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Another deepwater well in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) appears to be a success after the Phobos-1 prospect in the Lower Tertiary Trend encountered 250 feet net of “high-quality oil pay,” said Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

Crude oil production from the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas was up by 74% in February compared with a year ago, reaching an all-time high of 471,258 b/d from the nine fields that comprise the majority of the play, according preliminary data from the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC).

Facing the prospect of historically high levels of power generation retrofits and replacement, the multi-state Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) has identified the need for closer coordination with the region’s natural gas system, an executive told a recent House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell urged New Yorkers — and, by extension, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — to embrace high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in their state, adding that they have “the chance to play a major part in [the] revolution” of U.S. energy independence.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Friday announced the department’s final plan for encouraging research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of oil shale and tar sands resources on more than 800,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in three western states.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticized groups that support high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in the Empire State for focusing on “hallway chatter” and said he doesn’t think two bills calling for a two-year moratorium on the practice will pass the legislature.

Living up to preliminary estimates earlier in the year calling for a 50-year high (see Shale Daily, Jan. 25), Colorado oil/natural gas officials released statistics showing oil production was up 22% last year, soaring past the 40 million bbl mark for the first time in a half-century at 47.9 million bbl.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticized groups that support high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in the Empire State for focusing on “hallway chatter” and said he doesn’t think two bills calling for a two-year moratorium on the practice will pass the legislature.

Besides powering a manufacturing/petrochemical industry renaissance, North America’s abundant supply of shale gas is fueling a war of words over the merits of energy exports versus domestic usage.