Favorable

FERC Monday issued a favorable environmental assessment (EA) of Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s Northeast Upgrade Project, which when combined with the 300 Line expansion that recently went into service, will add 1 Bcf/d of capacity to transport gas from the Marcellus Shale basin to Northeast markets.

Both the regulatory and commercial processes are on track for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline linking western Canadian and U.S. Upper Midwest supply sources to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) region, TransCanada CEO Russ Girling told financial analysts Tuesday on a conference call. Under questioning, however, he admitted delays could sour current support the line enjoys from major shippers and refiners on both sides of the international border.

Range Resources Corp. CEO John Pinkerton said he believes 2012 will be “a breakout year” for the company as it ramps up production in the Marcellus Shale and develops assets in other plays to replace those in the Barnett Shale that were sold in April.

FERC issued a favorable draft environmental review of Spectra Energy’s proposal to expand the systems of its affiliate Texas Eastern Transmission and Algonquin Gas Transmission pipelines through parts of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

FERC has issued a favorable environmental assessment of National Fuel Gas Supply Corp.’s Northern Access Project and Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s 230C Project, both of which would provide for the bidirectional flow of 320,000 Dth/d of Marcellus Shale gas to the system of TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. at Niagara, NY.

A Republican-led House Energy and Commerce subcommittee last Wednesday voted out by voice vote legislation that is favorable to existing natural gas pipelines, distribution lines and offshore gathering facilities. Meanwhile, the fallout from last September’s San Bruno, CA, gas pipeline explosion continued to roil stakeholders in California.

A Republican-led House Energy and Commerce subcommittee Wednesday voted out by voice vote legislation that is favorable to existing natural gas pipelines, distribution lines and offshore gathering facilities.

The City Council of Auburn, NY, voted Thursday to stop accepting wastewater generated from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) at natural gas wells, ending more than a decade of the practice and eliminating a major source of revenue for the city.

FERC Thursday issued favorable environmental assessments of Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s and Dominion Transmission Inc.’s proposed system expansions to deliver Marcellus Shale gas to growing markets in New York and New England.