Away

Range Resources Inc., which two years ago turned away from the Barnett Shale and toward the Marcellus Shale, saw its overall production boom in 3Q2012, based in large part on a surge of Marcellus gas, according to CEO Jeff Ventura.

Seeking to diversify away from its reliance on imported petroleum products, Honolulu-based Hawaii Gas last Thursday filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for approval to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the mainland. State and other regulatory approvals also are being sought.

As one oil and natural gas producer after another highlighted a swing away from drilling for natural gas in second quarter earnings conference calls, the number of operating rigs targeting natural gas fell again last week, dropping seven rigs from the previous week and marking a decline of 44% from the 883 gas-directed rigs operating a year ago, according to the Baker Hughes rig count.

EOG Resources’ strategy of the last year to edge away from natural gas exploration and production in order to focus on the more economically viable production of crude oil appears to be paying off as the Houston-based producer posted a 38% increase in second quarter earnings over the previous year’s quarter. The company attributed much of its strong earnings to successful programs on acreage in the South Texas Eagle Ford Shale and North Dakota Bakken Shale.

EOG Resources’ strategy of the last year to edge away from natural gas exploration and production in order to focus on the more economically viable production of crude oil appears to be paying off as the Houston-based producer posted a 38% increase in second quarter earnings over the previous year’s quarter. The company attributed much of its strong earnings to successful programs on acreage in the South Texas Eagle Ford Shale and North Dakota Bakken Shale.

As one oil and natural gas producer after another highlighted a swing away from drilling for natural gas in second quarter earnings conference calls, the number of operating rigs targeting natural gas fell again last week, dropping seven rigs from the previous week and marking a decline of 44% from the 883 gas-directed rigs operating a year ago, according to the Baker Hughes rig count.

EOG Resources’ strategy of the last year to edge away from natural gas exploration and production in order to focus on the more economically viable production of crude oil appears to be paying off as the Houston-based producer posted a 38% increase in second quarter earnings over the previous year’s quarter. The company attributed much of its strong earnings to successful programs on acreage in the South Texas Eagle Ford Shale and North Dakota Bakken Shale.

FERC has approved Northwest Pipeline GP’s request to place into service two new pipelines that were relocated away from the Chevron Mining operations in Wyoming, which the pipeline company claims were responsible for causing cracks in its existing system.

ConocoPhillips has begun initial development on the “potentially impactful” Mancos Shale in the San Juan Basin, which has the potential to be a producer “for years and years,” CEO Ryan Lance said Wednesday.