Initiatives

Biogas, including renewable natural gas (RNG), is primed for some strong growth over the next decade through a combination of societal initiatives for waste management, reducing greenhouse gases and shifting to more renewable sources of energy, according to a new report from Navigant Consulting’s Boulder, CO-based Pike Research.

A report by an economics professor at Ohio State University says shale gas development in eastern Ohio will generate jobs, but only a fraction of the total projected by the industry.

Scottish upstream operator Weir Group plc is extending its reach into North America’s unconventional natural gas and oil fields with a deal to acquire Houston-based Seaboard Holdings Inc. for $675 million.

Encana Corp. is hunkering down with a reduced spending plan for 2012 in dry natural gas plays and shifting more investments to liquids and oil-prone unconventionals in North America, CEO Randy Eresman said Wednesday.

Enbridge Energy Partners LP (EEP) plans to invest $175 million to expand its East Texas system to provide gathering, treating and transmission services for several major gas producers on the Texas side of the Haynesville Shale, the Houston-based partnership said Thursday.

Price volatility, regulatory initiatives and the pressure to use the most advanced extraction technologies command most of the oil and gas industry’s attention, but companies shouldn’t overlook the opportunities that exist for those companies that actively manage their cash and working capital, according to a report by Ernst & Young.

Price volatility, regulatory initiatives and the pressure to use the most advanced extraction technologies command most of the oil and gas industry’s attention, but companies shouldn’t overlook the opportunities that exist for those companies that actively manage their cash and working capital, according to a report by Ernst & Young.

In keeping with other statewide initiatives to move to smart meters and more customer-controlled energy programs, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Thursday unanimously increased the size limits for self-generation solar systems to 100% of historic annual use for the previous 12 months. Currently the limit is 100% of historic peak-demand use.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co. said Thursday its board of directors have approved a number of strategic initiatives, such as buying back company stock and selling deepwater Gulf of Mexico properties, to bolster shareholder value and returns.