Consideration

Chesapeake Energy Corp. transferred nearly 1,100 oil and natural gas leases in and around an underground natural gas storage field in Columbiana County, OH, to Hilcorp Energy Co. in February.

A bill under consideration by the Ohio House of Representatives would allow local governments to transfer into their coffers revenue generated from water sales to unconventional drilling operators.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) independent Science Advisory Board (SAB) has formed a Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory panel of independent experts to peer review the EPA’s 2014 draft report of results for its national study on potential health and environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. EPA said the SAB panel will provide scientific feedback on EPA’s research in “an open and transparent manner.”

A citizens group opposed to gas drilling within the city of Dallas is rounding up supporters to attend a City Plan Commission meeting Thursday at which commissioners are expected to reconsider a previous denial of permits to drill that are being sought by Trinity East Energy LLC.

Republican leaders in the Ohio General Assembly indicated that they will give some consideration to Gov. John Kasich’s proposal to impose new severance taxes on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and natural gas liquids (NGL) in 2013, after declining to do so in 2012.

More long-term detail needs to be given and more consideration for who is paying for the proposed $1.4 billion, four-year upgrade to the plans submitted by Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) for its natural gas pipelines, which were submitted last year to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), according to the Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA), the commission’s ratepayer advocacy unit.

Operational best practices and “robustly enforced” regulation can make hydraulic fracturing (fracking) a safe practice in the United Kingdom, according to a review by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

A proposal to place a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in California (AB 972) passed out of a state senate committee Tuesday and is headed for further consideration, but the bill faces stiff opposition by industry.

Directors of Australia-based Eureka Energy Ltd. have rejected a proposal from Fort Worth-based Lonestar Resources Inc. for Eureka to acquire Lonestar for scrip consideration. Eureka said it had expected to reject the proposal when it was received last week. “Nevertheless, over the weekend the company pursued discussions with Lonestar with the objective of securing a proposal on more favorable terms,” Eureka said. “The parties were unable to agree on terms, and consequently Lonestar has withdrawn the proposal.” An offer by Australia’s Aurora Oil & Gas Ltd. to acquire Eureka expires Friday (see Shale Daily, June 11). Both Aurora and Eureka have assets in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas, as does Lonestar. On Wednesday Eureka said “it is reasonable to accept” the Aurora offer after previously recommending that shareholders reject it.