Governor

Responding to protests from the governor and environmental groups, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office in Wyoming pulled 13 of the 229 parcels that had been scheduled for auction last Tuesday. The 13 parcels encompass about 28,500 acres in the Upper North Platte Valley near Encampment and Saratoga, WY.

Responding to protests from the governor and environmental groups, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office in Wyoming pulled 13 of the 229 parcels scheduled to be auctioned Tuesday. The 13 parcels encompass about 28,500 acres in the Upper North Platte Valley near Encampment and Saratoga, WY.

In outlining Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s priorities for the country in the coming year, Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean, in a wide-ranging speech, allowed that Kyoto Protocol emission reduction deadlines will be missed, and that Canada has every intention of defending its northern shores — and the mineral rights contained just off of them — from foreign interests.

In outlining Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s priorities for the country in the coming year, Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean, in a wide-ranging speech, allowed that Kyoto Protocol emission reduction deadlines will be missed, and that Canada has every intention of defending its northern shores — and the mineral rights contained just off of them — from foreign interests.

The Connecticut governor was operating with some bad data when she issued a press release Thursday accusing the natural gas industry of attempting to drive up prices by cutting off production needed to fill storage. Gov. M. Jodi Rell based her price manipulation accusation on the proposition that the natural gas storage for winter is lagging, when in fact it is nearly full, topping out above 3 Tcf in the last few weeks — a month and a half before the official start of the winter season.

The Connecticut governor was operating with some bad data when she issued a press release Thursday accusing the natural gas industry of attempting to drive up prices by cutting off production needed to fill storage. Gov. M. Jodi Rell based her price manipulation accusation on the proposition that the natural gas storage for winter is lagging, when in fact it is nearly full, topping out above 3 Tcf in the last few weeks — a month and a half before the official start of the winter season.

Oil and natural gas producers and drilling contractors were processing good and bad news as they continued evacuations and production shut-ins over the weekend ahead of Hurricane Dean’s arrival in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). While the Category 4 hurricane was threatening to strengthen to Category 5 strength (155 mph-plus winds), a Bermuda high-pressure system was working to keep Dean on a mostly western track into Mexico, likely sparing most U.S. Gulf infrastructure and the Texas coast from direct hits.

While Montana’s Public Service Commission (PSC) turned down its $2.2 billion bid for NorthWestern Energy (see Daily GPI, May 24) and the state’s governor later told it to get out of town, Australia’s Babcock & Brown Infrastructure (BBI) is going back to the PSC with a revised offer for South Dakota-based gas and electric utility NorthWestern, the companies said Monday.

Kenneth D. Schisler, who as chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) has been increasingly at odds with the General Assembly and new governor, resigned last week. Schisler’s resignation followed the resignation of Patricia A. Smith, Maryland’s top advocate for utility customers, who left her post in mid-January.