Long

It has been around for more than 30 years, long before the state’s current oil/gas boom, but North Dakota’s six months of confidentiality provided new wells is taking on greater interest in the midst of the competitive exploration and production (E&P) push throughout the industry.

The United States should be exporting more chemicals, glass, steel, aluminum and other products, but the country’s leaders should think long and hard before adding liquefied domestic natural gas to that list, a Dow Chemical executive said Wednesday. While end-user industries fear higher gas prices, producers are looking to all potential demand sources to lift gas prices and make their dry gas operations economic once again.

A special state appeal panel plans to rule in September which of two competing proposals would be authorized to build an 80-mile-long natural gas pipeline to Maine’s state capital, Augusta, and the surrounding Kennebec Valley. The chosen pipeline would bring natural gas to the area for the first time.

Sunoco Logistics Partners LP said it has received enough binding commitments to enable Permian Express Phase I, a project to transport West Texas crude oil to Gulf Coast markets, to proceed. The binding open season continues and will close on Sept. 6. Permian Express Phase I would provide continuous pipeline service from Wichita Falls, TX, to Nederland/Beaumont, TX, markets. At Wichita Falls, a connection from Basin Pipeline would be provided. Due to the use of existing assets, the capacity to transport 90,000 b/d to Nederland/Beaumont is to be operational in the first quarter of 2013 (see Shale Daily, June 22).

Coal-to-natural gas switching became a live issue for Wisconsin Energy’s major utility, We Energies, with the decision Friday to switch a long-time coal-fired cogeneration facility serving downtown Milwaukee to natural gas. The Valley Power Plant is a 280 MW facility providing steam and electricity.

Constitution Pipeline Co. LLC’s proposal to build and operate a 121-mile long, 30-inch diameter pipeline between Susquehanna County, PA and Schoharie County, NY, does not include plans to service liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities, the Houston-based company said in a filing with FERC.

Constitution Pipeline Co. LLC’s proposal to build and operate a 121-mile long, 30-inch diameter pipeline between Susquehanna County, PA and Schoharie County, NY, does not include plans to service liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities, the Houston-based company said in a filing with FERC.

EOG Resources’ strategy of the last year to edge away from natural gas exploration and production in order to focus on the more economically viable production of crude oil appears to be paying off as the Houston-based producer posted a 38% increase in second quarter earnings over the previous year’s quarter. The company attributed much of its strong earnings to successful programs on acreage in the South Texas Eagle Ford Shale and North Dakota Bakken Shale.

Range Resources Corp. CEO Jeff Ventura said last week the company’s Marcellus Shale leasehold may have the long-term potential for 24-30 Tcf of reserves.