natural gas data

Prices for Friday physical gas delivery moved higher across the country except for at a handful of eastern points. Traders Thursday elected to get most of their deals done prior to what was thought could be a major market mover: the issuance of weekly storage data by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), which came in at a record 287 Bcf.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has authorized Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. to abandon capacity it leased on Dominion Transmission Inc.’s system between Ellisburg and Leidy, PA, and granted Dominion authorization to reacquire the capacity [CP13-545-000]. FERC first authorized Tennessee to lease up to 150,000 Dth/d on the Dominion system in 2002. The lease agreement was designed, in part, to facilitate the movement of gas from upstream supply points at Niagara and Dracut, MA, and from the Gulf Coast to new markets at Leidy, which is in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. FERC made the abandonment authorization retroactive to Sept. 30, 2013, as had been called for in both the original lease agreement and the application for authorization to abandon capacity, both of which were filed jointly by Dominion and Tennessee. The companies said no customer would lose service by Tennessee’s abandonment of the leased capacity.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Richard A. Hyde, a licenses professional engineer, as executive director for the agency effective immediately. He succeeds Zak Covar, who was recently appointed as a TCEQ commissioner. Hyde has served as deputy executive director since 2012. He also served as deputy director of the state’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement, the Office of Permitting and Registration, and was director of the Air Permits Division for five years. Hyde joined the TCEQ in 1992 and worked as a permit engineer, team leader and manager in the Air Permits Division.

Dallas-based Southcross Energy Partners LP said its South Texas operations continued to grow during the fourth quarter. Processed gas volumes increased by about 13% over third quarter volumes, and sales volumes of natural gas liquids were about 28% greater. “Southcross enters 2014 with solid operational performance, and we believe we are well-positioned to focus on expanding our assets in the Eagle Ford Shale,” said David Biegler, CEO of Southcross’ general partner. The partnership’s South Texas assets are between Houston and Freer, TX, and have access to the Corpus Christi ship channel market. They consist of 1,595 miles of pipeline with an estimated capacity of about 590 MMcf/d, two fractionators, two gas treating plants and about 40 compressors. Southcross also has operations in Mississippi and Alabama.

The United States will be a global natural gas trading powerhouse by 2035 by which time the commodity’s market share will match that of oil and coal, BP plc’s top economist said Wednesday.

Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. said Wednesday its estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves increased by 23% year/year in 2013, thanks in large part to Marcellus Shale assets in West Virginia.

Last November was another record-setting month for North Dakota oil and natural gas production, but a slowdown is coming as the winter months are tallied up, according to Lynn Helms, director of the state Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), which released its most recent monthly statistics on Tuesday.

The eclectic coalition that has become Californians Against Fracking converged Tuesday in Sacramento, targeting the state’s oil/natural gas regulators who are working to implement a new set of statewide rules governing hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The protesters carried anti-fracking signs and delivered what a purported 100,000 signatures of citizens commenting on the state’s draft new rules.

In a move that may raise environmentalists’ criticism of the Heinz Endowments, Robert Vagt, the outgoing president of the Pittsburgh-based philanthropic organization, will step down next week to become chairman of Rice Energy Inc., an independent operator focused exclusively on the Appalachian Basin.