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CSX Corp. and a unit of General Electric (GE) will partner to explore emissions-cutting and efficiency breakthroughs in liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology for locomotives, beginning with a pilot program in 2014, the companies said Wednesday.

China National Offshore Oil Co. (CNOOC), through Canadian subsidiary Nexen Energy, has been awarded a site for its proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal on the northern Pacific coast of British Columbia (BC), the provincial government said Wednesday.

Natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale continues to surge higher, with 12.9 Bcf/d expected to come out of the prolific play in December, a 3.3% increase from 12.5 Bcf/d in November, according to EIA’s second Drilling Productivity Report (DPR) for key tight oil and shale gas regions.

FirstEnergy Corp.has announced that it plans to invest an additional $2.8 billion over four years to expand its previously announced “Energizing the Future” transmission initiative, with the main focus of the initial construction effort being the 69 kV transmission power lines and substations in the Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison and Penn Power areas. The program is expected to be expanded into other FirstEnergy service territories during the next several years. Overall, the new transmission projects are designed to increase FirstEnergy’s load serving capability in areas where future economic growth is anticipated, particularly in Ohio’s shale gas regions; improve reliability of service; create more flexibility to restore service following storms; reduce line losses; and lower the company’s overall transmission maintenance costs. Many of the projects — including new or rebuilt high-voltage power lines, new substations, and the installation of specialized voltage regulating equipment — are needed to help support system reliability as coal-fired power plants in the region are deactivated based on the U.S. EPA Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and other environmental rules.

Natural gas for delivery Thursday fell 22 cents on average, but if the multi-dollar losses at New England points are factored out, the decline was a more modest 8 cents. Weather forecasts showing a warming trend pulled the plug on the bulls’ aspirations and futures softened as well.

Carlyle Group plans to raise $7 billion for energy funds over the next two years, with more than half — $4 billion — targeting North America, executives said during an investor presentation in New York City.

The Texas arm of activist group Public Citizen on Tuesday called for a halt to the scheduled start of TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL oil pipeline’s southern segment from Oklahoma to the Texas Gulf of Mexico. It is slated to begin operations before the end of the year.

After 70 years as a Mexican government-owned monopoly, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) may be ready to accept allowing energy investors in, Raymond James & Associates Inc. analysts said in a report.

Tesoro Corp.’s two refineries handling Bakken crude in North Dakota and Washington state were not affected by the company’s controversial pipeline spill late in September in a wheat field northeast of Tioga, ND, Tesoro CEO Greg Goff said last Thursday during a quarterly earnings conference call.