Involvement

An emergency order that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued against Range Resources Corp. late last year for alleged contamination of water wells in North Texas was allowed to stand by a federal judge in Dallas pending the outcome of an appeals court case in New Orleans in which Range is seeking dismissal of the EPA order. A stay was issued in the Dallas federal court case, and the judge there also declined to impose fines on Range that had been sought by EPA. Earlier this year Range was cleared of fouling the water wells by the Railroad Commission of Texas, which had objected to EPA’s involvement in the case (see Shale Daily, March 23).

Calling it a fresh look, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced Wednesday a new multi-state environmental impact review on oil shale and tar sand plans in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. This could eventually impact the allocation of shale and tar sands resources.

Adding the condition that there be more public involvement in its implementation, Idaho regulators have approved a five-year integrated resource plan (IRP) for Boise, ID-based Intermountain Gas Corp. based on a forecast 1.75% annual increase in peak demand.

BP plc’s positive earnings in the first three months of 2010 were smothered last week by the company’s involvement in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil spill, which threatens to cut into the oil major’s future operational performance for months to come and diminish its reputation for even longer.

A 68-year-old man arrested last week in Alberta on suspicion of involvement with bombings of EnCana Corp. natural gas facilities in the Dawson Creek area of British Columbia (BC) during 2008 and 2009 was released Saturday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said.

NiSource Inc. Vice Chairman Stephen P. Adik announced Monday morning that he will retire Dec. 31, 2003. ending his direct involvement with the company and its predecessor after 16 years of service. “Although we respect Steve’s decision to retire,” said Gary L. Neale, CEO of NiSource, “we will miss his integrity, dedication, leadership, strategic insight and knowledge of the business. In the past 16 years, as a senior member of the management team at NiSource, Steve has played a key role in the growth and diversification of NiSource into a major regional gas and electric company. Adik has agreed to remain a member of the company’s board of directors. Adik, 60, joined NiSource predecessor Northern Indiana Public Service Co. in 1987 as vice president and general manager of the corporate support group. Prior to becoming vice chairman, he was senior executive vice president and CFO.

While a breakthrough in aboriginal relations is about to dismantle a long-standing political obstacle against natural gas production and pipeline development in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government and the industry stand warned that the problem of accessing native territory and rights could escalate.

While a breakthrough in aboriginal relations is about to dismantle a long-standing political obstacle to natural gas production and pipeline development in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government and the industry stand warned that the problem of accessing native territory and rights could escalate.

A special committee of directors that has been probing the extent of CMS Energy Corp.’s involvement in questionable round-trip energy trading activity is expected to disclose its findings to the company’s full board of directors on Oct. 31, said CFO Thomas J. Webb last Tuesday. The company’s outside auditor, Ernst and Young, will review the work of the special committee and its corporate financial re-audit in November, and will report the results to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probably in December.