Leaving

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court quashed an appeal by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) on Thursday, leaving in place a judge’s order that the commission cannot use a review process to enforce some provisions of Act 13, the state’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last Thursday quashed an appeal by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC), leaving in place an earlier court order that the commission cannot use a review process to enforce some provisions of Act 13, the state’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law.

ExxonMobil Corp. said it is interested in helping Ukraine develop its oil, gas, shale gas and coalbed methane (CBM) reserves, and estimates the country’s onshore and offshore gas resources could produce 45 billion cubic meters (bcm) (1.59 Tcf) by 2020.

Natural gas drilling activity continued its downward slide during the first quarter, while oil well completions rose during the period, according to the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) quarterly well completion report issued this week.

Devon Energy Corp. is increasing its oil-directed drilling this year across the Permian Basin and in the emerging Mississippian Lime as it continues its transition from a natural gas heavyweight, CEO John Richels said Tuesday.

Speculation about potential replacements for two Obama administration officials who are leaving top spots at energy-related agencies continues, with nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air pollution official Gina McCarthy reportedly among the leading candidates.

Speculation about potential replacements for two Obama administration officials who are leaving top spots at energy-related agencies continues, with nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air pollution official Gina McCarthy reportedly among the leading candidates.

Marc Rowland, who was CFO of Chesapeake Energy Corp. before leaving to run onshore oilfield services company FTS International Inc., has been elected to the board of Warren Resources Inc. Warren, based in New York City, is an onshore domestic producer with a portfolio of assets in California, Wyoming and the Niobrara formation. Rowland had worked at Chesapeake for 18 years and served as CFO from 1993 to August 2010. He became president of FTS predecessor company Frac Tech in October 2010, three months before the company filed an initial public offering (see Daily GPI, Sept. 20, 2011). Rowland was named CEO in May 2011 and held that position until November.

Sempra Energy’s board has appointed Anne Shen Smith president and CEO of Sempra’s Southern California Gas Co. utility. She replaces Michael Allman, who resigned and is leaving the company. Smith has served as the utility’s COO since 2010. She joined the company as a operations research analyst and for the past 21 years has had various executive roles with SoCalGas and Sempra.