Final

Peregrine Keystone Gas Pipeline LLC has abandoned its plans for a gathering system in the Marcellus Shale of southwest Pennsylvania, the final chapter in the efforts of three companies that had sought public utility status for projects in the state.

Relatively warm weather during winter’s final months and a halting economic upturn continued to keep a lid on natural gas sales during the first quarter of 2012, according to NGI’s 1Q2012 Top North American Gas Marketers Ranking, which found a majority of companies reporting sales declining or flat compared with 1Q2011.

After a long discussion but no final vote by California regulators Thursday it was clear that there is a split over whether the state needs additional underground natural gas storage, and whether it is too risky to site storage in a depleted gas field in a populated area, given the lessons emerging from the San Bruno pipeline explosion nearly two years ago.

Officials in the Town — not the City — of Rochester, NY, are considering a ban on natural gas extraction.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are close to issuing a final rule further defining the terms “swap” and “securities-based swap,” which would trigger a rule establishing limits on speculative positions in the futures and swaps markets, the CFTC chief told Senate members last week.

The head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) told Congress Tuesday that it and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are close to issuing a final rule further defining the terms “swap” and “securities-based swap,” which would trigger a rule establishing limits on speculative positions in the futures and swaps markets.

In the final lease sale under the existing five-year Outer Continental Shelf plan, to be held on June 20, the Interior Department will make available to producers all unleased areas in the Central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Planning Area offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including 7,276 blocks on about 38.6 million acres.

In what will be the final lease sale under the existing five-year Outer Continental Shelf plan, Interior Department last Thursday said it would make available to producers in June all unleased areas in the Central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Planning Area offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including 7,276 blocks on about 38.6 million acres.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said last week a fourth and final round of testing indicates that water from 12 private wells in Dimock Township, PA is safe to drink, and it found no evidence of contamination from natural gas drilling.