Lifting

Texas producers boosted crude oil production for the third straight year in 2012, lifting statewide output by nearly 100 million bbl to 604 million bbl, according to the year-end report issued by the economist who compiles the monthly Texas Petro Index.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Jesse White, a Democrat from the southwestern corner of the state, has introduced House Resolution 593 asking drillers to commit to a set of “Marcellus Shale Principles,” that include hiring local workers, protecting the environment and acting transparently in dealings with stakeholders. “Drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale has created thousands of jobs, and has the potential to create thousands more at a critical time in our economy, and in areas that have historically suffered from high unemployment rates for many years…However, we can’t simply hand free reign over without any forethought to consequences and how our local communities could be affected for generations to come,” White said.

California regulators last Thursday gave Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) approval to begin lifting pressure restrictions on some major natural gas transmission pipelines in the wake of last year’s San Bruno pipeline rupture and explosion.

California regulators on Thursday gave Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) approval to begin lifting pressure restrictions on some major natural gas transmission pipelines in the wake of last year’s San Bruno pipeline rupture and explosion.

A day after lifting an Imbalance Warning on Line 300 downstream of Station 313, Tennessee cited mild weather and limited operational flexibility in saying it will implement a systemwide Imbalance Warning Saturday. It will require all delivery point operators to keep actual daily takes out of the system equal to or greater than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position, and all receipt point operators to keep actual daily receipts into the system equal to or less than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline on Tuesday morning informed its customers that it is lifting its imbalance warning in Zone 4 on the 300 Line. However, the pipeline continues to request that all parties match physical flow with scheduled quantities.

After lifting a high-linepack OFO Friday, Southern California Gas issued a new one for Saturday with a 10% tolerance for positive daily imbalances.

Even though there is no gas drilling in the state, several New Jersey lawmakers are proceeding with a bill to ban hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) and plan to vote next week on a resolution urging neighboring states to enact fracking moratoriums to protect the water supply.

The administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett continues to roll back natural gas development regulations put in place by its predecessor.