Going

Supporters and opponents of shale development in New York State will get their day in court on Thursday, when a state appellate court in Albany takes on two key cases that could ultimately decide how much power municipal governments may wield in regulating oil and natural gas activities.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the state Oil and Gas Commission does not have jurisdiction to hear an appeal of oil or gas well permits issued by the chief of the Division of Mineral Resources, a branch of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

The price of domestic natural gas isn’t going to increase significantly any time soon, said Royal Dutch Shell plc CEO Peter Voser, but that didn’t stop the company from having its best fourth quarter since 2006.

Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. this year plans to spend $500 million on drilling and completions, with the lion’s share going to the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. The Houston-based company said last week it would spend $385 million in the play, $70 million in the Marcellus Shale, $35 million in the Niobrara formation and $10 million for other drilling activity.

Is the next U.S. energy boom following shale going to evolve around oilsands? A Canadian producer is testing the viability of the unconventional oil based on its work to date in Utah.

Is the next U.S. energy boom following shale going to evolve around oilsands? A Canadian producer is testing the viability of the unconventional oil based on its work to date in Utah.

Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. plans to spend $500 million on drilling and completions this year, with the lion’s share going to the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas.

A final evaluation by Nebraska environmental officials is expected during early January regarding TransCanada Corp.’s alternative route for its proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline to avoid environmentally sensitive areas in the Sand Hills region of the state.

Regulators in Alaska are proposing a comprehensive set of rules to govern hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state, and will accept public comments on the proposals through early February, when a public hearing is also scheduled.