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China’s Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corp. has added to its considerable leasehold in the Mississippian Lime formation after agreeing to pay Chesapeake Energy Corp. $1.02 billion in cash for half of its 850,000 net acres.

Over-abundant markets and fallen prices have gutted government natural gas royalties in both of Canada’s main producing provinces, Alberta and British Columbia (BC), according to disclosures by their treasury departments.

Over-abundant markets and fallen prices have gutted government natural gas royalties in both of Canada’s main producing provinces, Alberta and British Columbia (BC), according to accounts disclosed by their treasury departments.

Occidental Petroleum Corp.’s (Oxy) board has launched a search for a new CEO as part of the company’s management succession planning process. The board has formed a search committee to review both internal and external candidates to replace current President and CEO Stephen Chazen, 65. No timetable has been set for the completion of the search. As previously announced, Oxy Executive Chairman Ray Irani, who is in his late 70s, will retire at the end of 2014.

U.S. exports of natural gas to Mexico will grow as the country’s production fails to keep pace with demand and new pipelines on both sides of the border relieve transport constraints. However, Mexico eventually could come to rely on supply from its share of the Eagle Ford Shale, and U.S. gas could find higher prices overseas through liquefaction and export, Goldman Sachs said last Friday.

U.S. exports of natural gas to Mexico will grow as the country’s production fails to keep pace with demand and new pipelines on both sides of the border relieve transport constraints. However, Mexico eventually could come to rely on supply from its share of the Eagle Ford Shale, and U.S. gas could find higher prices overseas through liquefaction and export, Goldman Sachs said Friday.

Constitution Pipeline Co. has finalized the route it will propose for a Marcellus Pipeline in a certification application it expects to file with FERC this spring, the company said in a project update newsletter sent to landowners and other stakeholders.

Mexico’s Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) was reported Thursday on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to be contemplating layoffs of up to 15,000 workers as apart of an overhaul of the government’s energy supply operations. However, NGI sources in California and Mexico City said it may be premature to talk about the possible downsizing of a workforce that is 72% union represented. “Given new appointments [to senior positions], there is a plan to reorganize the company into upstream and downstream segments,” said a Mexico City source who follows Pemex. A total restructuring is “still in process, so nothing has happened so far,” the source said. In California, an energy attorney specializing in Latin America said he had not heard of any layoffs, but any such move would be part of Pemex’s upcoming “modernization and streamlining efforts.” A spokesperson for Sempra Energy, which has extensive holdings in Mexico, said the company’s Mexico City office was unaware of any Pemex plans for layoffs.

DCP Midstream LLC and DCP Midstream Partners LP made several management and board changes effective Jan. 1. Tom O’Connor will retire as CEO of DCP Midstream but will remain chairman of the board for both DCP Midstream and DCP Midstream GP LLC, the general partner of DCP Midstream Partners, “until an appointed time in 2013.” Wouter van Kempen, formerly COO and president of DCP Midstream, will become CEO and president of DCP Midstream and CEO of the general partner. William Waldheim, president of the general partner, will join the general partner’s board. And, as had previously been announced, Mark Borer retired as CEO of the general partner on Dec. 31.