Government

The Obama administration’s proposal to allow limited offshore natural gas and oil drilling in the Mid- and South Atlantic area, now under fire by some coastal communities and legislators, is facing more scrutiny after a study challenged industry claims that drilling would be a boon to the region.

The Obama administration joined a coalition of environmental groups in filing an appeal over a federal judge’s ruling in September to block rules governing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on public and tribal lands from taking effect.

The former government revenue star in Canada’s chief producing jurisdiction — the Alberta natural gas royalty — is all but vanishing as prices stay down on glutted North American markets.

The UK government Thursday announced plans to “fast-track” applications to develop shale natural gas resources while ensuring that locals “have a strong say over the development of shale exploration in their area.” The move comes after a local government recently scotched test well plans of Cuadrilla Resources Ltd.

Liberal governments in charge of two Canadian provinces are taking two different paths on the issue of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), with New Brunswick announcing it would continue a moratorium against the practice for at least another year and Ontario declining to enact a similar ban.

Natural gas showed unexpected strength and warded off the worst early effects of the blow that falling oil prices dealt to the government of Alberta — Canada’s chief producing jurisdiction.

Democrat Tom Wolf, who was sworn-in as Pennsylvania’s 47th governor on Tuesday, said his administration would be focused on “jobs that pay, schools that teach and government that works.”

A $1.1 trillion omnibus spending plan that would fund the federal government through the middle of 2015 — which was approved by the House late Thursday and expected to be approved by the Senate Saturday — includes a provision revising a key portion of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Utah’s Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said during remarks at last week’s Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) conference that he’s asked the organization to pass a resolution urging the federal government to delegate primacy to the states for regulating oil and gas operations on federal land.