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A study of Barnett Shale region water wells has found elevated levels of heavy metals near natural gas extraction sites, but a link to drilling/production activity has not been determined and may not be, researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) said.

Ryder Systems Inc., a transportation, logistics and supply chain management company that has made a large commitment to natural gas and other alternative transportation technologies, has an initiative to penetrate U.S. shale plays, CEO Robert Sanchez said during a second quarter earnings conference call.

Large natural gas end-users, consumer advocates and environmentalists have raised a cry about exporting U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asian and European markets, but one power generator executive wonders why no one is questioning increasing pipeline exports of gas to Mexico.

Environmental groups, the Edison Electric Institute and large natural gas end-users were quick to commend the Senate’s confirmation Thursday of Gina McCarthy as head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but oil and natural gas companies were apparently following the rule, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

The Alberta government has stepped forward as a customer for the planned conversion to oil service of one large pipe of the six parallel pipes that comprise TransCanada Corp.’s natural gas Mainline, which has suffered severely declining gas transport volumes (see NGI, April 29).

The Alberta government has stepped forward as a customer for the planned conversion of one large pipe of the six parallel pipes that comprise TransCanada Corp.’s natural gas Mainline, which has suffered severely declining natural gas transport volumes, to oil service (see Daily GPI, April 29).

Cash prices overall were steady Thursday in large part due to physical traders getting their deals done prior to the release of the Energy Information Administration (EIA) storage figures and subsequent price volatility.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co.’s first horizontal Wolfcamp Shale well in Martin County, TX, — the Mabee K #1H — has been placed on production with an initial rate that the company called “strong,” and an analyst following Pioneer said confirms prospectivity in the county.

Global generator AES Corp. said it plans to build a large-scale natural gas-fired plant at an existing site in Indiana, part of a sweeping plan to shutter or renovate more than a dozen coal-fired generation units in Indiana and Ohio.