Moved

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) moved the state further toward retail deregulation this week, approving settlements with Dominion East Ohio Gas and Columbia Gas of Ohio that would allow the local distribution companies (LDC) to gradually move out of the merchant function starting with nonresidential customers.

Rebounding from a weak finish to the previous week, a majority of physical natural gas points around the country on Monday moved higher from a nickel to nearly 15 cents. The cash market might be able to keep the upward momentum rolling for another day if traders are swayed by the futures action Monday, which saw September gas climb 5.7 cents to close the regular session at $2.776.

Pennsylvania’s General Assembly moved with amazing speed in the closing days of June to install a drilling moratorium on upscale, ex-urban Philadelphia counties, attaching the provision in a must-pass budget measure (SB 1263) that Gov. Tom Corbett signed July 2.

Pennsylvania’s General Assembly moved with amazing speed late last week to install a drilling moratorium on upscale, ex-urban Philadelphia counties, attaching the provision in a must-pass budget measure (SB 1263) that Gov. Tom Corbett is expected to sign.

DCP Midstream Partners has moved to increase its market position in East Texas, agreeing to pay Penn Virginia Resource Partners LP (PVR) approximately $63 million for the Crossroads processing plant and associated gathering system in Harrison County, TX, the two companies said.

In North Dakota where a quarter of the booming oil production in the Bakken Shale play is moved by rail car or truck — not pipeline — North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple Thursday urged the oil and gas industry to beef up the pipeline network in his state to keep up with rapidly growing production. Dalrymple spoke to more than 100 industry and government representatives at the state’s annual pipeline summit in Bismarck.

While other proposals regarding hydraulic fracturing (fracking) stayed immobile, the California Senate Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday moved on a strictly partisan vote of 5-3 a proposed bill (SB 1054) that would require exploration and production (E&P) companies to notify surrounding property owners of their plans to employ fracking ahead of starting work. The industry is opposed to pre-notification on proprietary grounds.

A U.S. unit of Royal Dutch Shell plc last week moved another step closer to lowering a drillbit into the frigid waters offshore Alaska this summer after the Department of Interior approved a stringent oil spill response plan.

A U.S. unit of Royal Dutch Shell plc on Wednesday moved another step closer to finally lowering a drillbit into the frigid waters offshore Alaska this summer after the Department of Interior approved a stringent oil spill response plan.