Followed

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) last Thursday amended permits for two Marcellus Shale gas wells being erected in Morgantown to include closed-loop drilling systems, but it has no plans at this time to make the systems a statewide requirement.

With a 16% worldwide market share, Russia’s Gazprom remains the “undisputed leader” of global natural gas producers, followed by ExxonMobil Corp., with a 4% share, according to a new report by Societe Generale (SG).

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman plans to sue the federal government if it does not commit within 30 days to conduct a full environmental review of regulations proposed by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) that would allow natural gas development projects — with conditions — in affected areas of the Marcellus Shale.

Active rigs in U.S. shale and tight sands basins gained 1% in the week ending April 1 to hit 981 rigs, up from 972 the previous week, according to NGI’s Shale Daily Unconventional Rig Count.

Unable to ignore the 22-cent hike in April natural gas futures values on Thursday, cash point averages across the country followed suit on Friday with upticks mostly between a dime and 20 cents.

Continuing the week’s cycle of seesaw trading that saw virtually across-the-board higher prices Monday followed by a reversal lower on Tuesday, nearly the entire natural gas cash market Wednesday for Thursday delivery showed upticks.

An air quality study conducted near Marcellus Shale natural gas operations in northeastern Pennsylvania during four separate weeks last year found no emission levels that would constitute a concern to the health of residents living nearby, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said Monday.

Untapped unconventional gas plays still exist in pockets across North America, but domestic producers are branching out to test prospects in Europe, the Asian Pacific area, Africa and elsewhere to stake their claims in the next big shale plays.

A five-week air quality study found no air contaminant emission levels indicating problems for residents living near Marcellus Shale natural gas operations in southwestern Pennsylvania’s Greene and Washington counties, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said Monday.