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EQT Corp. recently announced early results of a new completion technique in the Marcellus Shale that it said could increase production more than 50%.

August natural gas futures rose Monday as traders anticipated the long-term storage deficit becoming wider. At the close August futures had risen 5.2 cents to $4.363 and September had added 4.1 cents to $4.371. August crude oil bounded higher, posting a gain of $1.95 to $96.89/bbl.

Southern California Gas is continuing through at least Wednesday a high-linepack OFO that was issued for Tuesday well after the close of Monday’s cash trading.

The shift to shales — and the rise in oil prices — has lifted the domestic rig count close to 20-year highs and shifted the landscape, helped several states join Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana in the chase for natural gas and oil production, according to Headwaters Economics.

Staff of the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission (AOGC) has recommended the permanent shut-in of saltwater disposal wells in an area north of Conway, AR, in the Fayetteville Shale where a recent earthquake swarm is thought to have resulted from waste injection activities.

Canada’s environment minister indicated that the federal government in Ottawa was keeping a close eye on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and was prepared to intervene if it thought either the provincial or territorial governments weren’t doing enough to safely regulate the procedure.

July natural gas rose Tuesday as traders cited a resilient market and expected forecasts of warmer-than-normal temperatures. At the close July had risen 7.1 cents to $4.388 and August had gained 7.1 cents as well to $4.423. July crude oil added 14 cents to $93.40.

July natural gas eased slightly Monday as traders cited weak technicals, and near term weather forecasts are unsupportive. At the close July had fallen eight-tenths of a penny to $4.317 and August was down eight-tenths of a penny to $4.352. July crude oil rose 25 cents to $93.26/bbl.

Lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly are close to giving final passage to a bill that would allow offshore natural gas drilling, create a compact with neighboring states and set up an state advisory board on energy matters.