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Williams Partners LP on Monday agreed to pay $2.5 billion to buy Caiman Energy’s midstream business, giving it a much bigger footprint in the natural gas liquids (NGL) portion of the Marcellus Shale in northern West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The two companies also are teaming up to build a midstream business in the Utica Shale.

Being in the middle is not so much a challenge as an opportunity for DCP Midstream LLC, the Denver-based infrastructure and natural gas liquids (NGL) operator that has an eye on moving into the Bakken, Utica and Marcellus shale plays, according to DCP President Bill Waldheim. He told NGIShale Daily that those are about the only shale plays that fall outside DCP’s reach these days.

If there were any more proof needed that there’s too much gas in the Marcellus Shale region and it needs to get out, the industry got it last week with the announcement of two pipeline projects — estimated to cost about $1 billion each — that would carry Marcellus supplies to greener markets.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has struck from its meeting agenda Thursday a much-anticipated and widely criticized final rule to define “swap dealers” and “major swap participants.” The rule is one of the most contentious before the Commission and would lay the groundwork for the agency to proceed with other regulatory reforms under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act.

Consol Energy Inc. said last week it has too much of a good thing — natural gas — and low prices will lead to reduced spending and well drilling in the Marcellus Shale this year.

Consol Energy Inc. said Thursday it has too much of a good thing — natural gas — and low prices will lead to reduced spending and well drilling in the Marcellus Shale this year.

North America’s land rig count is expected to be flat this year, with natural gas-directed drilling on the decline while liquids and oil drilling will strengthen, Schlumberger Ltd.’s CEO said Friday.

Nuevo Midstream LLC is beefing up its gas processing and treating capacity in the Delaware Basin near Orla, TX, targeting service to producers that are pursuing the liquids-rich Bone Spring, Wolfcamp and Avalon Shale plays, the company said Wednesday.

A healthy slice of Marathon Oil Corp.’s $4.8 billion capital, investment and exploration budget for next year is targeted at the Eagle Ford Shale play in South Texas as the company continues to focus on liquids-rich assets in the United States.