Land

Howell Petroleum Corp. on Friday received final approval from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to begin construction on a 16-inch, 125-mile carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline across central Wyoming. BLM’s approval followed completion of an environmental assessment and acceptance of the Anadarko Petroleum Corp. subsidiary’s plan of development.

A Waltham, MA-based company whose technology for detecting land mines is being used in Iraq and Afghanistan has adapted the technology for commercial use to pinpoint the location of both metal and plastic underground natural gas pipelines in an effort to cut down on the incidents of third-party damage, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

Denver-based St. Mary Land & Exploration Co., which controls approximately 16,400 acres (10,803 net) of leasehold in Uinta Basin of Utah, said it is completing its Ute Tribal KMV #1 in the its Duchsne Deep Prospect there. The independent is responsible for 100% of the well costs through the completion of the well and will own a 77.5% working interest thereafter. Testing of the lower Mesaverde Blackhawk and Castlegate intervals already has been completed, the company said. To date, two intervals in the lowermost Blackhawk interval between 15,300 feet and 15,900 feet have been tested, and two additional intervals were tested in the Castlegate interval between 14,400 feet and 15,250 feet. However, St. Mary noted that the zones tested have flowed natural gas and water at “sub-commercial rates.” The Blackhawk and Castlegate intervals were secondary targets in the test, “but the failure to establish commercial production is a disappointment.” Testing of the primary Mesaverde section between 11,700 feet and 14,380 feet is expected to take 60 to 90 days, and will involve multiple sand intervals and multiple fracture stimulations. The company also announced that COO Ron Boone will retire at the end of the year. He will be replaced by Doug York, who has been with St. Mary for seven years, most recently as manager of engineering and acquisitions.

Echoing one another before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, representatives from production, pipeline and utility companies, as well the Energy Information Administration (EIA), agreed that the current high natural gas prices are a sign that the market is actually working — not broken as some suggest.

Echoing one another on Tuesday before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, representatives from production, pipeline and utility companies, as well the Energy Information Administration (EIA), agreed that the current high natural gas prices are a sign that the market is actually working — not broken as some suggest.

Calgary-based Canadian Superior Energy, one of the largest land holders offshore Nova Scotia, said Thursday it hopes to begin drilling in the second quarter in its “Marquis” Abenaki Reef prospect, in the same trend as PanCanadian’s highly successful Deep Panuke discovery.

The Interior Department’s Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) has ruled that the federal government illegally awarded three leases for coalbed methane (CBM) development in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming in early 2000, a decision some believe could affect other existing leases in the basin and hobble the Bush administration’s plans for expanded CBM production in the West.

Calgary-based Canadian Superior Energy, one of the largest land holders offshore Nova Scotia, said last week it hopes to begin drilling in the second quarter in its “Marquis” Abenaki Reef prospect, in the same trend as PanCanadian’s highly successful Deep Panuke discovery.

An environmental analysis by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has found that approving eight natural gas wells on existing federal leases north of the Missouri River within and adjacent to the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in Montana would have little environmental impact. BLM has recommended approval of the wells, but said it will not make a final decision until after a public comment period ends in mid-February.