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A 73-car train crashed and exploded Saturday in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, igniting its cargo of crude oil — possibly from North Dakota — killing as many as 40 people and forcing the evacuation of nearly 2,000 others.

Maryland’s Department of Environment (MDE) and Department of Natural Resources have released a draft report describing best practices for drilling and production that should be required if horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells is permitted in the state’s portion of the Marcellus Shale, which is confined to its two westernmost counties.

Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Chairman Barry Smitherman plans to run for Texas attorney general (AG) next year, but only if current AG and fellow conservative Greg Abbott does not seek re-election. An AG’s office headed by Smitherman would be pro-drilling and a staunch opponent of federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation.

Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Chairman Barry Smitherman plans to run for Texas attorney general (AG) next year, but only if current AG and fellow conservative Greg Abbott does not seek re-election.

SandRidge Energy Inc. founder Tom Ward, the company’s only chairman and CEO since it was formed in 2006, was ousted last week by the board of directors, which said its decision was “in the best interests of the company and its shareholders at this time.”

SandRidge Energy Inc. Tom Ward, who founded the company in 2006 and has been its only chairman and CEO, was ousted by the board on Wednesday and replaced by current President James Bennett.

In what is considered a symbolic gesture, Rochester, NY’s city council voted unanimously on Tuesday to extend by one year a moratorium on natural gas exploration and extraction activities, and in particular, hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Connecting the wells only addresses part of the problem with flaring of natural gas in North Dakota’s Bakken and Three Forks formations; it’s no help if there’s a lack of takeaway and processing capacity.

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) expects there to be only “slightly upward pressure” on natural gas prices this summer compared to the summer of 2012 due to an anticipated drop in coal-to-gas switching by power generators and cooler temperatures early this summer.