Official

David Porter, commissioner on the Railroad Commission of Texas, has been appointed by the state’s governor to serve as the official representative of Texas to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), a multi-state agency that works to ensure that the nation’s oil and natural gas resources are conserved and maximized while protecting health, safety and the environment. Porter will serve as host for IOGCC’s 2012 Annual Meeting Oct. 29 through 31 in San Antonio. His ongoing responsibilities at IOGCC include serving as spokesman for the group in Texas, meeting with the governor to discuss current issues, authoring/sponsoring IOGCC resolutions, voting during business session, participating in committees and regularly attending meetings.

Natural gas demand for U.S. electricity generation this coming winter is likely to look a lot like it did this past winter, 2.5-2.6 Tcf, a top official in the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) told the LDC Gas Forums mid-continent meeting Tuesday in Chicago.

Houston-based Chimera Energy Corp. announced on Tuesday that it had received drilling logs from Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the Mexican state-owned petroleum company, and had “formulated a 90-day schedule for the first deployment” of its nonhydraulic shale oil extraction in Mexico’s Chicontepic Basin, even as concerns arose about the accuracy of many of the company’s statements.

A Mexican government official said state-owned petroleum company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) will spend $200 million over the next three years exploring two shale formations in the country for natural gas.

An energy official in New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration said natural gas is being viewed as a potential “bridge fuel” to the future, when technological advances will presumably open the door for renewables.

An Obama administration official said the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to other nations “makes sense” and strongly hinted that additional export permits would eventually be issued by the Department of Energy (DOE).

Citing the the recent disclosure of a “crucify them” enforcement approach by a former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official and several missteps involving agency investigations into allegations of water contamination from hydraulic fracturing, Congress last Wednesday was called upon to exercise greater oversight over the agency’s regional officials and their activities.

Citing the the recent disclosure of a “crucify them” enforcement mentality of a former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official and several agency missteps involving the use of hydraulic fracturing to develop unconventional gas, Congress Wednesday was called upon to exercise greater oversight over EPA’s regional officials and their activities.

Citing the the recent disclosure of a “crucify them” enforcement approach by a former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official and several missteps involving the regulation of hydraulic fracturing, Congress Wednesday was called upon to exercise greater oversight over the agency’s regional officials and their activities.