $4.017 and June was off 6.1 cents to $4.057. May crude oil rose 84 cents to $94.20/bbl.

As one of the hottest growing hydrocarbon areas in North America, North Dakota’s legislature has been immersed this year with various proposals to deal with oil and natural gas-related issues. So far, the stakeholders embroiled in the debate are not sure which, if any, bills will make it through the legislative meat grinder.

Twin Eagle Resource Management LLC said it will market crude oil rail trans-loading capacity at GT Logistics LLC’s GT OmniPort facility in Port Arthur, TX. GT Logistics operates a unit train facility with about eight miles of track, 18 rail car unloading racks and a two-station barge dock. It maintains direct rail service with the Union Pacific and Burlington NorthernSanta Fe rail lines. The facility has direct access to the Intercoastal Waterway and will have deepwater access after further capital investment, the companies said. GT OmniPort began operations in September and has capacity of 100,000 b/d. Twin Eagle unit Enserco Midstream LLC plans to construct four crude oil storage tanks at the GT OmniPort facility that are expected to be operational in the third quarter. The parties intend to construct additional storage capacity and to establish pipeline connectivity with refiners and other markets in the area. GT OmniPort is adjacent to the Port Arthur refinery community, which has demand for about 2 million b/d of crude oil.

As one of the hottest growing hydrocarbon areas in North America, North Dakota’s legislature has been immersed this year with various proposals to deal with oil and natural gas-related issues. So far, the stakeholders embroiled in the debate are not sure which, if any, bills will make it through the legislative meat grinder.

Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corp. said it will proceed with a C$1 billion expansion of its natural gas liquids (NGL) infrastructure, with at least some of the development intended to build upon its acquisition of Provident Energy Ltd., which was completed last year.

Another proposal has emerged in the North Dakota state legislature seeking to eliminate exemptions from the state’s current one-year limit for oil production wells flaring associated natural gas.