Forcing

The federal government’s budget sequestration has hit the Energy Information Administration (EIA), forcing the agency to suspend publication of its Annual Energy Review (AER) and its companion publication, Energy Perspectives. The publications, which were to have come out later this year, were to have included data compiled during 2012.

The federal government’s budget sequestration has hit the Energy Information Administration (EIA), forcing the agency to suspend publication of its Annual Energy Review (AER) and its companion publication, Energy Perspectives. The publications, which were to be released later this year, were to have included data compiled during 2012. EIA said it will expand its Monthly Energy Review (MER) to incorporate annual data as far back as 1949 for data series from about 70 key tables currently included in AER and MER. The expanded monthly publication will combine historical data usually published in the AER with up-to-date data from the MER. The announcement comes just weeks after EIA said it hoped to expand its monthly 914 survey to include individual reports on 14 states (see NGI, April 8). EIA’s ability to expand its reporting of gas production would hinge on several factors, including the federal government’s budget sequestration, Barbara Mariner-Volpe of EIA’s Office of Energy Statistics said at the time.

The federal government’s budget sequestration has hit the Energy Information Administration (EIA), forcing the agency to suspend publication of its Annual Energy Review (AER) and its companion publication, Energy Perspectives. The publications, which were to have come out later this year, were to have included data compiled during 2012.

A 24-inch diameter natural gas pipeline operated by Williams Partners Ltd. in Marshall County, WV, ruptured early Friday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of homes and businesses in the Reid Ridge area, said Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Cecil.

An environmental group is challenging how Pennsylvania combines air emissions from interconnected Marcellus Shale infrastructure for regulatory purposes.

National Fuel Gas Co. (NFG) said low natural gas prices were forcing its Seneca Resources Corp. subsidiary to scale back capital expenditures (capex) on exploration and production (E&P) for fiscal 2012, which includes dropping two of its six drilling rigs in the Marcellus Shale.

Robust output from the nation’s shale plays and relatively mild winter weather again are forcing energy analysts to trim their natural gas price forecasts. Bentek Energy LLC last week said it expects the market to set a new price floor of $1.94/Mcf this September.

Language included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) relating to the use of diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) “is extremely unclear and is open to interpretation,” making it unclear if the use of diesel fuel in fracking operations would be a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), according to a Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) spokesman.

New restrictions on power plant emissions on the horizon will have a significant impact on the nation’s coal-fired power generating fleet, forcing many gigawatts of capacity into retirement, RRI Energy Inc. CEO Mark Jacobs told financial analysts Friday. And that could yield a significant boost to natural gas demand from the power sector.