Improvement

With an average production rate of almost 10 MMcf/d in the first quarter, a discovery well in the Piceance Basin may produce in the first few months what a typical well in the Niobrara formation has done over 25 to 30 years, WPX energy CEO Ralph Hill said Thursday.

During the third quarter, Southwestern Energy Co. grew natural gas and oil production by 12% from a year ago. Costs associated with its Fayetteville Shale activities declined while well results there improved. Marcellus Shale production more than doubled from a year ago, and the company continues to find its way in the emerging Brown Dense play.

Flaws in a study of potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on drinking water supplies being conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must be addressed in order for the agency’s final report to be credible, according to a review of the study released Tuesday by the Battelle Memorial Institute.

The U.S. government and private energy analysts appear to have come to a foregone conclusion that the domestic natural gas drilling rig count will take a dive in 2013, but if any are “blindly assuming” that the U.S. oil rig count will “continue to move up and to the right,” they may be wrong, said the team at Raymond James & Associates Inc.

What a difference a year makes. When President Obama directed Energy Secretary Steven Chu last March to establish a subcommittee to assess the environmental impacts of shale gas drilling, industry interpreted this as bad news. But Tuesday members of the subcommittee touted the industry and criticized detractors of both hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and shale gas development.

A recent audit of pipeline safety oversight by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) found “comprehensive and detailed” inspection procedures but also room for improvement. In response, RRC said it has already been working to address areas of concern raised by the audit.

A recent audit of pipeline safety oversight by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) found “comprehensive and detailed” inspection procedures but also room for improvement. In response, RRC said it has already been working to address areas of concern raised by the audit.

While environmentalists and some citizens are opposed to the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to develop shale natural gas, experts — one of whom has studied fracking for more than 41 years — told a Senate committee the practice does not negatively impact drinking water or the environment.

Shale gas prospects in British Columbia (BC) appear to be the sole “bright spot” on a darkening natural gas landscape projecting a continuing decline in Canada’s overall gas production in the years ahead, according to a report recently released by the Conference Board of Canada.