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Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a bill that calls for a ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on Wednesday, a largely symbolic gesture but one that makes the Green Mountain State the first in the nation to outlaw the practice.

If natural gas prices were to fall to $1, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, according to EnerVest Ltd. CEO John Walker. In fact, low prices may be the industry’s “greatest savior,” he said Wednesday at Bentek Energy’s Benposium in Houston.

The Ohio Senate approved new rules governing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on Tuesday, part of a lengthy energy bill that makes changes throughout the Ohio Revised Code.

The first glimpse of Utica Shale productivity in Ohio makes two things clear: Chesapeake Energy Corp. is leading the way and it is producing a fair amount of natural gas.

The first glimpse of Utica Shale productivity makes two things clear: Chesapeake Energy Corp. is leading the way and it is producing a fair amount of natural gas.

What a difference a year makes. When President Obama directed Energy Secretary Steven Chu last March to establish a subcommittee to assess the environmental impacts of shale gas drilling, industry interpreted this as bad news. But last Tuesday members of the subcommittee went as far as to defend the industry and criticized detractors of both hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and shale gas development.

What a difference a year makes. When President Obama directed Energy Secretary Steven Chu last March to establish a subcommittee to assess the environmental impacts of shale gas drilling, industry interpreted this as bad news. But Tuesday members of the subcommittee touted the industry and criticized detractors of both hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and shale gas development.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Citizens Advisory Council has appointed Marjorie Hughes as executive director. The 18-member council reviews the work of the DEP and makes recommendations to the department, the governor and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Hughes comes to the position following 35 years working on environmental and transportation issues for state and local governments, most recently serving as the chief of the DEP’s Conservation District Support Division in the Bureau of Waterways and Wetlands. She is replacing Sue Wilson, who retired from the position in December after 19 years.

Driven mostly by North America, the world market for oilfield specialty chemicals climbed to almost $16 billion in 2010, with the United States and Canada accounting for more than half (52%), according to a global market study by IHS Chemical.