Issue

Northeast Natural Energy (NNE) has filed suit in circuit court against the City of Morgantown, WV, to prevent the city from enforcing its new ordinance banning hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Legislation that would open leasing on all property owned by the state government — including state parks — to oil and gas companies is advancing through the Ohio General Assembly and is expected to pass.

House Republicans fought back a Democratic drive last Thursday to repeal a major tax break for oil and natural gas producers. The issue now moves to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain.

A shortage of onshore drilling equipment capable of blasting into shale is contributing to double-digit inflation in some of the big U.S. unconventional plays, an issue expected to be played out over the coming weeks as North American exploration and production (E&P) companies unveil earnings for the first three months of 2011.

A shortage of onshore drilling equipment capable of blasting into shale is contributing to double-digit inflation in some of the big U.S. unconventional plays, an issue expected to be played out over the coming weeks as North American exploration and production (E&P) companies unveil earnings for the first three months of 2011.

Pipeline flows recorded by Bentek Energy LLC show that Louisiana’s Haynesville Shale region has surpassed the Fort Worth Basin/Barnett Shale region of North Texas in natural gas output. The two shale plays themselves are neck and neck in output. While it’s too soon to call a new Lower 48 shale king, all signs are that the Barnett will soon bow to the Haynesville.

Demand exceeding capacity has resulted in a linepack loss downstream of Stations 245 and 321, Tennessee said, prompting it to issue Critical Day 1 OFOs for all LMS-PA Balancing Parities in Zones 5 and 6 effective Sunday. The OFOs will be in addition to Action Alerts implemented Friday in those zones along with one in Zone 4, Tennessee said.

Public support for a state-imposed tax on natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale region remains solid, according to the results of a survey of 800 registered voters conducted between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2.

Due to cold weather in its service area, MRT said it will issue a System Protection Warning (SPW) for northbound flows effective Friday until further notice; see the bulletin board for SPW conditions.