Drove

The horizontal natural gas drilling boom drove a long production growth period, but that boom topped out in September 2011, and overall monthly production has remained basically flat since then, analysts at Stephen Smith Energy Associates said in their most recent Monthly Energy Outlook. And while the number of horizontal gas rigs has fallen about 70% from its peak, several effects have worked to maintain the 18-month production plateau, they said.

The horizontal natural gas drilling boom drove a long production growth period, but that boom topped out in September 2011, and overall monthly production has remained basically flat since then, analysts at Stephen Smith Energy Associates said in their most recent Monthly Energy Outlook. And while the number of horizontal gas rigs has fallen about 70% from its peak, several effects have worked to maintain the 18-month production plateau, they said.

Williams, whose natural gas midstream and pipeline infrastructure stretches from Canada into the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, is tweaking its earnings forecasts lower for the next two years based on conversations with customers that indicate activity will be slower in the short term.

Williams, whose natural gas midstream and pipeline infrastructure stretches from Canada into the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, is tweaking its earnings forecasts lower for the next two years based on conversations with customers that indicate activity will be slower in the short term.

Interest in acquiring shale acreage, midstream transactions and foreign investments in the United States drove domestic natural gas and oil mergers and acquisitions (M&A) value to $39 billion in the second quarter, according to an analysis by PwC US.

Despite flat results in the second quarter when its utilities drove increased profits, Rapid City, SD-based Black Hills Corp. CEO Dave Emery talked up the company’s early stage horizontal drilling in the San Juan and Piceance basins.

Non-cash impairment charges in its exploration and production (E&P) unit drove Williams to a 2010 net loss of nearly $1.1 billion ($1.88/share) compared with net income of $285 million (49 cents/share) in 2009.

The sustained push to unlock shale gas and oil across North America drove Halliburton Inc.’s profits in the third quarter, CEO Dave Lesar said Monday.

BP shares in the U.S. market rebounded sharply Thursday as investors who had pushed the panic button Wednesday heeded cooler analytical heads and drove the price up more than 12% at the close from the 14-year low recorded the previous day.