Commitments

Oneok Partners LP Thursday launched plans to invest up to $500 million between now and 2015 to build additional natural gas liquids (NGL) infrastructure in some of its Midcontinent operations, with the bulk of the funds earmarked for the Williston Basin.

Piedmont Natural Gas, a major natural gas distributor based in Charlotte, NC, has signed a 15-year contract with Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. to purchase a “meaningful portion” of its natural gas supplies from the Marcellus Shale beginning in December 2015.

Liquids-rich gas and high initial production rates from oil wells are driving red hot interest in the Eagle Ford Shale, and this is only bolstered by the region’s established midstream infrastructure and proximity to energy markets, Fitch Ratings said in a new report. More isolated shale basins need costly “mega pipelines,” which are tougher on credit ratings, Fitch said.

Sunoco Logistics Partners LP said it has received enough binding commitments to enable Permian Express Phase I, a project to transport West Texas crude oil to Gulf Coast markets, to proceed. The binding open season continues and will close on Sept. 6. Permian Express Phase I would provide continuous pipeline service from Wichita Falls, TX, to Nederland/Beaumont, TX, markets. At Wichita Falls, a connection from Basin Pipeline would be provided. Due to the use of existing assets, the capacity to transport 90,000 b/d to Nederland/Beaumont is to be operational in the first quarter of 2013 (see Shale Daily, June 22).

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP’s Gulf South Pipeline Co. LP has received binding commitments for its proposed Southeast Market Expansion and will move forward with the next steps of the project.

Royal Dutch Shell plc, which has made huge commitments this past year to invest in North America’s abundant natural gas supplies by launching a huge export terminal in Canada and funding onshore fueling stations, on Wednesday agreed to buy out a Norwegian-based company that supplies small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the industrial and marine market.

Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. unit Bakken Hunter LLC has agreed to acquire Williston Basin properties from an affiliate of Baytex Energy Corp. for $311 million in cash. The company also said Wednesday it is trimming spending in Appalachia because of low natural gas prices.

Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPP) and Enbridge Inc. will hold concurrent open seasons Jan. 4-Feb. 10 to solicit capacity commitments from shippers for an expansion of their Seaway crude oil pipeline and an extension of the pipeline into the Port Arthur/Beaumont refining market in southeast Texas, the companies said.

Midstream natural gas processing services offered by MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources LLC in northwestern West Virginia continue to expand after the operator on Wednesday secured long-term agreements with pipeline subsidiaries of Magnum Hunter Resources Corp.