The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is adding quarterly oil and gas enforcement data to its website. Beginning with the first quarter fiscal 2017 report, new enforcement information will include the numbers of oil and gas facility inspections with no violation; statewide oil and gas rule violations; major statewide oil and gas rule violations; and district-initiated severance/seal orders. RRC also is updating its definition of “major” oil and gas violations. A major violation now is defined as “a safety or pollution-related violation that causes a significant impact to public safety or the environment, is accompanied by conditions that indicate a significant impact to public safety or the environment is imminent, or is the result of deliberate disregard of commission rules and regulations related to public safety or environmental protection.” Also, major violations are now being reported at the time of discovery in the field rather than at the time of referral for penalty action, as recommended by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. Enforcement data can be found on the commission website.
Major
Articles from Major
Forecasters Expect Atlantic Hurricane Season to Be More Active Than Usual
An area of colder-than-normal ocean water east of Newfoundland could throw a curve ball into the forecast, but AccuWeather forecasters believe the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season could be more active than usual, with a total of 14 named storms, eight of them hurricanes, including four major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher).
Traders Mull Uninspired Weather, Technicals; October Called A Penny Higher
October natural gas is expected to open a penny higher Monday morning at $3.85 as traders digest both a weather pattern and technical outlook showing little likelihood of major price moves. Overnight oil markets were mixed.
Load-Killing TS Arthur to Track East Coast; August Seen 3 Cents Lower
August natural gas is expected to open 3 cents lower Wednesday morning at $4.42 as traders factor in the likelihood of another voluminous storage report on Thursday along with the possibility of a demand-dampening storm impacting the East Coast. Overnight oil markets retreated.
WSI Slashes Atlantic Hurricane Forecast
A relatively quiet 2013 Atlantic hurricane season and no sign of tropical activity on the horizon has prompted Weather Services International (WSI) to make a significant reduction to its tropical forecast. WSI forecasters said they now expect 15 named storms to form in the Atlantic Basin, including five hurricanes, one of them major (Category 3 or higher).
George P. Mitchell: Founding Father of the Shale Revolution
The oil and gas industry is lionizing George Phydias Mitchell, 94, who died at his home on Friday in Galveston, TX. Mitchell is credited with pioneering unconventional drilling techniques that have opened up North America’s natural gas and oil potential.
Transco Starts Up Northeast Expansion Loop
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco) was to start up service over the weekend on the first pipeline loop of its major Northeast Supply Link expansion, one of the key links in sending new gas out of the Marcellus Shale.
Transco Northeast Expansion Flows on First Loop
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco) was to start up service over the weekend on the first pipeline loop of its major Northeast Supply Link expansion, one of the key links in sending new gas out of the Marcellus Shale.
Train Loaded with Crude Oil Explodes in Quebec
A 73-car train crashed and exploded Saturday in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, igniting its cargo of crude oil — possibly from North Dakota — killing as many as 40 people and forcing the evacuation of nearly 2,000 others.
Producers Handed Victory in SEC Disclosure Ruling
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia last week handed the energy industry a major victory by vacating and remanding an order that would require publicly traded producers to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) how much they pay foreign governments for the commercial development of oil, natural gas and minerals.
