Changes

Two issues — rising oil and gas prices and regulatory changes — were selected as the biggest threats to the oil and gas industry, according to BDO USA LLP, which referenced U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 10-K filings for the 100 largest exploration and production (E&P) companies in the U.S. for a new report on industry risks.

Natural gas transmission companies have been keeping FERC busy with project paperwork, as the industry segment tries to adjust to a marketplace being altered by shale gas.

A comprehensive review of hydraulic fracturing practices in natural gas wells in the Marcellus, Barnett and Haynesville shales for the first time is to independently assess alleged groundwater contamination and seismic events, as well as the scope and effectiveness of gas patch regulations, according to the University of Texas at Austin (UT).

Prices finally interrupted the up-down-up seesaw changes that had dominated Monday-Wednesday trading by continuing to go in the same direction for the most part Thursday for the second day in a row. But they were seeing more softening than the day before, particularly at Midcontinent/Midwest locations.

Natural gas supply and demand set new records in 2010, while regional changes in production and new infrastructure changed utilization along some key pipeline routes across the country, according to a state of the markets report issued Thursday by FERC’s Office of Enforcement.

Natural gas supply and demand set new records in 2010, while regional changes in production — including that from the nation’s fast-growing shale plays — altered the industry landscape, according to a state of the markets report issued Thursday by FERC’s Office of Enforcement.

Natural gas supply and demand set new records in 2010, while regional changes in production and new infrastructure changed utilization along some key pipeline routes across the country, according to a state of the markets report issued Thursday by FERC’s Office of Enforcement.

Multi-dollar plunges at several Northeast citygates stood out as most points in other regions were either flat or recorded changes up and down of about a nickel or less Thursday. Although leaving temperatures around freezing or not much higher in its wake, a winter storm was starting to move out of the Northeast, and other areas were seeing a variety of cold to cool conditions that failed to create impressive amounts of heating load. Cash quotes also continued to get no backing from the previous day’s 5.5-cent fall by April futures.

The West Virginia Legislature’s House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Thursday on a bill that would make several changes to the state’s regulation of Marcellus Shale drilling, including instituting dramatic increases to horizontal permitting fees to fund a larger staff at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).