Association

The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) said Thursday production of natural gas plant liquids (NGPL) — which includes ethane, propane, butane and lease condensate — has increased substantially over the last three years.

The Republican-controlled Ohio Senate passed Substitute HB 133 by a 22-10 vote on Wednesday. The measure creates a five-member Oil and Gas Leasing Commission (OGLC) and opens land owned by the state — including state parks but not nature preserves — to oil and gas leasing.

Former Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard, who now serves as president of the Quebec Oil and Gas Association (QOGA), appeared before a Quebec National Assembly committee to urge compensation for companies in limbo from the province’s environmental study of shale gas, but the meeting became heated after a legislator called Bouchard “unfaithful” to Quebec’s citizens.

Normally viewed as complementary, the natural gas and wind industries found themselves more at odds last week as the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) kicked off its annual meeting in Anaheim, CA. Windpower 2011 was less bullish than in recent years in announcing growth in megawatts and jobs, and more adversarial on regional and national debates.

Normally viewed as complementary, the natural gas and wind industries found themselves more at odds Monday as the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) kicked off its annual meeting in Anaheim, CA. Windpower 2011 was less bullish than in recent years in announcing growth in megawatts and jobs.

The National Association of Publicly Traded Partnerships (NAPTP) recently warned its members that the Obama administration is considering corporate-level taxation of pass-through entities, such as master limited partnerships (MLP). Such a change could have significant consequences for the midstream energy sector where numerous companies are MLPs. The warning came in a confidential memo circulated to NAPTP members, which was leaked to Reuters. NAPTP Executive Director Mary Lyman would not share the memo with NGI but confirmed its distribution. In an e-mail to NGI, Lyman said, “At this point, there is no public proposal yet; we have simply heard that there is a proposal under discussion as part of corporate tax reform that would tax a broad section of pass-through entities, including MLPs — everything with gross receipts over $50 million.” The administration is still considering tax reform options, according to a White House spokeswoman.

The Colorado Petroleum Association (CPA) is changing its strategy to seek permission for operators to bury plastic liners used in wastewater pits at drilling sites.

Offering high hopes but no consensus on a strategy, the latest report from the Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) calls natural gas a potential U.S. energy solution, although it hastened to point out that opinions still vary widely on how to make that happen.

The Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) has dropped a two-year-old lawsuit against state regulators that had challenged more stringent drilling rules.