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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Wednesday announced an anticipated publication schedule for reports that were delayed by the recent federal government shutdown.

Wunderlich Securities is holding steady on its forecast for U.S. natural gas prices, but other analysts aren’t quite as optimistic about what’s ahead through the end of this year and into 2014.

Seneca Resources Corp. credited the Marcellus Shale for “tremendous growth” during the fiscal fourth quarter, with production and reserves posting big gains — reserves to a record high — and a successful drilling program in Pennsylvania allowing it to raise production guidance for 2014.

Wednesday physical natural gas trading for Thursday delivery saw widespread weakness of a few pennies at most spots around the country offset by significant strength in California and New England, where colder temperatures were beginning to set in.

Newport Beach, CA-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp., one of the nation’s largest providers of natural gas transportation fuels and fueling infrastructure, said Monday it has formed a strategic alliance with the transportation finance unit of General Electric Corp. (GE) aimed at heavy duty trucking fleets.

An additional $250 million could become available for Texas highways impacted by energy sector traffic in counties that are seeing heavy energy development, such as Atascosa, Duval, Guadalupe, Karnes, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Wilson and Webb. At a recent hearing of the Texas Senate Select Committee on Transportation Funding, State Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) directed the Texas Department of Transportation to request the funding for 70 projects that had not been funded in a recent appropriations bill. On Oct. 9, the agency made the request to the Legislative Budget Board, which must approve it. The $250 million is in addition to $225 million for 39 energy sector-impacted state highway projects that the Texas Legislature approved during the 83rd legislative session (see Shale Daily, May 30).

Physical natural gas for Tuesday delivery advanced overall on average 13 cents in Monday’s trading. Midwest locations were especially strong as pipelines reported constraints and eastern points jumped with weather forecasts calling for below normal temperatures by midweek.

As an outgrowth of the North American shale revolution, natural gas increasingly will capture a bigger piece of global energy demand with a denser network offering greater flexibility and improved economics, according to a white paper released Friday by General Electric Corp. (GE).

Oklahoma City-based Chaparral Energy Inc. is doubling its position in the Marmaton Play in the Texas Panhandle and divesting noncore assets in the Ark-La-Tex region and Permian Basin as it transitions to a pure-play Midcontinent company in anticipation of an initial public offering (IPO) late next year.