Increase

BHP Billiton Ltd. on Wednesday detailed a sweeping plan to accelerate some U.S. activity onshore and offshore, highlighting plans to raise more natural gas rigs in the Haynesville Shale, swap land in the Permian Basin, complete more wells in the Eagle Ford Shale and sell off the Fayetteville Shale portfolio.

Marketed natural gas production increased from two shale-heavy states in 2016, but that was overshadowed by a 2.5 Bcf/d decline in Texas, resulting in an overall national decline compared with 2015, the first annual decline in more than a decade, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

On a 2-1 vote, the state of Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) on Monday rejected a request by Spokane-based Avista Utilities to have its natural gas and electric rate case decisions from December reconsidered. UTC Chairman David Danner and Commissioner Ann Rendahl voted not to reconsider or rehear the 2016 rate case decision, while Commissioner Phil Jones, who filed a dissent in the original 2-1 decision, did so again on Monday. Avista’s petition for a rehearing was opposed by UTC staff, the public counsel unit of the state Attorney General’s Office, the Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities, and the Northwest Industrial Gas Users. The combination utility had requested a two-phase increase of $4.4 million (5%) for natural gas rates the first 12 months and an additional $900,000 annual increase (1.8%) after 18 months; electric rates were pegged for a $38.6 million (7.8%) increase at first with an added $10.3 million (3.9%) after 18 months. The two commissioners in the majority decided that Avista failed to show that its current rates are not sufficient to meet its operating needs. Avista has 30 days to petition for judicial review in a state Superior Court.

As state budget hearings kicked-off on Tuesday, calls to increase the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) general fund appropriations were again voiced, this time by the agency’s Citizens Advisory Council.

FERC issued certifications for 18.2 Bcf/d of natural gas pipeline capacity in 2016, a 15.4% increase from 2015 (15.7 Bcf/d), but the amount of capacity that entered service dropped slightly during that timeframe, according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

A cold weather system that was sweeping across much of the United States helped launch February natural gas forwards markets up an average of 10 cents between Jan. 20 and 26, according to NGI’s Forward Look.

The weekly rig count tallied by Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI) once again packed a Permian punch on Friday as 13 rigs returned to the oil-rich West Texas and New Mexico play.

The U.S. natural gas rig count has been climbing and at 142 is well past its year-ago level of 127. But the oil-rich Permian Basin casts a long shadow and once again has put gas-directed drilling increases in the shade.

Westbound volumes on the Rockies Express Pipeline LLC (REX) increased about 200 MMcf/d this week, according to NGI’s REX Zone 3 Tracker.