Northwest

Onshore explorer Petrohawk Energy Corp. on Tuesday agreed to sell a half interest in its Haynesville Shale gathering and processing business in northwest Louisiana to Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) for $875 million in a transaction that would create the largest Haynesville gathering and midstream business.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has raised slightly the annual dollar limit for projects that natural gas pipelines with blanket construction certificates can proceed with on their own this year without having to obtain agency clearance first. In a final rule published in the Federal Register, FERC raised the automatic project cost limit to $10.5 million for 2010 from $10.4 million in 2009. This means that gas pipes holding blanket construction certificates can build, acquire, operate and/or replace facilities up to that dollar limit without having to request permission from the Commission. The agency also boosted to $29.9 million the prior-notice cost limit in 2010 for gas pipelines with blanket construction certificates. The prior-notice cost limit last year was $29.6 million. Projects at or below $29.9 million (but above $10.5 million) will be required to notify FERC in advance of any work during 2010, but they will not be subject to the certificate process. The Commission set $5.7 million as the annual limit that holders of blanket construction certificates can spend on underground storage testing and development without having to notify the agency. This is up from $5.6 million in 2009. The final rule took effect Feb. 24.

Several points in the Northeast, Midwest, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest and Western Canada were flat or registered gains Friday, but for the most part softness continued to reign supreme. The previous day’s screen loss of 8.6 cents played a role, but it was mostly the fact that Friday deals were done for Monday only, when warming trends were expected to resume in many areas, that kept Friday’s winter storms from affecting the cash market positively.

Several points in the Northeast, Midwest, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest and Western Canada were flat or registered gains Friday, but for the most part softness continued to reign supreme. The previous day’s screen loss of 8.6 cents played a role, but it was mostly the fact that Friday deals were done for Monday only, when warming trends were expected to resume in many areas, that kept Friday’s winter storms from affecting the cash market positively.

A business-labor coalition in the Pacific Northwest is lashing out at environmental organization Columbia Riverkeeper (CRK) for allegedly working covertly in a recent anti-liquefied natural gas (LNG) local election. CRK’s work supposedly led to the narrow recall of one of five members of the Clatsop County (OR) Commission, a majority of which has supported building an LNG receiving terminal along the Columbia River.

A business-labor coalition in the Pacific Northwest has lashed out at environmental organization Columbia Riverkeeper (CRK) for allegedly working covertly in a recent anti-liquefied natural gas (LNG) local election. CRK’s work supposedly led to the narrow recall of one of five members of the Clatsop County (OR) Commission, a majority of which has supported building an LNG receiving terminal along the Columbia River.

Natural gas wholesale prices, along with those of other fossil fuels, are a major factor that continues to bedevil planners at the Northwest Power and Conservation Council as they attempt to finalize the organization’s sixth Power Plan, according to report on the draft plan given to council representatives at their monthly meeting last week.

Royal Dutch Shell plc will use its floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) technology to develop its Prelude and Concerto gas discoveries in the Browse Basin off the northwest coast of Western Australia, the company said last week.

Natural gas wholesale prices, along with those of other fossil fuels, are a major factor that continues to bedevil planners at the Northwest Power and Conservation Council as they attempt to finalize the organization’s sixth Power Plan, according to report on the draft plan given to council representatives at their monthly meeting Wednesday in Sun Valley, ID.