Completing

Natural gas prices may not be attractive enough for some producers, but Encana Corp.’s management team said it’s possible to make enough money in the Haynesville Shale to justify a five-rig program this year.

Continental Resources Inc., now the king of the Bakken Shale, has expanded its empire to an estimated 1.1 million net acres after completing a deal to buy 119,218 million acres for $649.3 million in cash. The Samson Resources Co. properties in North Dakota, primarily in Williams and Divide counties, have current production estimated at about 6,500 boe/d, 82% weighted to crude oil.

Continental Resources Inc., now the king of the Bakken Shale, has expanded its empire to an estimated 1.1 million net acres after completing a deal to buy 119,218 million acres for $649.3 million in cash. The Samson Resources Co. properties in North Dakota, primarily in Williams and Divide counties, have current production estimated at about 6,500 boe/d, 82% weighted to crude oil.

A CenterPoint Energy Inc. subsidiary on Tuesday bulked up its East Texas and Northwest Louisiana natural gas gathering and processing business after completing two agreements worth a total of $364 million.

In an order issued Wednesday involving Chestnut Ridge Storage LLC, FERC laid out guidance on when and when it won’t grant requests to extend deadlines for completing projects.

The drip, drip, drip of discouraging news continued for Chesapeake Energy Corp. last week, beginning with a letter on Monday from the largest shareholder encouraging the board “to be open to any offers to acquire the whole company.” The week ended with a regulatory filing by the company that it may delay some of the $14 billion in planned asset sales this year because low natural gas prices could stretch its ability to comply with credit covenants.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signaled last week that the department is close to completing final regulations for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in drilling operations on public lands. He also touted the Obama administration’s progress on the energy front, while accusing Republicans of pursuing “fairy tale” policies that were out of sync with the needs of the public.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signaled Tuesday that the department is close to completing final regulations for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in drilling operations on public lands.

Energy Transfer Equity LP (ETE) brought Southern Union Co. (SUG) under the ETE banner on Monday, completing a mega merger that creates a midstream powerhouse with more than 44,000 miles of interstate natural gas pipelines and an estimated 30.7 Bcf/d of transportation capacity.