Environment

November natural gas retreated Friday as traders saw the market in an unstable technical environment and rig count figures showed another double-digit increase in gas drilling. At the close November had careened lower by 11.7 cents to $3.481 and December had fallen 9.6 cents to $3.820. November crude oil rose 39 cents to $82.98/bbl.

September natural gas meandered lower Tuesday as traders are being forced to recognize a cooler temperature environment, but technicians see the market holding critical support for the time being. September fell 9.2 cents to $3.932 and October slid 9.7 cents to $3.942. September crude oil dropped $1.23 to $86.65/bbl.

A section of Millennium Pipeline running from Corning to Ramapo, NY, poses “a pipeline integrity risk to public safety, property or the environment,” an investigation has found. In response to a proposed safety order, the pipeline told shippers it is operating at a reduced pressure; however, scheduled flows were not expected to be interrupted.

A section of Millennium Pipeline running from Corning to Ramapo, NY, poses “a pipeline integrity risk to public safety, property or the environment,” an investigation has found. In response to a proposed safety order, the pipeline told shippers it is operating at a reduced pressure; however, scheduled flows were not expected to be interrupted.

In a low-gas price environment, it’s woe that befalls the gas producer that overpays for midstream services or transportation. And because the industry’s pace has quickened as companies rush to develop shale plays, the risks of overspending at contract time are greater today, Rodney Waller, Range Resources Corp. senior vice president, told a Houston audience earlier this month.

In a low-gas price environment, it’s woe that befalls the gas producer that overpays for midstream services or transportation. And because the industry’s pace has quickened as companies rush to develop shale plays, the risks of overspending at contract time are greater today, Rodney Waller, Range Resources Corp. senior vice president, told a Houston audience last week.

Citing his financial ties to the oil and natural gas industry, an attorney with a Washington, DC-based advocacy group has called on the Obama administration to replace the chairman of the subcommittee exploring the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Elected officials at all levels of government in Pennsylvania should implement regulations to block gas extraction in “pristine places and locations near where people live or work,” said the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. The group said it has documented well sites within two miles of more than 320 daycare facilities, 67 schools and nine hospitals in the state. PennEnvironment also called on lawmakers to strengthen clean water laws, “halt the use of toxic chemicals” in hydraulic fracturing and increase resources available to regulators. In addition, PennEnvironment called on the federal government to “end the special treatment for the gas industry and apply the nation’s core public health and environmental laws to gas extraction, just as it would regulate any potential threat to public health or the environment.”

Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) is asking the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for information about how it enforces its environmental regulations.