Markedly

As the federal fiscal year comes to a close Friday, oil and gas leasing activity in the Rockies states declined markedly, according to the Denver-based Western Energy Alliance (WEA), a trade association for more than 400 exploration and production (E&P) companies. With the exception of North Dakota, all Rockies states leasing activity has declined since 2008, WEA said.

Untapped unconventional gas plays still exist in pockets across North America, but domestic producers are branching out to test prospects in Europe, the Asian Pacific area, Africa and elsewhere to stake their claims in the next big shale plays.

U.S. natural gas discoveries reached a record level during 2008, as shale formations drove gas production and reserves markedly higher, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a new report.

U.S. natural gas discoveries reached a record level during 2008, as shale formations drove gas production and reserves markedly higher, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a new report.

The U.S. natural gas rig count is falling, as expected, but the horizontal drilling rig count has begun to markedly decline, with the last week of December reporting the largest single-week loss for the shale-directed rigs since 1991.

The U.S. natural gas rig count is falling, as expected, but the horizontal drilling rig count has begun to markedly decline, with the Dec. 26 report indicating the largest single-week loss for the shale-directed rigs since 1991.

The spate of producer-driven pipeline developments taking place today to move gas out of the Rockies and Midcontinent will result in infrastructure that is markedly different from what the gas industry has known during the last decade or two, a consultant told a Houston audience of pipeliners last week.

The spate of producer-driven pipeline developments taking place today to move gas out of the Rockies and Midcontinent will result in infrastructure that is markedly different from what the gas industry has known during the last decade or two, a consultant told a Houston audience of pipeliners Thursday.

Most of the cash market was softer Friday, but it had a few flat to moderately higher points in the mix. A prior-day screen increase and some instances of rising cooling load were outweighed by a significant weekend cooldown in the Northeast and the drop in industrial load that typically accompanies a weekend. Also, excess supply issues were accumulating in the West, where many of the largest losses were recorded.