Expects

Air Liquide Industrial US LP plans to build an air separation unit in northwestern North Dakota to supply nitrogen to industrial customers, specifically those involved in growing Bakken Shale operations. The unit is expected to be operational by the end of 2012. The French company supplies gases that include nitrogen and carbon dioxide to North American producers to support drilling operations and increase resource recovery. “We are positioning ourselves to better serve existing customers and to capture new business opportunities in North Dakota, especially in the Bakken oil reserves,” said Air Liquide’s Mark Lostak, president of the company’s U.S. arm. “The potential throughout this region is significant, and we are prepared to meet the growing demand for nitrogen to develop these important domestic energy resources.”

The U.S. arm of French heavyweight Total SA expects to add North American unconventional properties to its portfolio either through joint ventures (JV) or by itself, a top executive said last week.

The U.S. arm of French heavyweight Total SA expects to add North American unconventional properties to its portfolio either through joint ventures (JV) or by itself, a top executive said Wednesday.

Panhandle Eastern expects to begin three days of odorization on the Battle Creek Lateral Monday, during which the Battle Creek #1 interconnect with Southeast Michigan Gas will be unavailable; however, the Albion and Battle Creek #2 meters at the utility’s citygate will remain available.

Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) and El Paso Corp. have agreed to a friendly, $38 billion buyout of the latter that KMI CEO Richard D. Kinder said is largely predicated on the growing role of natural gas in North America’s energy supply picture, thanks in large part to production from shale gas plays around the continent.

Pennsylvania policymakers should “watch the rigs” as they make decisions, Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) President Kathryn Klaber told a Pittsburgh audience Thursday.

Cheniere Energy Partners LP said it expects to net about $60 million in public offerings, some of which would be used to fund development costs of its proposed addition of liquefaction capacity to the Sabine Pass LNG (liquefied natural gas) import terminal in Cameron Parish, LA. However, in order to advance the project still needs contracted customers.

ConocoPhillips expects to complete the spinoff its refining arm by the middle of next year, which would absorb the natural gas and oil pipelines as well as joint venture projects, CEO Jim Mulva said last week.

Royal Dutch Shell said it expects to decide by the end of the year where it will build a “world-scale” ethylene cracker in the Marcellus Shale region, and it said the three states where it is considering construction of the facility are Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.