Lingering

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) reconvened Thursday in Denver, but was unable to resolve lingering issues and delayed until Feb. 11 finalizing new setback requirements for oil and natural gas wells.

With questions lingering about whether hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and the chemicals used in the process are to blame for contaminating the water supply of some Wyoming residents, Encana Corp. has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for “key technical data and information” about water wells re-tested near its natural gas development in Pavillion, WY, to enable the company to properly respond by an October deadline. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), however, issued two reports Wednesday that may fill in some of the blanks.

As part of the lingering reaction to a natural gas transmission pipeline rupture and explosion two years ago in San Bruno, CA, Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday signed into law four bills dealing with parts of the tragedy along with two other energy-related bills. Overall, Brown signed 34 measures and vetoed five for the day.

Wages are up and confidence in future hiring is surging despite lingering concern for the global economy, an annual survey of employees in the oil and natural gas industry has found.

Although temperatures are rising in much of the West, they were diminishing in sections of the South, and despite chilly conditions lingering for at least another day or so in the Midwest, the region is due to see a warming trend toward the weekend. The modestly bearish weather influences, which reversed marginal support for Tuesday’s cash market, combined with the 3.1-cent fall by October futures Tuesday to drive quotes lower at a large majority of points Wednesday.

The lingering effects of a recent La Nina event “mean no summer for the Great Lakes” this year, according to AccuWeather.com forecasters, who also expect drought conditions to expand out of the southern Plains and flooding in the Midwest this summer.

The national economy and the energy industry are both gathering strength overall and face an optimistic future in the near term despite some lingering uncertainties, according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve Board.

The national economy and the energy industry are both gathering strength overall and face an optimistic future in the near term despite some lingering uncertainties, according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve Board.

With fallout from last April’s Macondo well blowout a lingering financial and legal concern, BP plc last week cautiously reinstated a shareholder dividend and announced substantial changes to its worldwide portfolio.