Coalbed

Wyoming’s Office of State Lands and Investments has tightened the limits to extend coalbed methane (CBM) leases that aren’t held by production in the midst of growing requests because of sagging natural gas prices.

A “golden age” is on the horizon for natural gas across the globe, but only if the world’s unconventional resources, including shale, tight gas and coalbed methane, are developed profitably and in an environmentally acceptable manner, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a sweeping report on Tuesday.

Encana Corp. said Friday it has secured a well-heeled unit of Toyota Tsusho Corp. to partner in its languishing Alberta coalbed methane (CBM) gas fields in the Horseshoe Canyon Fairway, agreeing to sell close to a one-third stake in the resource play, including natural gas production from 5,500 existing wells.

Regulators in Alberta said the province would remove most subsurface well density controls for coalbed methane (CBM) and shale gas, one of several changes announced Thursday for well spacing for conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells.

A federal environmental assessment (EA) of a plan to develop 51 coalbed methane (CBM) wells within the boundaries of Wyoming’s Atlantic Rim, part of which is crucial winter range for pronghorn antelope and mule deer, has determined that there would be no significant impact from the development.

EQT Corp. grew its proved natural gas reserves by 28% in 2010, ending the year with 5,220 Bcfe. The growth came due to drilling in the Marcellus Shale, continuing improvement in the estimated ultimate recovery of Marcellus wells, as well as an increase in the projected number of wells to be drilled in the Marcellus over the next five years, EQT said.

More than one-third of the global increase in natural gas production by 2035 will come from unconventional shale gas, coalbed methane and tight gas, according to the World Energy Outlook 2010 (WEO-2010), which was issued by the International Energy Agency (IEA) last week.

More than one-third of the global increase in natural gas production by 2035 will come from unconventional shale gas, coalbed methane and tight gas, according to the World Energy Outlook 2010 (WEO-2010), which was issued by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Tuesday.

ExxonMobil Corp. in July quietly purchased more acreage in the Haynesville/Bossier Shale, a company executive disclosed Thursday.