Delay

The Obama administration conceded that its new drilling safety regulations will cost producers more to develop wells, delay the production of energy on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and increase consumer energy costs.

Operator Williams Field Services (WFS) said the Opal Plant did not reach full production at the projected time Tuesday due to a delay in the turnaround time from a shutdown. Thus it was necessary to curtail nominations for Wednesday’s gas day to make up for the previous day’s shortfalls to downstream pipes, WFS said. LaBarge Compressor Station remained down, it added, and Enterprise “had issues at Bridger Station, which resulted in a significantly reduced volume to the inlet of Opal Plant.” There was no estimated time for Bridger Station start-up, WFS said Wednesday.

BP plc said it would delay the release of its 3Q2010 earnings by one week to Nov. 2 to give it more time to prepare additional data and disclosures related to the April Macondo well explosion. For 2Q2010 BP posted a $17 billion replacement cost loss, which included a $32.2 billion provision for costs related to the massive oil spill (see Daily GPI, July 28). BP also has been evicted from the FTSE4Good ethical investment index because of the oil spill. BP earlier this year was excluded from the DJ Sustainability Index.

Lower natural gas prices led Williams Cos. to drop rigs and delay completions in some of its key U.S. onshore basins in the first three months of the year, but by December, total volumes should be 7-10% higher than they were in 1Q2010, executives said last week.

Lower natural gas prices led Williams Cos. to drop rigs and delay completions in some of its key U.S. onshore basins in the first three months of the year, but by December, total volumes should be 7-10% higher than they were in 1Q2010, executives said Wednesday.

Not swayed by the utility’s request for a decision before the end of April, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) said Wednesday it was exercising its option to delay for six months retail electricity and natural gas rate increases requested in March by Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities for its operations in Idaho.

Not swayed by the utility’s request for a decision before the end of April, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) said Wednesday it was exercising its option to delay for six months retail electricity and natural gas rate increases requested in March by Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities for its operations in Idaho.

Senate Democrats and Republicans are expected to square off this week over a controversial GOP proposal that would delay for one year the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Global gas prices could get a lift around 2014 when demand recovers and the delay of liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction projects limits the amount of LNG available, according to Ziff Energy Group.