Increasingly

Even with the increasingly brighter domestic gas supply picture, the growth of the natural gas vehicle (NGV) market still faces daunting market and regulatory barriers, according to a panel discussion last Thursday sponsored by the National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI). Speakers concentrated on what state regulators “should know and ask.”

Natural gas industry stakeholders are turning up the volume on the clean transportation market as an increasingly realistic outlet for the gusher of gas that is emerging from North America’s burgeoning shale plays. This was made clear during the recent winter meetings of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in Washington, DC.

Natural Gas producers may be able to upload their data on fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in a day or two to www.hydraulicfracturingdisclosure.org, provided that they have created a login, said Mike Nickolaus, special projects director for the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC).

Marathon Oil Corp. is dipping its toes into the liquids-rich Eagle Ford Shale play in South Texas through a deal with Houston-based Denali Oil & Gas, the company said Monday.

Prices rose again at nearly all points Thursday, but it seemed increasingly likely that the current week will not run the table with firming numbers. Several flat to a couple of cents lower locations broke the preceding string of flat to higher quotes across the board; except in the Northeast, Thursday’s gains were considerably smaller than those preceding them; and — again except in the Northeast — modest warming trends were returning several areas to fall-like conditions after a temporary touch of winter.

The consensus forecast for the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season is pointing increasingly towards an unusually active season, with Andover, MA-based WSI Corp. now calling for 18 named storms, including 10 hurricanes, five of them intense (Category Three or greater). The hurricane season, which officially begins Tuesday (June 1), will be “hyperactive” with a magnified threat to the Northeast United States, the forecaster said.

FERC Tuesday issued a favorable environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed ETC Tiger Pipeline that would provide takeaway capacity from the increasingly constrained Carthage Hub in East Texas and the Haynesville Shale play to markets in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast.

FERC Tuesday issued a favorable environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed ETC Tiger Pipeline that would provide takeaway capacity from the increasingly constrained Carthage Hub in East Texas and the Haynesville Shale play to markets in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast.

Natural gas is an increasingly important part of Chevron Corp.’s business, and the company plans to make considerable and sustained investments — even during recessions — to ensure its worldwide projects’ success, a company executive said last week.