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Enbridge Inc. is investigating the report of a small natural gas leak in West Cameron Block 275, 66 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), the Calgary-based company said late Tuesday.

Regulators in North Dakota are considering a lawsuit to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating hydraulic fracturing (fracking) well stimulation. The state’s Industrial Commission might ask lawmakers for $1 million for the effort.

Stingray declared a force majeure after being notified of a potential leak in the vicinity of West Cameron Block 543, and as a precautionary measure has asked operators of the West Cameron 544 and High Island A260 platforms to shut in until further notice. Stingray said late Wednesday afternoon it had closed the valve downstream of its 16-inch diameter lateral until investigation of the potential leak is completed. Stingray earlier had asked all producers on its system to shut in until further notice because it was experiencing an excessive amount of liquids arriving onshore that exceeded its takeaway ability.

Tea Party conservative Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has placed a procedural hold on pipeline safety reauthorization legislation, which would block the measure from coming up for a vote on the Senate floor and possibly prevent it from clearing Congress this year.

Tea Party conservative Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has placed a procedural hold on pipeline safety reauthorization legislation, which would block the measure from coming up for a vote on the Senate floor and possibly prevent it from clearing Congress this year.

Chevron Corp. said Tuesday it struck oil at its Moccasin prospect in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM).

June’s flood in and around the Bakken Shale play in North Dakota has been a setback for all the producers in the area, but it may not be as devastating as earlier reports indicated, MDU Resources Group Inc. senior executives said Tuesday during a second quarter earnings conference call.

While no hearings have been set as of yet for deciding the fate of several natural gas safety bills alive in the California legislature, all indicators point to the picture becoming clearer following mid-August committee hearings, when state lawmakers return from a month-long recess that begins Friday.

Expressing concern that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s proposed rule on affiliate bidding could block bids that are entirely appropriate, the American Gas Association (AGA) urged the agency to revise the proposal to specifically target collusive behavior by affiliates during an open season that relies on pro rata allocation.