Details

Southern said Friday that based on weather forecasts and projected demand on its system, five delivery groups (see the bulletin board for details) will be subject to an OFO Type 3 Level 1 effective with the start of Monday’s gas day until further notice.

In apologizing to customers for unexpected reductions in capacity on the Baja Path over the holiday weekend (see the bulletin board for details), Pacific Gas and Electric’s California Gas Transmission (CGT) system said in addition to planned maintenance, it discovered an excessive amount of odorant in a section of Line 300B late May 25. Operations personnel have been working to isolate and purge the overodorized gas and expected to have this situation resolved Wednesday (June 1), CGT said.

Texas legislation that would require disclosure of the contents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluid, which was passed recently by the House, might stall in the Senate as the chair of that body’s Natural Resources Committee said he was unaware of the bill until recently and is concerned about “unintended consequences.”

A unit of Royal Dutch Shell plc last week submitted a plan of exploration (POE) that details a proposal to drill exploratory wells in Camden Bay, AK, in the Beaufort Sea beginning in 2012.

A unit of Royal Dutch Shell plc late Wednesday submitted a plan of exploration (POE) that details a proposal to drill exploratory wells in the Camden Bay, AK, area of the Beaufort Sea beginning in 2012.

Houston-based independent Lucas Energy Inc. has entered a joint venture with Marathon Oil (East Texas) LP, a unit of Marathon Oil Corp., to develop the Eagle Ford and Buda formations in Wilson County, TX. Marathon Oil has acquired 50% of the leasehold interest rights, representing about 1,000 net acres (below the base of the Austin Chalk formation) held by Lucas in a majority of Lucas’ leases in Wilson County. Marathon Oil will be the operator, but Lucas will still own and operate rights above the Eagle Ford, primarily in the Austin Chalk, Lucas said. Lucas has a variety of working interests in Wilson County, which is south of San Antonio, ranging from 20% up to 100%. The Austin Chalk formation (and above), the current well bores and equipment, and the current production from the Austin Chalk and above are not included in the Marathon transaction. Financial details were not disclosed.

While federal and state officials have rehashed and are still studying the details, the severe freeze and resulting natural gas customer shutoffs last February in the Southwest have left local distribution utilities to deal with rancor in communities in which both homes and businesses were affected. One small town, Bernalillo, NM, has sued its local utility.

While federal and state officials have rehashed and are still studying the details, the severe freeze and resulting natural gas customer shutoffs last February in the Southwest have left local distribution utilities to deal with rancor in communities in which both homes and businesses were affected. One small town, Bernalillo, NM, has sued its local utility.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects to release in a month or two the details of how it will carry out its study of the risks of hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) to water quality and public heath, said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. She signaled that federal regulation of the well stimulation technique may not be needed.