After resigning earlier this year as Wyoming’s oil/natural gas supervisor after being openly critical of federal environmental regulators (see Shale Daily, June 18), Tom Doll has secured a position as a senior petroleum engineer with the Energy and Environmental Research Center, a nonprofit unit of the University of North Dakota. Doll now works for the center’s oil/natural gas technical group, focusing on reservoir characterization and simulation, geomechanics and providing “operational excellence” for clients. Working remotely from his Wyoming base, Doll also works in emissions control, coal utilization and water management for the Grand Forks, ND-based organization. Wyoming has yet to name a supervisor in its Oil/Gas Conservation Commission to replace Doll.
Openly
Articles from Openly
California Pushing PG&E to Step Up Pipeline Inspections
California officials are openly unhappy with the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) projected 18-month timetable for the investigation of last Thursday’s natural gas pipeline explosion, which killed at least four and left several people still unaccounted for. Officials are pushing Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and their own investigators to accelerate inspections and investigations that will eventually include all of PG&E’s pipelines in the state.
Sempra’s Global Strategy Would Avoid CA Regulation
Taking a page from its counterpart in the northern half of the state that is openly trying to avoid California regulation, San Diego-based Sempra Energy has updated its strategy to focus on a “Global Enterprises” group of businesses not regulated by their headquarters state, according to what Sempra senior executives have told financial and employee audiences in recent weeks.
PPL Challenges Montana PSC’s Authority Over Plants
Attempting to draw a clear line in the sand with state regulators, PPL Corp. yesterday openly questioned the Montana Public Service Commission’s authority over the company’s power plants in the state, and PPL said it wouldn’t rule out the possibility of taking legal action in response to a PSC order issued Tuesday.
El Paso Blames Curtailments on Scheduling Flexibility
El Paso Natural Gas openly concedes it has had to curtaildeliveries on the East End of its system between the San Juan Basinand Texas in recent months, but it said it wasn’t because it hasoversold capacity on that section of its system, as KN MarketingL.P. has alleged. Rather it’s been due to the schedulingflexibility El Paso affords shippers that allows them to use anyreceipt point on the system, up to the volume limit of theircontract.
