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Interior Secretary Sally Jewelland the top leaders on theSenate Energy and Natural Resources Committeeexpressed support forPresident Obama’schoice ofMichael L. Connorto be deputy interior secretary, succeedingDavid Hayes. Since 2009, Connor has been commissioner of Interior’sBureau of Reclamation, and prior to that he served on Capitol Hill. “Mike will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position after two decades in public service working on energy, conservation and water issues,” Jewell said. Since 2009, Connor has been commissioner of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, and prior to that he served on Capitol Hill. If confirmed by the Senate, Connor would be the second highest ranking official at Interior, with statutory responsibility as the COO to help lead a department of more than 70,000 employees and an annual budget of about $12 billion. Connor would continue to serve in his capacity as Interior’s reclamation commissioner, while his nomination is being considered, Jewell said.Sen. Ron Wyden(D-OR), chairman of theEnergy and Natural Resources Committee, andSen. Lisa Murkowski(R-AK), the ranking member of the committee, echoed those sentiments. “Mike Connor is a superb choice to serve as deputy secretary of the Interior,” Wyden said. Murkowski agreed, saying Connor’s “integrity, work ethic and his ability to solve tough resource related issues will make him an asset to the secretary.”

Maritimes Canada natural gas consumers should consider taking up to 600 MMcf/d of firm pipeline capacity from the Marcellus Shale to ensure security of supply and avoid the $30.00/MMBtu gas prices seen last winter, ICF Consulting Canada Inc. said in a new study prepared for the Nova Scotia Department of Energy.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has called on FERC to eliminate a rule for bumping/no-bump of interruptible transportation (IT), which gives IT gas that is already flowing priority over firm transportation (FT) service.

TransCanada Corp. moved Thursday to calm a hornets’ nest of protest among its natural gas customers in Ontario, Quebec and the northeastern United States by making a formal promise to maintain service continuity.

Before leaving for a five-week recess Friday, the House of Representatives passed a series of Republican-sponsored bills aimed at restricting the ability of the federal government to impose what are viewed as costly regulations. However, the bills are expected to go nowhere in the Democratically controlled Senate. If they do President Obama has signaled that he will veto the measures.

Encana Corp. was given the green light on Friday to start up the long-awaited Deep Panuke natural gas project offshore Nova Scotia.

Energy produced from U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) lands in FY2012 — which included 626 million bbl of crude oil, 5 Tcf of natural gas and 460 million tons of coal — contributed $230 billion to the national economy and supported 1.2 million jobs, according to the government agency’s newly releasedEconomic Report for Fiscal Year 2012.

U.S. oil and natural gas exploration and production companies added 31.2 Tcf of wet natural gas proved reserves and almost 3.8 billion bbl of crude oil and lease condensate proved reserves in 2011, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in areportissued Thursday.

Resolution of proposed penalties of up to $2.25 billion for San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) may not come this year after a state regulatory administrative law judge (ALJ) asked for additional data on how any eventual penalties might affect finances. In addition, the specter of a criminal case has emerged.