Continued

The United States continued to crush the global merger and acquisition (M&A) market between April and June, but deal values in the first half of 2013 (1H2013) represented the lowest six-month period since at least 2007, according to a survey by PLS Inc. and partner Derrick Petroleum Services.

Chevron Corp. will gain access to some needed infrastructure to develop a portion of its one million-acre leasehold in the Permian Basin in West Texas, and Cimarex Energy Co. will have expanded opportunities in a key Texas county under a joint agreement.

Oil and natural gas severance taxes totaled $34.5 million in Kentucky in 2012 as the industry, which is centered in the eastern part of the state, continued its comeback from the economic crisis of 2008.

More announcements continued to move last week for building the compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) market for natural gas vehicles (NGV).

California energy officials last week continued to wrestle with where to find more natural gas, renewables and purchased power sources for electric generation as they dealt with closing San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (Songs). Southern California Edison Co.’s (SCE) decision to shutter the 2,200 MW facility could cost $3 billion cost for up to 50 years (see NGI, June 10).

GreenHunter Resources Inc.’s planned water treatment, recycling and condensate handling logistics terminal in Wheeling, WV, to serve the Marcellus and Utica shale region could provide drillers with free recycled wastewater for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations.

With continued uncertainty over whether a large nuclear generation plant will ever return to service, Southern California Edison Co. (SCE) officials on Friday said summer power supplies will be adequate throughout Southern California. Up to three new or upgraded natural gas-fired plants in the region. totaling more than 1,800 MW, are due to start operations by the end of summer, they said

During the first quarter, Quicksilver Resources Inc. lost more money than Wall Street was expecting as the company continued to “hammer on the cost side” of its business, deferring elective spending in the energy patch and cutting back on staff.

Just as a report from Morgan Stanley (MS) was declaring natural gas vehicles (NGV) as the energy market “wild card,” U.S. NGV suppliers continued in late April to roll out more products.