Notices

BP plc, Halliburton Co. and Transocean Ltd. are appealing a series of notices issued by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) that found the companies violated federal offshore drilling regulations when the Macondo well blew out in April 2010.

In e-mail notices that arrived a minute apart Thursday morning, Southern California Gas declared a high-linepack OFO for the same day and then extended it through at least Friday. The tolerance for positive daily imbalances was set at 10% in both cases. The distributor also said it will lose 30 MMcf/d of storage injection capacity from next Tuesday through June 10 due to anomaly repairs on Line 1004.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said its inspectors have always been allowed to issue notices of violation (NOV) to Marcellus Shale operators without requiring approval from top agency officials. The agency said it has issued its staff a clarification stating as much.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said its inspectors have always been allowed to issue notices of violation (NOV) to Marcellus Shale operators without requiring approval from top agency officials. The agency said it has issued its staff a clarification stating as much.

New York’s ban on permitting for drilling operations involving hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has prompted Norway’s Norse Energy Corp. ASA to send notices of force majeure to landowners covering its leased acres, thereby extending its leases and awaiting shale developments under the incoming state administration.

Noting that it has posted several shipper notices in recent weeks indicating that its system is experiencing high line pressure and linepack, Transco said Wednesday it is implementing an Imbalance OFO effective Friday with minimum penalties of $50/Dth. To avoid a penalty shippers must ensure that long imbalances (due-shipper) not exceed 5% or 1,000 Dth, whichever is greater. High utilization of firm services and various maintenance activities have resulted in reduced operating flexibility, Transco said.

Florida Gas Transmission had Overage Alert Day notices in place Saturday and Sunday with 25% tolerances for negative daily imbalances, but did not renew the notice Monday.

Kerr-McGee Corp.’s stock got a boost from investors and financial analysts Tuesday after the producer said it had received notices from financier Carl C. Icahn and Icahn Partners Master Fund LP of their intention to acquire up to $1 billion total of the company’s stock. Based on last Friday’s closing share price, the purchases would amount to 2-9% of outstanding shares, assuming dilution.

Florida Gas Transmission let last week’s Overage Alert Day notices lapse Saturday, then implemented new ones Sunday and Monday. Monday’s tolerance for negative daily imbalances was 15%.