natural gas

There should be enough power to go around this summer across the various regions of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC). But Texas could be squeezed if peak demand hits sooner than anticipated new generating capacity comes online. Also, as natural gas accounts for a larger portion of generating capacity across power grids, systems are having to adjust, NERC said Wednesday.

The seemingly intractable knot in natural gas-power coordination will only get tighter as the country increasingly relies on gas to produce its electricity. Despite government efforts to build consensus between the two giant industries, it appears they are not even close to a solution.

Physical natural gas for delivery Thursday drifted lower in Wednesday’s activity, with most points outside the Northeast trading with a 5-cent range of unchanged. In New England, a rise in forecast temperatures, combined with pipeline constraints, was enough to motivate buyers, but in the Mid-Atlantic mostly normal temperature forecasts worked to soften next-day prices.

During the first quarter Penn Virginia Corp. (PVA) set a quarterly oil production record, thanks to a 15% increase in output from its Eagle Ford Shale operations as it continues to grow and delineate its South Texas acreage.

Minor earthquakes blamed on drilling waste disposal wells have been shaking up small towns overlying the Barnett Shale of North Texas for a while now. On Monday, state lawmakers put their ears to the ground during the first hearing of a subcommittee formed on the matter, hearing from local mayors, academic, environmental, regulatory and industry representatives.

Oil and natural gas operators in the robust North Dakota production fields are facing a lot of new regulatory requirements potentially from both state and federal government, beginning June 1 with a new state requirement for gas capture plans with each new drilling permit application, as underscored Tuesday by the state’s chief oil/gas official.

A renewed attempt by President Obama on Wednesday to invest in the nation’s aging infrastructure, as well as streamline the federal permitting process, now a slow-moving spaghetti loop of agencies and stakeholders, was lauded by the natural gas industry.

A major drought, loss of a major nuclear power plant, and increased reliance on intermittent renewable power shouldn’t phase California’s grid this summer, according to a new report. Gas-fired power can step in, but with some caveats.

With support from the governor’s office, Wyoming oil/natural gas stakeholders on Monday introduced a strategy for using liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced in the state to replace diesel fuel in many applications within the oil/gas industry.