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A citizens group has reversed its call for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in New Brunswick after the provincial government unveiled tougher regulations for the emerging Frederick Brook Shale.

Three federal agencies say they will cooperate on air quality issues for onshore oil and gas projects drilled on public lands and will create a new agency to implement collaborative plans by late September.

ETC Tiger Pipeline LLC, a unit of Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, has asked FERC for the green light to place a 400 MMcf/d expansion of its system in service by early August.

Three federal agencies say they will cooperate on air quality issues for onshore oil and gas projects drilled on public lands and will create a new agency to implement collaborative plans by late September.

Three federal agencies say they will cooperate on air quality issues for onshore oil and gas projects drilled on public lands and will create a new agency to implement collaborative plans by late September.

Pennsylvania should create a registry to monitor the health of state residents and search for potential health impacts of Marcellus Shale drilling, said Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Eli Avila.

Shareholders of AGL Resources and Nicor Inc. have approved a merger that would create the nation’s largest gas-only distributor with a rate base of $3.8 billion that encompasses seven regulated gas distribution companies serving 4.5 million customers in Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and Maryland. The merger was announced in December (see NGI, Dec. 13, 2010). Nicor would merge with an AGL subsidiary in a deal with an enterprise value of $3.1 billion, including equity of $2.4 billion. Corporate headquarters would be in Atlanta with gas distribution headquarters in Naperville, IL. The merger must still be approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates Nicor and establishes rates. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.

Making ethanol from newly abundant natural gas instead of corn would avoid taking food off the world’s table and could create another market for growing gas supplies coming from U.S. and other shale basins. Dallas-based Celanese Corp. last year announced a technology to do just that and is gearing up its efforts as Washington lawmakers move closer to repealing an ethanol subsidy supported by corn growers.

Making ethanol from newly abundant natural gas instead of corn would avoid taking food off the world’s table and would create another market for growing gas supplies coming from U.S. and other shale basins. Dallas-based Celanese Corp. last year announced a technology to do just that.