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Supporters and opponents of shale development in New York State will get their day in court on Thursday, when a state appellate court in Albany takes on two key cases that could ultimately decide how much power municipal governments may wield in regulating oil and natural gas activities.

Fleet operators continue to look for cleaner and less expensive fueling alternatives to gasoline, while some small industries are studying the options of using liquefied natural gas (LNG) or propane, depending on the specific application.

Fleet operators continue to look for “cleaner” and less expensive fueling alternatives to gasoline, while other small industries are studying the options of using liquefied natural gas (LNG) or propane, depending on the specific application, which has moved natural gas into the spotlight nationwide.

As drillers compete for access to water for their operations, researchers are looking for new ways to reuse and recycle wastewater for the good of the environment, as well as looking ahead to the possibility of more restrictions at the state or federal level that may be imposed on underground injection wells, according to Accenture.

Citing the onslaught of shale gas volumes, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) Wednesday projected that dry natural gas production will increase significantly throughout 2040, outpacing domestic consumption by 2020 and spurring net exports of natural gas sooner than the agency had expected.

San Diego, CA-based Osage Exploration and Development Inc. reported Monday that it has spudded its fourth horizontal oil well in the Mississippian Lime formation and the rock quality appears promising. The well — the McPhail #2-18H in section 18-18N-3W of Logan County, OK –. is in the 30,000-plus acre Nemaha Ridge project, which is owned by Osage in conjunction with its partners, project operator Slawson Exploration Co. and U.S. Energy Development Corp.

Robust output from the nation’s shale plays and relatively mild winter weather continue to force analysts to trim their natural gas price forecasts, with Bentek Energy LLC on Tuesday saying it expects the market to set a new price floor of $1.94/Mcf this September.

The current spread between U.S. and European/Asian natural gas prices supports export of liquefied domestic gas from the Lower 48, but it’s likely too uncertain to support the long-term, billion-dollar commitment needed to bring large-scale liquefaction to the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to an analysis by Pan EurAsian Enterprises Inc. released Monday.

Faced with pricing uncertainty, anticipated decrease in U.S. demand and a shifting regulatory landscape, Canadian gas companies will need to look beyond the United States if they are to retain market share and remain competitive, according to Ernst & Young.