Extending

Natural gas cash prices overall surged 17 cents on average Monday led by mega-gains extending from the Rockies to Chicago. Without losses posted at a handful of Northeast points, the average gain becomes 21 cents.

Driven by the U.S. shale boom and resulting low natural gas prices, the issue for local utility gas providers of extending their distribution pipeline systems is drawing re-examination by regulators and industry researchers.

The Boulder County, CO, planning commission on Tuesday proposed to offer exploration and production (E&P) operators an option of expedited oil and natural gas drilling permits in return for meeting stricter environmental standards. An industry association spokesman told NGI’s Shale Daily they favored existing state mechanisms over the county proposal.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) last week issued a final order extending once more the effective date for market compliance with certain provisions of Section VII of Dodd-Frank involving regulation of the swaps — this time until Dec. 31. The exemptive order is effective immediately, according to the agency.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Tuesday issued a final order extending once more the effective date for new swap regulation — this time until Dec. 31. The order is effective immediately, according to the agency.

While there are competing proposals to break through the bottlenecks to bringing rich gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) in the Bakken formation to market, the Alliance Pipeline and Aux Sable NGL systems think they have the inside track. In the meantime, a substantial amount of NGL movement continues through rail and trucking.

A local ordinance that bans oil and gas operations in the Town of Middlefield, NY, has been upheld by the Otsego County Supreme Court, the second time in a week that a New York state judge has ruled in favor of such a law.

Lawmakers in the West Virginia Senate have voted unanimously in favor of a bill extending tax breaks to companies that build an ethane cracker in the state, and have sent the measure to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin for his signature.

Scottish upstream operator Weir Group plc is extending its reach into North America’s unconventional natural gas and oil fields with a deal to acquire Houston-based Seaboard Holdings Inc. for $675 million.