Department

A bill under consideration by the Ohio House of Representatives would allow local governments to transfer into their coffers revenue generated from water sales to unconventional drilling operators.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) said 87 wells in the Utica Shale collectively produced 12.84 Bcf of natural gas and more than 635,000 bbl of oil in 2012.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it agrees with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) over not listing a nearly 100-mile section of the main stem of the Susquehanna River at the foot of the Marcellus Shale as an impaired waterway, despite concerns over the health of the river’s smallmouth bass.

Former Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling, 59, reached agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that could allow him to be free as soon as 2017, according to a court filing. Skilling agreed to waive his rights to any further appeals and would allow more than $40 million of forfeited assets to be distributed to victims of Enron’s colossal collapse in 2001. Skilling was convicted in 2006 by a Houston jury on 19 criminal counts and originally was sentenced to federal prison for 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). “Although the recommended sentence for Jeff would still be more than double any other Enron defendant, all of whom have long been out of prison, Jeff will at least have the chance to get back a meaningful part of his life,” said Skilling attorney Daniel M. Petrocelli.

Former Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling, 59, has reached agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that could allow him to be free as soon as 2017, according to a court filing. Under the agreement, Skilling is waiving his rights to any further appeals and would allow more than $40 million of his forfeited assets to be distributed to victims of Enron’s colossal collapse in 2001. Skilling was convicted in 2006 by a Houston jury on 19 criminal counts and originally was sentenced to federal prison for 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 by the district court (see NGI, April 11, 2011). “The proposed agreement brings certainty and finality to a long painful process,” said Skilling lawyer Daniel M. Petrocelli. “Although the recommended sentence for Jeff would still be more than double any other Enron defendant, all of whom have long been out of prison, Jeff will at least have the chance to get back a meaningful part of his life.”

Three of the many proposed Lower 48 liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects appear likely to receive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) blessing, and three Canadian projects that have government approvals will be held back by supply contracting and pipeline development, Moody’s Investors Service said in a note last week.

Three of the many proposed Lower 48 liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects appear likely to receive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) blessing, and three Canadian projects that have government approvals will be held back by supply contracting and pipeline development, Moody’s Investors Service said in a note Wednesday.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Division of Oil and Gas is soliciting proposals for a contractor or contractors to assist DNR in characterizing and developing alternatives to advance a North Slope liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. The study is intended to help the state stay abreast of risks and opportunities of the project and how they are influenced by world events. DNR said it hopes to gain an understanding of how its policies toward the disposition of its royalty share of North Slope natural gas may contribute to the success of the project. DNR said it anticipates that the contractor(s) will assemble a team of experts with various appropriate backgrounds. A pre-proposal conference will be held at 1:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, May 17 in the offices of the Division of Oil and Gas in Anchorage. Prospective contractors are encouraged to attend in person or make prior arrangements to call via teleconference by contacting Marlys Hagen at (907) 269-8666. Proposals must be received by May 20 at the DNR offices.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Monday concluded a 16-month investigation by announcing that high levels of methane found in three water wells in Franklin Township in Susquehanna County “cannot be attributed to natural gas drilling activity in that geographical area.”