Leaving

An environmental group is suing Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, claiming that his administration is misusing revenue from Marcellus Shale development on state lands. Although Corbett is being sued, most of the actions cited in the litigation first were undertaken by his predecessor Ed Rendell.

E. Russell (Rusty) Braziel, a respected authority in the energy industry with more than 30 years of experience, is leaving Bentek Energy this week to launch an energy industry networking and consulting business based in Houston.

Much of the northern United States can expect temperatures to average significantly above normal over the next three months, while the Pacific Coast and parts of the Southeast will be cooler than normal, according to forecasters at Andover, MA-based WSI Corp. Below-normal temperatures will become more likely in the East and Central areas by late November, the forecasters said.

A 40-year-old Oklahoma man was arrested Friday after he contacted authorities and confessed to making a potential explosive device and leaving it along a natural gas gathering line.

April natural gas futures posted a solid advance Tuesday, leaving some calling for a new price regime while others still see a continuation of a rangebound market. At the close April had risen 9.3 cents to $4.254, the highest settlement since early February, and May gained 9.0 cents to $4.331. The expired April crude oil contract rose $1.67 to $104.00/bbl.

Just days after leaving office, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has signed on for two new positions that could allow him to keep a hand at the political table and a presence in the public forum.

Leaving the job of finding the cause of last Thursday’s San Bruno pipeline disaster to federal investigators, California’s lead utility regulator and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) assured energy utility customers that everything is being done for the victims and public safety.

Florida Gas Transmission kept an Overage Alert Day for market-area customers in place for a second day Thursday, leaving the tolerance for negative daily imbalances at 20%.

Natural gas futures traders experienced a bit of deja vu as the April contract followed Tuesday’s 4.4-cent decline with another 4.4-cent reduction for Wednesday, leaving the prompt-month contract to close at $4.303.