Letter

A subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Noble Corp. to secure a drilling rig for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) deepwater.

The Louisiana congressional delegation led by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has called on President Obama to put an end to the de facto moratorium in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

The more one learns about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) investigation of well water contamination in North Texas alleged to be caused by Barnett Shale gas wells drilled by Range Resources Corp., the more something smells, an industry newsletter publisher has claimed, and he’s not alone.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) this week, Encana Corp. CEO Randy Eresman voiced his company’s support for export of U.S.-sourced liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Lower 48 states, specifically as proposed by Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, a unit of Cheniere Energy Partners LP.

Eagle Ford Oil & Gas Corp. has signed a letter of intent to acquire a 25% nonoperated working interest in 5,990 acres in Borden County, TX, the Houston-based independent said Wednesday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is investigating a hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluid spill at a natural gas well pad operated by ExxonMobil Corp. subsidiary XTO Energy Corp.

SandRidge Energy Inc. has signed a letter of intent with an undisclosed independent producer to sell some of its deep acreage rights in the natural gas-rich Cana Shale in Oklahoma for $140 million in cash.

SandRidge Energy Inc. has signed a letter of intent with an undisclosed independent producer to sell some of its deep acreage rights in the natural gas-rich Cana Shale in Oklahoma for $140 million in cash. The Oklahoma City-based producer would retain the shallow drilling rights; it said has no associated proved reserves or current production from the deep rights to be sold. Proceeds from the sale, to be completed before the end of September, would be used to pay down existing debt. The transaction is not expected to affect a pending merger with Arena Resources Inc. (see NGI, April 12).

Three environmental groups on Monday sent an intent-to-sue letter to the Department of Interior (DOI) for not listing sage grouse as an endangered or threatened species. Sixty days’ notice is required ahead of filing a lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Center for Biological Diversity, Desert Survivors and Western Watersheds Project said the lawsuit would be filed in a still-to-be-determined federal court because DOI classified the sage grouse only as a candidate for protection under the ESA (see Daily GPI, March 8). Around 250 species considered candidates for protection have been on the list for decades, the groups said. DOI declined to comment because of its policy regarding litigation.