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Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP’s Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC (TGP) has signed a binding, 20-year firm transportation precedent agreement with Mitsubishi Corp. of Japanto ship 600,000 Dth/d of natural gas earmarked for the proposed Cameron LNG liquefaction facility in Hackberry, LA, which is slated to begin liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in the second half of 2017. Mitsubishi will serve as the foundation shipper for TGP’s Southwest Louisiana Supply Project, which is designed to provide transportation from various supply basins in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Louisiana to Cameron Interstate Pipeline, which connects directly to the Cameron LNG Terminal. Kinder does not own Cameron Interstate Pipeline or the Cameron LNG facility. Sempra Energy, Mitsubishi and Mitsui & Co. Ltd. recently signed 20-year tolling capacity and joint venture agreements for the terminal (see Daily GPI, May 17). “TGP’s unique footprint, connecting key conventional and shale supply areas from the South Texas Eagle Ford to the Utica and Marcellus in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and access to the Haynesville Shale supply area and the Perryville Hub in Louisiana, makes our Southwest Louisiana Supply Project an ideal fit to serve the future supply needs of Mitsubishi Corp. and the planned Cameron LNG complex,” said TGP President Kimberly Watson.

Blaze Energy Corp. said it has settled a dispute with Environmental Energy Services Inc. (EESV), exchanging subsidiary EESV Fayetteville Inc. and associated outstanding notes for EESV’s 76% stake in the company, in a stock deal valued at $1.9 million. Under the first phase of a reorganization plan, the Boise, ID-based company — which is not affiliated with Calgary-based Blaze Energy Ltd. — also accepted the resignations of all but one of its employees and canceled the lease for its corporate offices.

A coalition of 14 environmental groups has asked Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett to reverse a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) policy that requires field offices to advise senior DEP officials of their intent to acknowledge water contamination related to Marcellus Shale gas well operations before notification letters are sent to potentially affected homeowners.

Laying out a blueprint for how small- and medium-sized businesses can take advantage of the opportunities provided within the current U.S. natural gas development boom, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) has released the second in a series of recommended practices aimed at bolstering the Marcellus Shale region’s supply chain.

Following rather moderate Thanksgiving weekend weather in most regions, traders returned to their offices Monday to face much more winter-befitting forecasts going into December. That, along with a modest futures advance on the preceding Wednesday and the return of industrial load from holiday hiatus, propelled a solid majority of the cash market to substantial gains.

A single Marcellus Shale well in southwestern Pennsylvania directly adds $7.6 million to the economy, on average, according to a new study released Tuesday.

The Marcellus Shale industry is driving job growth in Pennsylvania, according to new government figures.

A lawsuit seeking class action status has been filed in Arkansas against a trio of energy companies alleging that their activities have caused “thousands of earthquakes in central Arkansas.”

Now that the energy industry is done marveling at the shale gas revolution and is believing in abundant gas supplies for years to come, a similar North American supply renaissance is in the making in crude oil, Bentek Energy LLC’s Jim Simpson told attendees at GasMart 2011 in Chicago Wednesday.