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FERC Friday gave Dominion Transmission Inc. (DTI) the go-ahead to place into service its Appalachian Gateway pipeline, which will loosen a bottleneck to allow for the transportation of shale and conventional natural gas production from West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania to growing markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The facilities were to begin service on Saturday (Sept. 1), said DTI spokesman Dan Donovan.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) plans to unveil a map that outlines economically viable areas of the state’s portion of the Utica/Point Pleasant Shale by late September, which could provide oil and natural gas operators with a valuable tool to use for future exploration.

Houston-based Spectra Energy’s earnings fell 24% in the second quarter from a year ago as each of the company’s divisions — pipelines, field services, distribution and Western Canadian operations — turned in lower performances. But this will not deter the company from moving forward with its “solid roster” of energy projects, said CEO Greg Ebel.

Support is growing for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) — a state government entity that controls an 8,000-square mile watershed covering about one-fifth of the state — to sell water for natural gas drilling in the Marcellus and Utica shales, albeit on a temporary basis.

Houston-based Spectra Energy’s earnings fell 24% in the second quarter from a year ago as each of the company’s divisions — pipelines, field services, distribution and Western Canadian operations — turned in lower performances. But this will not deter the company from moving forward with its “solid roster” of energy projects, said CEO Greg Ebel.

Ten years ago the Permian Basin, first drilled nearly a century ago, was considered passe for oil and gas exploration. Today, however, a new generation of explorers and midstream operators has made the basin one of the hottest tickets on the reservoir circuit and there are no signs that the lights will be dimming anytime soon.

Patriot Water Treatment LLC of Warren, OH, is back in business after the Ohio Environmental Review Appeals Commission (ERAC) on Tuesday ruled that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) had overstepped its regulatory authority when it pulled the private operator’s permit to deliver natural gas drilling wastewater to the City of Warren for treatment.

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have issued an outline that attempts to clarify the responsibilities of each agency with respect to oil and gas regulation.

Officials in New Brunswick unveiled a list of more than 100 recommended changes to the province’s regulatory framework for oil and natural gas on Thursday, including tougher casing and cementing standards, increased water protections and substantially higher royalties.