Farm

Berry Petroleum expanded its presence in the Piceance Basin through a new farm-in agreement with EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. in which both companies will develop a portion of EnCana’s North Parachute Ranch property in western Colorado. Berry will fund the drilling of 90 natural gas wells on EnCana’s valley lands and will acquire 4,300 gross acres elsewhere in the North Parachute Ranch property with a working interest of 95% and a net revenue interest of 79%.

Marauder Resources East Coast Inc. has executed a farm-in agreement with Encana to participate in the drilling of an exploratory natural gas well, Dominion J-14, located in the Grand Pre Block, offshore Nova Scotia in the same area as the earlier successful Deep Panuke discoveries.

The American Public Gas Association, American Gas Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, Industrial Energy Consumers of America and numerous other organizations sent a letter Wednesday to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee urging it to move quickly on comprehensive energy legislation that includes provisions that would open up more domestic areas to natural gas drilling.

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) , a Wisconsin non-profitorganization dedicated to ensuring public representation forresidential, farm and small business utility customers, is thelatest entity to choose sides in the ongoing battle betweenCoastal’s ANR Pipeline and the Guardian Pipeline Project. Theconsumer “watchdog” organization voiced its support for Guardianpublicly yesterday, saying the project will provide gasdistribution competition to a state that sorely needs it.