February

A return to robust natural gas production growth from the Other States category — home to several shale-rich states — wasn’t enough to keep the U.S. production total from decreasing to 85.02 Bcf/d in February, down 0.18 Bcf/d compared with 85.20 Bcf/d in January, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

An index of oil and natural gas upstream activity in Texas reached a new high for February with increasing production — for oil the highest since 1980 — higher commodity prices at the wellhead following along with a booming workforce.

Mostly harsh winter weather was attributed to North Dakota’s oil and natural gas production remaining depressed in February, the most recent month for which the state has complete statistics, the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) Oil/Gas Division reported Friday. Final data from March and April likely will show a turnaround, DMR Director Lynn Helms said.

Officials in two Pennsylvania counties with significant oil and gas drilling that targets the Marcellus Shale say they support plans by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct baseline testing at private water wells in their counties next year.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett fired Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Richard Allan on Thursday after he reportedly used offensive language in email messages, disparaging another government employee.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. transferred nearly 1,100 oil and natural gas leases in and around an underground natural gas storage field in Columbiana County, OH, to Hilcorp Energy Co. in February.

A fire in February that killed one person and destroyed a city block in Kansas City, MO, was caused by the “accidental ignition of natural gas vapors that accumulated” inside a restaurant, according to a report by the Kansas City Fire Department. Pilot lights had been left on at JJ’s restaurant despite warnings from crews investigating a nearby gas line rupture, and the fire began in the kitchen with “heat from an open flame or smoking materials” listed as the heat source (see Daily GPI, Feb. 22). However, the report did not assign blame as to what caused the Missouri Gas Energy pipeline to explode. The report was compiled by the city, the city fire department, the police department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Missouri Public Service Commission and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are conducting separate investigations.

Natural gas production in the Lower 48, boosted by output from shale plays, was up to 72.70 Bcf/d in December, almost 1% (0.62 Bcf/d) over December 2011, but down 1.1% (0.83 Bcf/d) compared with November, according to the most recent data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Howard Midstream Energy Partners LLC (HEP) will construct a cryogenic natural gas plant capable of processing 200 MMcf/d in the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale in Webb County, TX, the San Antonio, TX-based company said Wednesday.