Effect

The majority of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale drilling law is just starting to go into effect, but two state lawmakers are already proposing tweaks, one small and one large.

Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s board of directors Thursday said it was working with CEO Aubrey McClendon to end the Founder Well Participation Program (FWPP) in which the CEO has the contractual right to participate and invest up to a 2.5% working interest in every new well the company drills.

Don’t like today’s low natural gas prices? Hang on, they will change, eventually, ConocoPhillips Gas & Power’s Jim Duncan, manager of market research, told a Houston audience Thursday.

Much of the pipeline capacity into and out of the Perryville Hub in North Louisiana handles gas from the Haynesville/Bossier Shale in North Louisiana, as well as the Barnett, Fayetteville, Woodford and Eagle Ford shale plays. With gas demand from power generation growing up on the other side of the hub, and the potential for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from South Louisiana, Perryville pipeliners are streamlining trading operations.

Dallas-based Pioneer Natural Resources Co. reported a 9% sequential increase in production for the fourth quarter and attributed the success to “three core liquids-rich growth assets in Texas.” In light of low prices for dry gas, the company has tweaked some of its drilling plans while it continues to high-grade liquids-rich drilling.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched a website to track oil and gas operations in the state, including those in the Marcellus Shale. The website includes reports on permitting and drilling figures, well inventories organized by county and operator, and violations. The DEP previously listed permitting and drilling information by month and production information twice each year, but the new website allows the public to view individual inspection reports. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently created a website to help pipeline operators comply with new oversight requirements. Gov. Tom Corbett signed Act 127 in late December, making the PUC the “state agent” for the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration in Pennsylvania and giving the PUC oversight over most nonutility natural gas pipelines. Among other things, the act requires the PUC to create a registry of all nonutility gas and hazardous liquids pipelines in the state, and the website includes forms to help operators comply. The act takes effect on Feb. 20.

Florida Gas Transmission ended Friday an Overage Alert Day that had been in effect for the previous three days.

The City Council of Binghamton, NY, voted 6-1 Wednesday night in favor of enacting a two-year ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) within the city limits.

Pacific Gas and Electric is ending a systemwide low-inventory OFO Wednesday after it had been in effect on the utility’s California Gas Transmission system Monday and Tuesday.