Corp

Chesapeake Energy Corp. shareholders earlier this month reelected the board of directors, but rejected separate proposals to implement proxy access, reincorporate in Delaware and declassify the board, the last of which would have made it easier to replace the entire board in one fell swoop.

A deal has been finalized in a Houston federal court to reduce the prison sentence of former Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling by almost a decade to 14 years, making him eligible for release from a Denver federal prison in 2017. The Department of Justice in May had reached an agreement with Skilling, 59, under which he waived his right to any further appeals and allowed more than $40 million of his forfeited assets to be distributed to victims of Enron’s collapse in 2001 (see NGI, May 13). Skilling was convicted in 2006 on 19 criminal counts and sentenced to 24 years and four months (see NGI, May 29, 2006). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans twice said the sentence had been miscalculated (see NGI, April 11, 2011).

Rex Energy Corp. said it is “pleased” with the results so far from a well targeting Ohio’s Utica Shale, but it is disappointed with a third-party well completion technique at a second well and blamed bad weather for delays in putting other wells into sales.

A deal was finalized Friday in a Houston federal court to reduce the prison sentence of former Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling by almost a decade to 14 years, making him eligible for release from a Denver federal prison in 2017. The Department of Justice in May had reached an agreement with Skilling, 59, under which Skilling waived his right to any further appeals and allowed more than $40 million of his forfeited assets to be distributed to victims of Enron’s collapse in 2001 (see Daily GPI, May 9). Skilling was convicted in 2006 on 19 criminal counts and sentenced to 24 years and four months (see Daily GPI, May 26, 2006). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans twice said the sentence had been miscalculated (see Daily GPI, April 8, 2011).

If ExxonMobil Corp. has its way, it could be exporting natural gas from the United States and Canada to overseas markets, after the supermajor on Wednesday filed for permission to export 30 million metric tons a year (mmty) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the west coast of British Columbia (BC).

Chesapeake Energy Corp. shareholders reelected the company’s board of directors, but rejected separate proposals to implement proxy access, reincorporate in Delaware and declassify the board, the last of which would have made it easier to replace the entire board in one fell swoop.

The Sand Hills and Southern Hills natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines have entered service, according to DCP Midstream, Phillips 66 and Spectra Energy Corp., which each own a one-third interest in the pipelines. The 720-mile Sand Hills is transporting NGL from the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale. The 800-mile Southern Hills is transporting NGL from production in the Midcontinent. “DCP Midstream will have an integrated NGL pipeline system, consisting of Sand Hills and Southern Hills as well as our interests in the Front Range and Texas Express pipelines, that connect our gathering and processing systems located in most of the major liquids-rich and oil-driven shale plays to growing Gulf Coast markets,” said DCP Midstream CEO Wouter van Kempen.

Natural Resource Partners LP (NRP) is buying nonoperated working interests in Bakken/Three Forks producing oil and gas properties from Abraxas Petroleum Corp. for $35.3 million in cash, marking its entry into the Bakken Shale.

Spectra Energy Corp.’s (SE) announcement last week that it would accelerate dropdowns to Spectra Energy Partners (SEP) lifted the company’s shares but did not placate activist investor Sandell Asset Management, which Monday called again for further action and threatened to seek changes to the company’s board.