Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission(COGCC) Director Matt Lepore, who was appointed in 2012, is stepping down effective March 1 to join private consulting firm Adamantine Energy, founded by former Colorado Oil and Gas Association chief Tisha Schuller. Julie Murphy, now assistant director for energy and minerals at the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, is taking the helm of COGCC. Gov. John Hickenlooper said Lepore had performed in “one of the most demanding jobs in state government…with style and substance that provided calm over an area often at the center of controversy…Under his leadership, Colorado developed regulations that have been used as models across the country.” Murphy has worked on the state’s policy, legal and technical issues and previously managed regulatory affairs for the COGCC. She holds a wildlife degree from Kansas State University, a master’s degree in environmental resources management from the University of South Carolina-Columbia and a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
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Report Says Despite Shale, U.S. Unlikely to Disengage From Persian Gulf
Despite the shale revolution in North America transforming global energy dynamics, the United States is unlikely to disengage completely from the Persian Gulf because other nations still depend on the region and it will still affect the world’s oil prices, according to a draft report presented to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Industry Brief
Last year was the warmest year on record for the contiguous United States, with an average temperature of 55.3 degrees, 3.2 degrees above the 20th Century average and 1.0 degree above 1998, the previous warmest year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Every state in the Lower 48 recorded an above-average annual temperature for 2012, NOAA said. Nineteen states had a record warm year, and an another 26 states had one of their 10 warmest years. Nationally, 2012 began with the fourth warmest winter (December 2011-February 2012) on record, followed by the warmest spring on record, which included the warmest March on record. July was the warmest month ever observed in the contiguous United States, with an average temperature of 76.9 degrees, 3.6 degrees above average. The summer months were the second hottest on record and both Autumn and December temperatures were warmer than average, although not of the same magnitude as the rest of the year, NOAA said.
Haynesville, Barnett Natural Gas Output Exceeds Analyst Estimates
U.S. natural gas prices may well go higher over the next 18 months to two years, but a few things could stand in their way, including stronger-than-forecast dry gas output from unconventional plays, including the Haynesville and Barnett shales, Credit Suisse analysts said Wednesday.
Halliburton to Idle Rigs, Crews Before Chasing Business
Halliburton Co. CEO Dave Lesar made clear Wednesday that the slowdown in the U.S. and Canadian drilling market is only “transitory,” and the company will sit it out before cutting prices to capture new business.
Winter Ends on Warm Note: March 2012 Warmest Since 1950
Last month was the warmest March since 1950 based on natural gas-weighted heating degree days (GWHDD), with decades-old temperature records falling in cities across the United States, weather analysts said Monday.
Poll: Fracking’s Faithful Are Unwavering
Over the last year or so hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has become a headline issue, and how one feels about it depends to a good degree on who one is. Generally though, as fracking garners more scrutiny the belief that it is worth doing hasn’t wavered much, a recent poll found.
Shale Gas Seen as Major Factor in LNG Export
The prospects for exporting U.S. natural gas are intertwined with a whole set of variables that are becoming increasingly tough to predict, according to the lead gas and electricity prognosticator at the California Energy Commission (CEC).
U.S. Gas Supply ‘Steady as She Grows,’ Says Energy Analyst
A “consensus playbook” is calling for the U.S. natural gas supply curve to flatten over the coming months, but improved drilling and completion technology and a backlog of wells waiting for pipeline connections in the onshore shale plays indicate that growth won’t stall anytime soon, analysts with Raymond James & Associates Inc. said Monday.
Heat, Futures Give Slight Boost to Cash Quotes
Intense heat in many areas finally appeared to be reviving the spot market, but only to a small degree, Thursday. The previous day’s minor rebound of 2.9 cents by September futures also helped in raising cash prices slightly at most points.
