Northwest

Houston-based Petrohawk Energy Corp. has acquired more leasehold in the emerging Haynesville Shale area of northwest Louisiana and the Elm Grove and Cotton Valley formations in Texas from several private parties. Financial details were not disclosed. The additions bring Petrohawk’s acreage position in the Haynesville Shale play to more than 70,000 net acres, including 30,000 net acres in Elm Grove field, historically the company’s largest producing property. Chesapeake Energy Corp. CEO Aubrey McClendon said in March that the Haynesville Shale could hold more natural gas reserves than the Barnett or Fayetteville gas shales (see Daily GPI, March 26).

Cooler-than-normal temperatures in the Northwest and Pacific Coast and warmer-than-normal weather across the rest of the country over the next three months are likely to be followed by above-normal temperatures in the East and slightly below-normal temperatures in the West this summer, according to forecaster WSI Corp. of Andover, MA.

Cooler-than-normal temperatures in the Northwest and Pacific Coast and warmer-than-normal weather across the rest of the country over the next three months are likely to be followed by above-normal temperatures in the east and slightly below-normal temperatures in the West this summer, according to forecaster WSI Corp. of Andover, MA.

Questar Corp.’s exploration and production (E&P) subsidiary has closed the acquisitions from multiple sellers of two natural gas development properties in northwest Louisiana for $659 million.

Questar Corp.’s exploration and production (E&P) subsidiary has closed the acquisitions from multiple sellers of two natural gas development properties in northwest Louisiana for $659 million, the company said Monday.

A couple of Pacific Northwest utilities were sent in opposite directions by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services Thursday as the credit rating agency boosted Spokane, WA-based Avista Corp. one notch to “BBB-” and Cascade Natural Gas Corp. was granted its request to withdraw its “BBB+” corporate and senior unsecured debt rating.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) is partnering with Questar Corp. to perform research on greater sage grouse habitat in northwest Colorado and south-central Wyoming. The research is intended to identify ways to minimize energy development impacts on grouse habitat, which has been in decline for years. The bird, whose habitat stretches across the western states, is being considered for listing as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, which also would impact energy development across the West (see Daily GPI, Dec. 6, 2007). The partnership will build on research conducted since 2005 by DOW and the University of Idaho. Salt Lake City-based Questar, which focuses its gas exploration efforts in the Rocky Mountains, will fund the partnership for an undisclosed amount.

Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities Tuesday submitted its biennial natural gas resources plan to three Northwest state regulatory commissions for its operations in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Avista’s integrated resource plan (IRP) for natural gas supply/demand covers a 20-year period.

The U.S. Supreme Court last Tuesday said it would hear two cases in which a Nevada utility and Pacific Northwest utility district seek to terminate above-market power contracts that were signed during the western energy market meltdown in 2000-2001.