operators

High technology and big investments required by shale drilling are cutting the number of Canadian companies capable of operating natural gas wells, according to an industry population count by the National Energy Board (NEB).

The North Dakota Legislature has carved out a new state environmental agency as a cabinet-level unit, set higher limits for spill reporting and established a safety/environmental self-auditing program for oil/natural gas operators in the state.

Activity in the U.S. onshore again appears to be heading north, as producers slowly raise rigs and open their wallets for bolt-on acquisitions. West Texas is the No. 1 destination, but even the long neglected natural gas-rich Haynesville and Fayetteville shales may be getting more love in the second half of this year.

Oil prices began to move higher in the last few days on an announcement that producers from in and outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will hold talks in mid-April to consider freezing output — news that may be favorable as U.S. operators meet with their lenders to redetermine their borrowing abilities.

Ohio’s unconventional oil and natural gas production skyrocketed in 2015, with each growing by about 100% from 2014 levels. An analysis of the data shows that many of the same operators and counties continue to push those volumes higher.

The U.S. Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) unveiled its long-awaited rules governing flaring and venting of associated natural gas on public and tribal lands on Friday.

The Permian Basin’s maturation as an unconventional liquids play has made it a premium spot for producers — particularly since oil prices have been crushed and are expected to remain so for a while. Now, consolidation of assets and players is afoot as the upstream industry works through its glut of debt and oil.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s (AG) office said Thursday that its lawsuit against Chesapeake Energy Corp. and its affiliates, including Williams Partners LP, could involve at least 4,000 landowners, a number that could grow exponentially as the case unfolds and if the state takes action against other operators.

Drought-sensitive California oil/gas regulators on Friday issued violation notices to 56 operators in the state for failing to report water data on time.