Dealing

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reaffirmed the state’s 131-year history of mineral rights law on Wednesday, unanimously ruling in favor of a Susquehanna County couple that had filed suit over the rights to the Marcellus Shale gas under their property.

A major interstate natural gas pipeline association believes that an existing voluntary system with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for dealing with cyber attacks “is the way to go,” a spokeswoman said.

Nova Scotia said it will extend its review of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) until mid-2014, enacting a moratorium on the practice for at least another two years.

As part of one of the four active state proceedings dealing with the aftermath of the San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) now faces an additional $3 million fine based on a settlement agreement that has been recommended by an administrative law judge (ALJ) at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Calgary independent Nexen Inc., which has been dealing with some internal strife after CEO Marvin Romanow abruptly resigned in January, on Thursday reported that quarterly profits were impacted by lower production and natural gas prices.

California’s proposed law (AB 591) dealing with hydraulic fracturing (fracking) was close to being held over as a two-year bill late Wednesday, according to the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA). With less than two weeks left in this year’s state legislative session, AB 591 has not moved as deadlines have passed in the state Senate Appropriations Committee.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is backing two bills dealing with natural gas pipeline safety that passed the state Senate last week and are headed to committees in the lower house Assembly. No hearings have been set yet, and a utility official in Sacramento told NGI Monday that none are expected soon.

Using Wyoming’s approach as a model, a rarely convened panel in Idaho Tuesday adopted some temporary rules for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas. The state’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, consisting of Idaho’s five statewide elected officials, including its governor, unanimously took its action that was prompted by natural gas drilling in a single county, Payette.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) plans to meet Friday (Oct. 1) to issue rules dealing with the reporting of some swaps and on the requirements for derivatives clearing organizations and swap execution facilities, said Chairman Gary Gensler.