July

Commodity Futures Trading Commissioner Jill Sommers, one of two Republicans at the agency, said she will leave on Monday (July 8), one and a half years before her term is due to end in October 2014. Her resignation does not come as a surprise as she informed President Obama in January that she planned to leave (see NGI, Jan. 28). Asked where she intended to go after the CFTC, Sommers told NGI, “I don’t know. I have not started looking for my next opportunity yet.” Before leaving the agency, she pledged to carry out the investigation into MF Global Holdings Ltd. and former CEO Jon Corzine, a former U.S. senator and New Jersey governor; and an assistant treasurer for illegal use of customer money. The CFTC recently filed a proposed order against MF Global and Corzine, which is the subject of review by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Because CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler had ties to MF Global and Corzine, Sommers was picked to lead the investigation into the company’s collapse, which took with it an estimated $1.2 billion in customer funds (see NGI, Nov. 14, 2011). Sommers has been on the Commission as it worked on Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. She was first sworn in as Commissioner in August 2007 for a term that expired in April 2009 then renominated by Obama to serve a second term. Some CFTC observers consider Christopher Giancarlo, executive vice president of the brokerage firm GFI Group Inc., a likely candidate to replace Sommers. “It’s not a fact, so we’re not going to comment,” said a GFI spokeswoman of the rumors, which she said had been circulating for a few weeks. Giancarlo is no stranger to Capitol Hill. He has testified several times about the challenges of implementing Dodd-Frank.

As part of President Obama’s climate action plan (see NGI, July 1), the Department of Energy (DOE) last Tuesday announced a draft $8 billion loan guarantee solicitation to develop advanced technologies aimed at avoiding and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels.

Commodity Futures Trading Commissioner Jill Sommers, one of two Republicans at the agency, said she will leave on Monday (July 8), one and a half years before her term is due to end in October 2014. Her resignation does not come as a surprise as she informed President Obama in January that she planned to leave (see NGI, Jan. 28). Asked where she intended to go after the CFTC, Sommers told NGI, “I don’t know. I have not started looking for my next opportunity yet.” Before leaving the agency, she pledged to carry out the investigation into MF Global Holdings Ltd. and former CEO Jon Corzine, a former U.S. senator and New Jersey governor; and an assistant treasurer for illegal use of customer money. The CFTC recently filed a proposed order against MF Global and Corzine, which is the subject of review by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Because CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler had ties to MF Global and Corzine, Sommers was picked to lead the investigation into the company’s collapse, which took with it an estimated $1.2 billion in customer funds (see NGI, Nov. 14, 2011). Sommers has been on the Commission as it worked on Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. She was first sworn in as Commissioner in August 2007 for a term that expired in April 2009 then renominated by Obama to serve a second term. Some CFTC observers consider Christopher Giancarlo, executive vice president of the brokerage firm GFI Group Inc., a likely candidate to replace Sommers. “It’s not a fact, so we’re not going to comment,” said a GFI spokeswoman of the rumors, which she said had been circulating for a few weeks. Giancarlo is no stranger to Capitol Hill. He has testified several times about the challenges of implementing Dodd-Frank.

Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) said Monday it will demolish its 1,205 MW oil-fired Port Everglades Power Plant in Port Everglades, FL, on July 16 to make room for a new facility to be fueled by U.S. natural gas. The company called the move one more step toward its goal of energy independence.

GreenHunter Water LLC has begun to process complex oilfield waste streams at its bulk storage and barge transloading terminal in New Matamoras, OH, the GreenHunter Resources Inc. subsidiary said Friday.

Eddie LeBlanc will take over as CFO and executive vice president at SandRidge Energy Inc. on July 8, the operator said. LeBlanc formerly was CFO at East Resources Inc. from 2010 until 2013. Before that, he also served as CFO at PostRock Energy Corp. (2009-2010), Ascent Energy Co. (2003-2007), Range Resources Corp. (2000-2003), and Coho Energy Inc. (1995-1999). He has a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is a certified public accountant and chartered financial analyst. LeBlanc is moving into the office formerly occupied by James D. Bennett, who recently was named CEO (see Daily GPI, June 20). Bennett began as SandRidge’s CFO in January 2011 and he was named president in March.

Kirkpatrick Oil & Gas LLC has hired E-Spectrum Advisors LLC to sell its nonoperated, horizontal Eagle Ford and Pearsall shale properties in La Salle and Frio counties, TX. Kirkpatrick’s ownership includes 41 producing wells, operated by Cheyenne Petroleum Co., making approximately 6,000 gross/135 net boe/d, and nine wells in various stages of drilling and completion. In addition, nine locations are permitted for drilling. Kirkpatrick holds an approximate 3% working interest and the typical lease delivers a 77% net revenue interest. The properties hold 11,281 gross/338 net acres of leasehold. Reserves include net proved reserves of 1.18 MMboe (88% oil/liquids). Offers are due by July 30.

Enterprise Products Partners LP is holding a binding open season from June 5 through July 11 for capacity to transport propane to Mont Belvieu, TX, on the Appalachia-to-Texas (ATEX) pipeline. The ATEX pipeline has long-term contracts in place for ethane transportation to Mont Belvieu. The addition of propane service will not impact Enterprise’s obligations to ethane shippers. To accommodate propane shipments, Enterprise would loop a portion of ATEX, add pumping capacity and install additional facilities for the delivery of specification ethane and propane at destination points. “Transporting propane to Mont Belvieu, the largest, most liquid trading and storage hub, will provide northeast producers with a reliable outlet for their excess propane and help maximize the value of their production,” said Michael Creel, CEO of Enterprise’s general partner. For information, contact Russ Kovin at (713) 381-7925, or rkovin@eprod.com.

Energy & Exploration Partners Inc. (E&E) on Monday acquired 57,275 net acres and 11 producing wells in the East Texas Eaglebine formation from a subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy Corp.