Existing

A major interstate natural gas pipeline association believes that an existing voluntary system with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for dealing with cyber attacks “is the way to go,” a spokeswoman said.

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is proposing to amend its rules relating to water protection to allow for a wider variety of recycling activities. The existing rules contemplate two categories of commercial recycling facilities: mobile and stationary. Since adoption of the rules in 2006, RRC has received an increasing number of applications for permits for facilities that fit neither category. Therefore, RRC proposed to create a third category: a semi-mobile commercial recycling facility. It proposes to authorize on-lease, non-commercial recycling of produced water and/or hydraulic fracturing (fracking) flowback fluid, and to clarify requirements for off-lease or centralized noncommercial recycling of produced water and/or fracking flowback fluid. It also proposes to amend the definition of “fresh makeup water pit” to allow use of such a pit in conjunction with fracking of an oil or gas well for the storage of fresh water or treated fracking flowback fluid used to make up fracking fluid for use in a new well. The changes are intended to reduce the demand for fresh water for fracking. The proposal was recently published in the Texas Register.

Moving natural gas from Western Canada and the Bakken Shale through new and existing pipelines will keep Calgary-based Alliance Pipeline LP as busy as it has ever been in its 12-year history. FERC last Thursday approved the pipeline’s proposal to build a lateral out of the Bakken Shale to Alliance’s mainline, allowing producers to meet the growing gas demand in Chicago.

South Jersey Energy has bought the retail marketing book of Pennsylvania customers from CenterPoint Energy Services, acquiring “a strong book of business that fits well with its northeast footprint,” South Jersey said. The more than 1,000 commercial and industrial customers acquired are primarily retail natural gas sales within the utility service areas of UGI, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, PECO Energy and Equitable.”This sale was made possible by significant changes in Pennsylvania’s competitive landscape,” South Jersey said. “Natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale has expanded dramatically, and the state’s electricity market is fully deregulated. This market supports [parent company South Jersey’s Industries’] existing wholesale gas sales efforts in the Marcellus Shale.”

Questar Pipeline Co. is holding a binding open season through Sept. 10 for capacity that will be created by new replacement compressor facilities at its existing Simon Station in Sweetwater County, WY.

Questar Pipeline Co. is holding a binding open season through Sept. 10 for capacity that will be created by new replacement compressor facilities at its existing Simon Station in Sweetwater County, WY.

BHP Billiton Ltd.’s recent announcement of a $2.8B charge for the diminished value of its dry gas Fayetteville Shale assets (see Shale Daily, Aug. 7) wasn’t the only bad shale-related news to come from the Australian company. Its Petrohawk Energy Corp. unit has been turning in sour numbers as well.

Colorado Interstate Gas Co. (CIG) has filed an application at FERC seeking authorization to build an expansion of its existing High Plains System to provide additional takeaway capacity from the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin to the Cheyenne Hub in Weld County, CO.

Domestic proved oil and natural gas reserves achieved record annual volumetric increases in 2010, thanks in large part to advances in drilling technology, according to a report released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) Wednesday.