Onshore

Finding a proven, economical way to move natural gas onshore from far out in the North Atlantic has long been a puzzle for the Canadian oil and gas industry, but Husky Energy Inc. may be close to finalizing an agreement to use compressed natural gas (CNG) tankers to transport gas reserves from its White Rose oil prospect, an executive told a Calgary audience last week.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co. said Thursday that it has closed on its previously announced acquisition of assets in two of its U.S. onshore core areas, the Permian Basin and South Texas, for a combined purchase price of $177 million (see Daily GPI, June 29).

FERC on Tuesday affirmed an April ruling that found part of Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line’s offshore and onshore facilities in Louisiana to be regulated transmission and ineligible to be spun down to affiliate Williams Gas Processing-Gulf Coast Co. (WGP). The agency, in a separate order, also upheld an initial finding of jurisdictional transmission for the facilities of Jupiter Energy Corp.

Chevron Corp. said Friday that the North West Shelf Venture (NWSV) will be expanding its onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities near Karratha, Western Australia by adding a fifth LNG train.

Fort Worth-based Range Resources Corp., which concentrates on exploration onshore in the United States, has increased its domestic oil and natural gas holdings with the $116.6 million purchase of privately held Plantation Petroleum Holdings II LLC. Range estimated that the proved reserves of the Permian Basin properties are 77 Bcfe, tilted 82% to natural gas and 62% undeveloped.

Chevron Corp. said late last week that the North West Shelf Venture (NWSV) will be expanding its onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities near Karratha, Western Australia by adding a fifth LNG train.

Fort Worth-based Range Resources Corp., which concentrates on exploration onshore in the United States, has increased its domestic oil and natural gas holdings with the $116.6 million purchase of privately held Plantation Petroleum Holdings II LLC. Range estimated that the proved reserves of the Permian Basin properties are 77 Bcfe, tilted 82% to natural gas and 62% undeveloped.

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, who has been a strong proponent of onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal construction in her state, has sent a letter to Acting Maritime Administrator John Jamian warning that she will oppose construction of LNG terminals off the Louisiana coast that use the “open rack” vaporization (ORV) process.

Just as they did in the U.S. onshore and in the shallow water of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), the independents eventually will usurp the majors as the top producers in the deepwater GOM, Noble Energy CEO Chuck Davidson said last week.