Latest

Dealing with an Eagle Ford gas flow that has turned out to be much more liquids-rich than expected, Regency Energy Partners LP announced Monday that it will expand its Edwards Lime gathering joint venture in the South Texas shale play to increase the system’s capacity by 90 MMcf/d to 160 MMcf/d, and provide for additional crude transportation and stabilization capacity of 17,000 b/d.

Led by spending in North America, global upstream expenditures are set to reach a combined record of $1.23 trillion this year, according to the latest IHS Upstream Spending Report.

Energy Transfer Partners LP’s (ETP) latest acquisition is intended to grow the partnership’s pipeline footprint, not in natural gas but in the far more lucrative crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGL). The focus on oil and liquids is a sign of the times as ETP intends to convert some gas pipelines to crude oil service. It’s not the only midstream player planning to re-purpose gas pipelines, a consultant pointed last week, suggesting that there are more conversions to come.

Led by spending in North America’s offshore and onshore, global upstream expenditures are set to reach a combined record of $1.23 trillion this year, according to the latest IHS Upstream Spending Report.

Based on the state’s latest statistics as of the end of February, North Dakota’s oil production has doubled in the past two years, and with the help of increased rail transportation it is being marketed nationwide.

MDU Resources Group Inc.’s Fidelity Exploration & Production Co. has set a new Bakken Shale production record of 3,500 net boe/d from its operated wells. Including nonoperated wells, production exceeds 5,000 net boe/d, the company said Monday.

With the latest reports from the operators of the 2,300 MW San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) indicating that two units at the plant will remain idle for an indefinite period, officials at the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) told NGI Tuesday that the state grid operator is in “full contingency planning mode.”

With at least two cities having passed ordinances banning hydraulic fracturing (fracking) until local rules for it can be established, state legislation has been proposed (SB 88) to reiterate that the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) has jurisdiction to oversee the practice by oil/gas exploration and production (E&P) companies.

The latest applicant seeking authorization to export liquefied U.S. natural gas to world markets is also the one seeking to export the most: 2.8 Bcf/d. The recent application from Gulf Coast LNG Export LLC is under completeness review at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which is not yet disclosing any more details.