natural gas prices

The British government has lent support to BP plc in its U.S. Supreme Court fight over who and what should get paid to claimants in the 2010 Macondo well blowout.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on Monday named a 19-member statewide task force to examine land use and state and local rules in permitting oil and natural gas facilities. This culminates a compromise approach to a simmering state political issue that Hickenlooper’s office patched together last month (see Shale Daily,Aug. 5).

Kimberly A. Ross has been appointed senior vice president and CFO of Baker Hughes Inc. effective Oct. 22. She currently serves as executive vice president (EVP) and CFO of Avon Products Inc. and previously was EVP and CFO of Royal Ahold NV, where she had worked beginning in 2001. Ross earned a bachelor of arts degree in accounting from the University of South Florida and is a certified public accountant. “Her extensive record of accomplishments spans several industries and is a testament to her effective partnering with operational leaders in various geographies and business environments,” said Baker CEO Martin Craighead. Peter Ragauss is to continue as CFO until Ross comes aboard.

A public hearing is scheduled for Monday (Sept. 22) from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. CDT at theRailroad Commission of Texas(RRC) office in Austin to review proposed changes to Texas Administrative Code Title 16, Part 1, Chapter 3. The proposed amendments to §3.70 of that chapter prescribe the procedure by which a pipeline operator may identify itself as a common carrier, gas utility, or private line operator when applying for a new T-4 permit to operate a pipeline or when renewing, amending, or cancelling an existing T-4 permit (seeDaily GPI,July 23). The designation affects whether a pipeline developer may exercise eminent domain. Texas landowners have complained that it has been too easy for pipelines to exercise eminent domain and stricter rules are needed, while industry has said the proposed rule changes are a regulatory burden. The proposed rule amendments were published in the July 25 issue of theTexas Register. For more information, contact Cristina Self in the office of general counsel, (512) 463-2299; or Polly McDonald in the pipeline safety division, (512) 463-7008. The status of RRC rulemakings in progress is available at: www.rrc.state.tx.us/legal/rules/proposed-rules.

A subcontractor at a Williams Partners LP site in Marshall County, WV, was reportedly airlifted by helicopter on Monday after sustaining injuries when he became pinned between a lift and pipe, according to several local news media reports. Attempts to reach Williams for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful. The man, whose name was not released, was flown to a hospital in Morgantown, WV. According to reports, he sustained head, neck and back injuries. An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.

A broad and pervasive influx of cold Canadian air that is forecast to invade portions of the country this week was enough to prompt double-digit gains in both natural gas physical and futures markets on Tuesday.

Shell Oil Co. has begun producing from the Cardamom deepwater discovery in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), its second subsea startup this year.

Next-day gas deliveries posted mostly solid gains Monday aided by a strong screen, supportive power loads and prices, and in the case of the West Coast, forecasts for above normal temperatures.

Oklahoma has created the Coordinating Council on Seismic Activity to link researchers with policymakers and energy industry experts in an effort to understand seismic activity in the state that is thought to be linked to oil and gas drilling activities (see Shale Daily,July 7). The council will be headed by Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment Michael Teague. The council will include input from public sector groups such as the Oklahoma Geologic Survey, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board; research institutions including the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University; industry groups such as the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association and the Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association, and state legislators. “Oklahoma has always had seismic activity,” said Gov. Mary Fallin. “But the reality is we are seeing more earthquakes today than we did several decades ago. It’s important we study this issue and have sound science that can inform decisions made in both the public and private sector.”