Midstream

The number of Marcellus Shale natural gas wells waiting on infrastructure provided by Access Midstream Partners LP has fallen by more than half since the end of 2012, CEO J. Mike Stice said Wednesday.

NiSource Midstream Services LLC’s Big Pine Gathering System in the heart of the Marcellus Shale has begun serving XTO Energy Inc. under a long-term agreement. The 57-mile, 20- and 24-inch diameter system stretches into Pennsylvania’s Allegheny, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland counties and interconnects to the Columbia Gas Transmission system, as well as Texas Eastern Transmission and Dominion Transmission. The system is anchored by XTO; a separate gathering agreement was recently signed with PennEnergy.

Halcon Resources Corp. said Monday it will be spending more on its East Texas Eagle Ford Shale play, known as El Halcon.

John H. Williams, 94, a founding leader of natural gas midstream and pipeline giant Williams, died Wednesday at his home in Linville, NC. He had worked for Williams Brothers founders Dave and Miller beginning in 1938, and 11 years later he, his brother Charlie and cousin David bought the company. John Williams served as president and CEO until 1971 and as chairman and CEO from 1971 to 1979. One of his signature achievements was the 1966 purchase of Great Lakes Pipe Line, which at the time was substantially larger than his company. In his tenure as CEO, Williams’ market value increased from $25,000 in 1949 to $406.5 million in 1978. From 1964 to 1974, the average combined return to investors ranked No. 1 among Fortune 500 companies. John Williams is survived by his wife, Joanne, and three sons. “This is a huge loss to many of us personally and certainly for our great company,” said Williams CEO Alan Armstrong. “He has been an inspiration to all who have been lucky enough to know him.”

Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) subsidiaries propelled the midstream giant to big profits during the first quarter of 2013, allowing it to raise the quarterly dividend 19% and aligning it for more than $12 billion of expansion and joint venture (JV) projects across North America.

LyondellBasell has contracted with TexStar MidStream Services LP for TexStar to install two natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation units next to affiliate Equistar Chemicals LP’s Corpus Christi, TX, plant. The units will process NGLs from the Eagle Ford Shale.

Oneok Partners LP has completed three projects that are part of an ongoing growth program worth roughly $5 billion. The partnership’s Bakken NGL Pipeline, Stateline II gas processing facility and new ethane header pipeline have all entered service, the partnership said Tuesday.

Canadian midstream operator Keyera Corp. has agreed to transport and process the Wapiti Montney condensate-rich natural gas production of NuVista Energy Ltd.

PDC Energy Inc. has signed a midstream services agreement with MarkWest Utica EMG LLC and plans to nearly double its capital expenditures (capex) in the Utica Shale for 2013 while also increasing its estimated net production.