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As it filed an appeal to a $16.8 million regulatory fine assessed last month, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) found itself Wednesday in the cross-hairs of a state legislator’s criticism and facing skeptical reactions from consumers and regulators alike regarding its $2.2 billion long-term plan to upgrade its natural gas pipeline system.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) reported to state regulators late Friday that it had found a safety violation in the utility natural gas distribution pipeline system in California’s Silicon Valley and corrected it last Wednesday. A regulator station that had been closed and isolated since 2002 was nevertheless still connected to the PG&E pipeline system in violation of state code. After obtaining permits from Santa Clara city and county officials, PG&E said it removed the deactivated equipment. The utility stressed that the situation had not posed any safety issue for the general public or utility employees, but the station piping should not have been left connected to the larger utility distribution pipeline system. PG&E told state regulators it will review its overall system to ensure that other deactivated regulator stations are properly disconnected from the gas system by Sept. 1.

BP plc, Halliburton Co. and Transocean Ltd. are appealing a series of notices issued by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) that found the companies violated federal offshore drilling regulations when the Macondo well blew out in April 2010.

The impact of Marcellus Shale drilling on air quality is shaping up to be a major issue this year.

A major U.S. microturbine maker has found a new niche market for its onsite combined heat-and-power generating systems. Los Angeles-based Capstone Turbine Corp. is finding rapid growth for its products in the oil and gas patch.

Generally, conditions are not as cold as they will get later in the week, but prices found enough demand for heating purposes to record gains at a sizeable majority of points Monday. The restoration of industrial load following its usual weekend dip was an additional, albeit minor, price booster. Mixed price moves were dominated by flat to about 30 cents higher numbers, with all of the double-digit gains confined to the Rockies and Northeast.

For the second consecutive quarter three of the top five natural gas marketers reported sales volume declines compared with the year-ago period, and 24 leading companies had total sales transactions of 127.06 Bcf/d in 3Q2011, an 8.54 Bcf/d (6%) decrease from the 135.60 Bcf/d they transacted in 3Q2010, according to NGI’s 3Q2011 Top North American Gas Marketers Ranking.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is asking natural gas companies to provide information about air emissions from their facilities in the state.

For the second consecutive quarter three of the top five natural gas marketers reported sales volume declines compared with the year-ago period, and 24 leading companies had total sales transactions of 127.06 Bcf/d in 3Q2011, an 8.54 Bcf/d (6%) decrease from the 135.60 Bcf/d they transacted in 3Q2010, according to NGI’s 3Q2011 Top North American Gas Marketers Ranking.