natural gas prices

Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) official Jeff Wright has joined energy consultants Brown, Williams, Moorhead & Quinn’s (BWMQ) Washington, DC, office. Wright, who was director of FERC’s Office of Energy Projects 2009-2015 and deputy director beginning in 2007, is now BWMQ’s president, the company said. His career at FERC spanned 35 years. Also joining BWMQ is Miriam Erickson, a former majority counsel for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Erickson is the firm’s new director of government relations.

Colorado and two counties in the state were among the nation’s leaders in job growth last year, and much of it was tied to the oil/natural gas sector, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Colorado job growth (3.9%) was third in the nation in 2014, trailing only North Dakota (4.5%) and Nevada (4.2%). Weld County, CO, tied Midland County, TX, for the highest growth among counties at 8%, while it was experiencing a 19.6% gain in natural resources/mining employment, and Adams County, CO, was ranked third nationally with a 6.4% job growth. The BLS statistics were released at the same time the Denver Business Journal reported a growing number of local governments in the state abandoning anti-oil/gas rhetoric and supporting the industry for its role in providing new, high-paying jobs to local areas.

Physical gas for Wednesday delivery was unchanged on average Tuesday, with broad gains extending from the Gulf, Midcontinent, Rockies and California unable to overcome stout declines in the East and Northeast.

After more than a year of review, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC a key air permit for its proposed multi-billion dollar ethane cracker. Shell filed its 715-page air permit application in May 2014 (see Daily GPI,Aug. 5, 2014). DEP said in March that it had reached its “intent-to-issue” phase and announced Monday that the permit has been approved and issued (see Shale Daily,March 30). Last week, Shell completed the purchase of land in western Pennsylvania where it tentatively plans to build the facility pending a final investment decision (see Shale Daily,June 18). The air permit was considered key to that process given the facility’s likely size and its classification as a major new source of emissions. The company also received other state permits Monday, including stormwater discharge, water obstruction and encroachment permits.

As part of a multi-year clean energy effort launched several years ago (see Daily GPI, April 22, 2013), the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) on Monday signed an agreement to sell its 21% share in Arizona-based coal-fired Navajo Generation Station to Navajo’s controlling owner, Phoenix-based Salt River Project (SRP). The result of three years of negotiations, the deal includes an agreement to buy geothermal power as a substitute source of power and provisions for SRP to shut down one of the coal plant’s three operating units in 2019. Mayor Eric Garcetti said the deal is evidence the city is making good on its commitment to eliminate all coal-fired generation from its portfolio by 2025.

The use of natural gas vehicles (NGV) and other alternative fuel heavy duty trucks may get a boost from the second round of joint federal greenhouse gas (GHG) and fuel efficiency standards released on Friday, according to industry and environmental groups.

Natural gas for delivery Tuesday traded every which way but loose Monday as monster gains in the East and Northeast were able to overcome some small declines in the Gulf, Midcontinent, and Rockies. Overall, NGI’s National Spot Gas Average added 8 cents to $2.61.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff plans to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Port Arthur Liquefaction Project and Port Arthur Pipeline Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Port Arthur LNG LLC (PALNG) and Port Arthur Pipeline LLC (PAPL), respectively, in Jefferson and Orange counties, TX and Cameron Parish, LA. The terminal is a project of Sempra affiliates (see Daily GPI,March 23). Comments should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives and measures to avoid or reduce environmental impacts. Comments are due by July 24 in dockets PF15-18-000 and PF15-19-000.

An interdisciplinary team at Stanford University has launched a global natural gas initiative, bidding to answer the question of how the world can make better use of resources for environmental, economic and energy security advances.