Commissions

Questar Corp.’s exploration and production subsidiary on Monday agreed to pay $106.4 million to bolt-on more natural gas wells to an existing leasehold in Wyoming.

A consortium of environmental groups has filed a petition with a Wyoming district court, seeking to require the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commissions to disclose information about specific chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of oil and natural gas wells that are being kept confidential for proprietary business reasons.

Domestic natural gas — particularly that from shales — is the fix for a host of problems, including the need for national energy security and measures to address pollution, as well as volatile energy prices, a task force formed last year said in a report released Monday.

In a state with significant energy and environmental issues, Wyoming’s new Gov. Matt Mead announced his appointments to various boards and commissions, including a number that deal with the energy sector. In most cases Mead went with incumbents, such as his reappointment of Kathleen “Cindy” Lewis to the three-member Public Service Commission. Similarly, Thomas Doll was reappointed as director and Donald Basko as a member of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. These appointments require confirmation by the state Senate by the end of this month. Other appointments were to the Energy Resources Council, Enhanced and Improved Oil Recovery Commission, Environmental Quality Council, Geological Survey Board, Infrastructure Authority, and Pipeline Authority. The oil recovery panel appointment was new — Tom Fitzsimmons, succeeding Gail Chenoweth; and the infrastructure and pipeline panel selections were reappointments — Kyle White and Duane Zavadil, respectively.

Members of a new coalition formed by county commissions in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon on Thursday asked El Paso Corp. to release details of a $20 million contract between the company and some environmental groups that ostensibly will quell opposition to construction of the Ruby Pipeline.

Members of a new coalition formed by county commissions in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon on Thursday have asked El Paso Corp. to release details of a $20 million contract between the company and some environmental groups that ostensibly will quell opposition to construction of the Ruby Pipeline.

The public utilities commissions of New Hampshire and Maine both approved Unitil Corp.’s proposed acquisition of Northern Utilities Inc. and Unitil’s financing plans for the transaction. Regulatory approval is pending in Massachusetts. In February Unitil agreed to purchase Northern Utilities and Granite State Gas Transmission Inc. from NiSource Inc. for $160 million plus an estimated $25 million for natural gas storage inventory and other working capital items (see NGI, Feb. 25). In August, Unitil filed settlement agreements with the utility regulators in Maine and New Hampshire for the proposed acquisition. Northern Utilities is a natural gas distribution utility serving 52,000 customers in 44 communities in Maine and New Hampshire. Granite’s operations consist of 86 miles of federally regulated gas transmission pipeline, primarily in Maine and New Hampshire. Granite’s principal business is delivering gas transportation services to Northern and providing access to interstate gas pipeline supplies. Upon consummation of the transaction, both Northern and Granite would become wholly owned subsidiaries of Unitil Corp. The transaction is scheduled to close by the end of the year.

Oklahoma City-based Kerr-McGee Corp. on Thursday became the latest independent to commission a third-party review of its proved and probable reserves. Until now, the producer had been one of the few in its peer group, which includes Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Pioneer Natural Resources Corp., to not use a third party to review its reserves bookings on a regular basis.

Oklahoma City-based Kerr-McGee Corp. on Thursday became the latest independent to commission a third-party review of its proved and probable reserves. Until now, the producer had been one of the few in its peer group, which includes Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Pioneer Natural Resources Corp., to not use a third party to review its reserves bookings on a regular basis.