The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) has requested a public forum with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on the agency’s plans regarding the Endangered Species Act (ESA) because members are concerned that new listings could harm domestic oil and natural gas exploration and production. In a letter to FWS Director Daniel Ashe, IPAA CEO Barry Russell said members understand that the agency is obligated to meet certain deadlines under a court-approved settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity and Wild Earth Guardians. However, there has been “little transparency afforded to the public on which species are coming up for review,” Russell said. “The pure depth and breadth of these settlement agreements could harm our membership and create uncertainty in the development of domestic oil and natural gas.” By 2016 FWS is required to complete a review of 250 candidate species for final listing on the ESA and is required to complete other actions on listings and critical habitat petitions of more than 1,000 species.
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WPX Takes 3Q Loss, But Bakken Oil and Marcellus Gas Booming
WPX Energy Inc. announced a net loss of $64 million for 3Q2012 on Thursday, but it also reported significant growth in oil production in the Bakken Shale and tripled natural gas production in the Marcellus.
Sanchez More Than Triples Year-Ago Production
Houston-based independent Sanchez Energy Corp. grew its production by more than 350% from a year ago as of the end of the third quarter, said the company, which has a 95,000 net acre position targeting the liquids-rich Eagle Ford Shale, Pearsall Shale, Austin Chalk and Buda Limestone.
Venoco: California’s Urban, Monterey Shale Player
Denver-based exploration and production (E&P) independent Venoco Inc. drew attention in a recent financial commentary citing the renewed oil/gas production in formerly depleted fields in and around Los Angeles as proof that E&P activity can coexist in heavily populated urban areas (see Daily GPI, July 8).
Obama Pushes Forward With ‘All of the Above’ Energy Plan
While President Obama pledged to support domestic oil and natural gas development, he said he “will not let oil companies write this country’s energy plan.”
Halcon Resources Picks Up Woodbine Acreage
Tomball, TX-based independent JBL Energy Partners and its partners completed the sale of an interest in 17,000 acres in Leon County, TX, within the Woodbine oil play to Halcon Resources. The sale included all oil, gas and mineral rights owned by JBL and its partners within the acreage position.
Report of New York Frack Approval After Labor Day ‘Premature’
In a report that aired Sunday, CBS News said New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will make an announcement sometime after Sept. 3 that high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) will be allowed to move forward in the state, ending a four-year wait and an effective moratorium on the practice.
People
Justin Furnace, president of the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO), is resigning Aug. 12 and the organization is seeking a replacement. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree and management experience, with solid working knowledge of the oil and natural gas business. An understanding of the Texas and U.S. legislative process will also be helpful. Interested parties should send a resume and cover letter to rvarela@tipro.org by Sept. 15. A search committee will contact finalists. For information, visit www.tipro.org. “This is a critical time for the oil and gas industry, and we feel confident we will find the right candidate to fill the position. In the meantime, we are very fortunate to have Rich Varela, senior vice president and a past TIPRO president, agree to serve as interim president of the association while we search for a new leader; therefore, we will not miss a beat during this transition period,” said TIPRO Chairman David Martineau.
People
Independent petroleum engineering consultant Bob King has been named the interim supervisor of the WyomingOil and Gas Conservation Commission (OGCC) as the state searches for a permanent replacement for Tom Doll, who resigned effective July 2 (see Shale Daily, June 18). King, who has worked in the state’s oil and gas industry for 30 years, served in a similar capacity on an interim basis in 2008-2009, according to Gov. Matt Mead. “The OGCC has a critical role, and Bob’s experience will provide necessary leadership as we begin the search for a permanent supervisor,” Mead said. State law requires the supervisor position to be filled by a petroleum engineer or petroleum geologist.
Industry Brief
Sempra Energy’s San Diego Gas and Electric Co. (SDG&E) and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) jointly released a positive outlook for summer energy supplies even with the continued outage of the 2,200 MW San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (Songs). Earlier in the spring there were concerns about strained natural gas supplies and other energy infrastructure due to the absence of Songs’ baseload power in Southern California (see Daily GPI, May 7). Besides bringing back in service two mothballed natural gas-fired generation units along the Southern California coast at Huntington Beach, SDG&E’s high-voltage Sunrise Powerlink transmission line is expected to be in service soon, as well as a 230kV transmission loop in southern Orange County, Barre-Del Amo and Barre-Ellis No. 2 lines. SDG&E and CAISO still characterized this summer as “challenging” from a power supply perspective, noting that if the region experiences a prolonged heat wave, calls for conservation will be inevitable. More than 283 MW of new generation capacity came online the second half of 2011, and CAISO expects another 923 MW to be added this year by July 1, but most of its if renewable-based wind and solar projects that are intermittent and require backup from gas-fired and hydroelectric sources.
