Evolving

The idea of Baker Hughes Inc. shrinking its global footprint isn’t exactly the image that CEO Martin Craighead tried to convey on Tuesday in a business update, but one thing was clear: U.S. fracture jobs are no longer a priority.

ConocoPhillips has put on hold plans to explore Alaska’s Chukchi Sea in 2014, “given the uncertainties of evolving federal regulatory requirements and operational permitting standards.” The Alaska arm of the Houston producer said “it would not be prudent at this time to make the significant monetary commitments needed to preserve the option to drill in 2014.”

ConocoPhillips on Wednesday put on hold plans to explore Alaska’s Chukchi Sea in 2014, “given the uncertainties of evolving federal regulatory requirements and operational permitting standards.”

Canada’s 13 biggest pipelines have banded together to create an environmental pension plan to cover the costs of retiring facilities as age and evolving markets end their useful lives.

Now that it’s getting out of the local distribution company (LDC) business, Appalachia-focused EQT Corp. will have more time and money to devote to the Marcellus Shale, America’s emerging natural gas breadbasket.

Oil and natural gas companies looking to drill within regulated interstate river basins need to familiarize themselves with issues facing the local river basin commission and take those issues seriously before ultimately deciding whether to drill, an industry attorney said.

It was brief and caused no injuries or damage, but the accident set off alarms among regulators, production companies and field contractors

Thanks to shale plays and the evolving natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) supply-demand story, the assets of Spectra Energy Corp. and DCP Midstream LLC are poised for growth on multiple fronts, executives said last week.

Thanks to shale plays and the evolving natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) supply-demand story, the assets of Spectra Energy Corp. and DCP Midstream LLC are poised for growth on multiple fronts, executives told investors and financial analysts Tuesday.