Equipment

A unit of Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. is growing its Gulf Coast region operations by acquiring pressure pumping assets that will support activities in the Eagle Ford and Haynesville shales.

National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NOV), one of the leading high technology manufacturers for the upstream, is seeing some “green shoots” of growth in North America’s onshore, in part because drilling equipment is wearing out, and because customers are demanding the best components available, CEO Pete Miller said Friday.

Two centers backed by major industry leaders opened in September in the heart of the nation’s western oil/gas production areas: a state-of-the-art center for teaching the latest advances in natural gas compression in Oklahoma, and a digital rock physics laboratory in Wyoming.

Colorado officials on Tuesday reported three new flood-related oil spills since an assessment the day before (seeDaily GPI,Sept. 24), bringing to 11 the number of what are designated as “notable releases” by the Colorado Oil/Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC).

The search for natural gas and oil in ever more remote regions is drawing more prospectors to the U.S. Arctic Ocean, which includes Alaska waters, but there aren’t enough safeguards in place to ensure accidents can be managed, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Xcel Energy on Sunday reported new heavy rain storms in already flooded areas in Colorado, further hampering efforts to assess the condition of natural gas pipelines and equipment. On Sunday, the combination utility said there were approximately 4,070 customers without gas service, up from the 2,500 total last Friday (see related item).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the deadline from April 30 until Nov. 15 for the public to submit data and scientific literature as part of the agency’s study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on drinking water sources.

Master integrated planning in the shale natural gas and liquids markets reduces working capital and makes the end-to-end process more consistent and predictable, according to an analysis by PwC.

President Obama Monday gave his official nod to nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz as nominee for secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), and to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air pollution official Gina McCarthy to head up the EPA.