Australia’s Austin Exploration Ltd. has struck an agreement for Houston-based Halcon Resources Corp. to participate in its Birch Project in the northeastern Eagle Ford Shale. Halcon’s founders are Eagle Ford veterans, having pioneered the play with a previous company.
Efforts
Articles from Efforts
Heavy Metals Found in Barnett Area Water, But Source Unknown
A study of Barnett Shale region water wells has found elevated levels of heavy metals near natural gas extraction sites, but a link to drilling/production activity has not been determined and may not be, researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) said.
Wyden Calls for Review of FracFocus Website
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has called on the Department of Energy to start the ball rolling on an “independent, unbiased” review of the FracFocus website to determine if it provides sufficient information to state and federal regulators on hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
Colorado City Drops Drilling Moratorium; Frack Ban Stays
Elected officials in Fort Collins, CO, 60 miles north of Denver, on Tuesday rejected two proposals to extend the city’s oil/natural gas drilling moratorium, which is set to expire at the end of July. The measures were defeated on 4-3 votes of the seven-member city council.
Devon to Launch Natural Gas MLP
Devon Energy Corp. is renewing long-pursued efforts to form a midstream master limited partnership (MLP) to hold some of its natural gas gathering and processing assets in Texas, Oklahoma and Wyoming.
Find Fracking Solutions in ‘Water-Stressed’ U.S. Regions, Says Ceres
Energy industry efforts to reduce the amount of water used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) through recycling and other means have to be stepped up if unconventional resources are to grow as projected, according to Ceres, which runs an influential institutional investor coalition.
Linn Finds Better Hog Shootin’ in Oklahoma
After drilling some disappointing wells targeting the Hogshooter interval of the Granite Wash in the Texas Panhandle, Linn Energy LLC is now concentrating its efforts on the Oklahoma Hogshooter, where the reservoir is seen to be of better quality with less variability, CEO Mark E. Ellis said Thursday.
Senate Bill Would Give States Gas Storage Authority
A pair of U.S. senators from Kansas has renewed that state’s efforts to shift the responsibility for monitoring some underground natural gas storage facilities from the federal government to states, saying the modification would help avoid accidents at such facilities.
Phillips 66 Gulf Coast Fractionator to Bypass Mont Belvieu
In its efforts to maximize the opportunities provided by the domestic shale oil and gas boom, Houston-based Phillips 66 said it plans to develop a 100,000 b/d natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionator in Old Ocean, TX, which would provide an alternative for suppliers wary of congestion at facilities located in and around Mont Belvieu, TX.
New Mexico Still Attracting Interest Despite Less Production
While Mexico’s gas-rich San Juan Basin turned up another declining year of natural gas production in 2012, state officials and some exploration and production (E&P) companies are maintaining interest in the state’s overall oil, liquids and gas businesses.