Permitting

U.S. land permit filings rose 27% month/month in February and were 78% higher year/year at 3,211, the highest monthly permit total since November 2015 and the first February/February jump since 2014, according to data compiled by Evercore ISI.

U.S. land permits for oil and gas development jumped 6% from November to December, the second highest monthly permit total in 2016 and an unlikely departure for the usually slow holiday season. The accelerated permitting activity is predicted to lead to an onshore rig count that’s higher in 2017 than many experts are predicting.

The U.S. active rig count rose by five from a week earlier in the short holiday week ending Wednesday, with three rigs raised for oil and two for natural gas — all horizontals — bringing the domestic count to 593, Baker Hughes Inc. said. Canada lost 10 rigs for the week, and its total count stood at 174.

U.S. natural gas operators hoisted two rigs ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, while oil operators raised three for the week, Baker Hughes Inc. said Wednesday.

The House Rules Committee on Tuesday voted to advance to the House floor a bill that would establish a set deadline for federal and state agencies to approve pipeline applications, despite a veto threat issued by the White House.

Emboldened by the first Republican majorities in both houses of Congress since 2006, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) has reintroduced the “Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act,” (HR 161), which would establish a set deadline for federal and state agencies to approve pipeline applications.

A bill that would extend a pilot program that streamlines the permitting process at the U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for oil and natural gas drilling was introduced in the Senate last week and has bipartisan support.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday released revised underground injection control (UIC) program permitting guidance for wells that use diesel fuels during fracking activities.

Rounding out a trio of energy bills offered by the House this week, the Republican-led chamber Thursday approved by a wide margin legislation that establishes a set deadline for federal and state agencies to approve pipeline applications.