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Aubrey McClendon, who founded and then took Chesapeake Energy Corp. to the top of the U.S. natural gas industry, has launched a U.S. onshore-based exploration and production (E&P) company that is near his former company’s headquarters in Oklahoma City.

Dover, OH-based Dennison Disposal LLC has applied for a permit to drill a Class II wastewater injection well in Union Township in Tuscarawas County, OH, to support oil and natural gas drilling in the Utica Shale. The well would be drilled to a depth of 7,900-9,000 feet, according to the permit application with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) The well, classified as a saltwater injection well, would have an average disposal capacity of 5,000 barrels a day of wastewater, and a maximum disposal capacity of 8,000 barrels a day. An ODNR spokesman said a public comment period on the proposed well is to end April 24. Last July, Gov. John Kasich signed an executive order temporarily giving the ODNR power to regulate injection wells (see Shale Daily, July 13, 2012). Specifically, the chief of the Division of Oil Gas Resources Management, currently Rick Simmers, has the authority to enact rules for injection wells, including requiring additional testing before drilling and possibly setting a maximum allowable injection pressure. The ODNR currently has an inventory of 151,000 Class II injection wells, including saltwater injection, enhanced oil recovery and annular disposal wells.

Ohio-based TravelCenters of America LLC (TA) and Royal Dutch Shell plc unit Shell Oil Products U.S. said Monday they have reached an agreement to construct and operate a network of natural gas fueling lanes at existing TravelCenters located along the U.S. Interstate highway system.

In a move that involves replacing some existing coal-fired electric generation units, Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy said Monday it proposes to add up to 645 MW of natural gas-fired peaking generation in Minnesota and North Dakota by 2019.

Calgary-based midstream company Keyera Corp. and Plains All American Pipeline subsidiary Plains Midstream Canada ULC have joined forces to solicit interest in the construction of a jointly-owned natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline system in northwest Alberta.

Ridgeline Energy Services Inc. said it plans to construct a water treatment facility in the Marcellus Shale near Punxsutawney, PA. The Calgary-based company said it had executed an agreement for an initial single train commercial installation (STCI) that would concentrate on produced water, with an anchor customer providing about 2,500-4,000 b/d of wastewater. Ridgeline said it was looking to build additional permanent installations in the same production area and expand its presence in western Pennsylvania. Installation of the first STCI is to begin in about a month.

Australia-based and Eagle Ford-focused Aurora Oil & Gas Ltd. said a downspacing pilot on its non-operated acreage in the Eagle Ford’s Sugarkane Field is yielding strong results and the company is planning 40-acre spacing on its recently acquired operated acreage in the play.

One of the 10 largest U.S. natural gas producers, Tulsa, OK-based WPX Energy Inc., said Monday that its Niobrara formation discovery well in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado has exceeded 1 Bcf of production in a little more than 100 days of operation.

Fresh off an asset streamlining and an Eaglebine joint venture (JV) formation with EOG Resources Corp. (see NGI, April 1), Houston-based ZaZa Energy Corp. executives are touting their heavy weighting to the emerging stacked South Texas play and said what’s learned from the JV will add value to the company’s 100% owned acreage.