Opened

Another link in the national natural gas highway was established recently when Seal Beach, CA-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp. opened a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling station in Seville, OH. The public station will support an expanding fleet of LNG trucks by Dillon Transport, a major contract freight carrier serving Owens Corning. The station is on property owned by Pilot Flying J Truck Travel Centers, a partner with Clean Energy in establishing the natural gas network for long-haul truck operators (see Daily GPI, Aug. 25, 2011). The Ohio LNG station received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the federal stimulus program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The station will support Dillon-operated trucks delivering raw materials to Owens Corning production plants that produce residential and commercial building materials.

Arizona regulators opened a prehearing conference on a 4% general rate increase request by UNS Gas Inc., the UniSource Energy Corp. natural gas distribution utility in parts of Arizona. The Arizona Corporation Commission has scheduled evidentiary hearings to run through Feb. 17. UNS is asking for an annual revenue increase of $5.6 million, increasing its rate base to $254 million, effective May 1. Tucson, AZ-based UniSource Energy is the holding company for UniSource Energy Services, which provides gas and electric services to about 237,000 customers, along with Tucson Electric Power, which provides electricity to more than 400,000 customers in southern Arizona.

California regulators on Thursday opened a third penalty proceeding at Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), which alleges the utility violated state law and various federal regulations. The allegations came as the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Consumer Protection and Safety Division (CPSD) completed its investigation of the San Bruno, CA pipeline tragedy.

California regulators on Thursday opened a third penalty proceeding for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) alleging that the utility violated state law and various federal regulations. The allegations came as the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Consumer Protection and Safety Division completed its investigation of the San Bruno, CA pipeline tragedy in 2010.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently opened a 30-day comment period on the environmental assessment (EA) for EOG Resources’ plans for directional drilling of production wells in an already developed area in the central portion of the Uinta play in northeast Utah. The comment period ends Jan. 13.

Although there were a few more flat to moderately higher quotes than on Friday, a holiday-shortened trading week opened Monday much as the previous one had ended Friday: with losses at a large majority of locations. However, in a slightly bullish sign several of the gains had gotten significantly larger, and most of the losses had shrunk to single digits instead of the double-digit drops that were so prevalent Friday.

FERC on Thursday opened investigations into rates charged by three interstate natural gas companies — ANR Storage Co., Bear Creek Storage Co. LLC and MIGC LLC — to determine whether they are over-recovering their cost of service by charging rates that are unjust and unreasonable.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has opened an investigation into the bankruptcy of securities firm MF Global Inc. and a $600 million shortfall in customer securities.

Saying it has put last year’s Gulf of Mexico (GOM) deepwater well blowout with BP plc behind them, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. senior officials Tuesday tried to look past third quarter red ink to what they consider hot domestic shale and African liquefied natural gas (LNG) prospects.