Placed

Pioneer Natural Resources Co.’s first horizontal Wolfcamp Shale well in Martin County, TX, — the Mabee K #1H — has been placed on production with an initial rate that the company called “strong,” and an analyst following Pioneer said confirms prospectivity in the county.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has issued a permit to Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC (TGP) for its Northeast Upgrade Project after determining that it is in the public interest and would not adversely affect the environment.

“There are no scenarios that I see where anything is going to stop [the United States] from reaping the benefits of unconventional energy resources,” a Houston-based energy attorney said.

In the wake of key natural gas pipeline ruptures and explosions in the past two years, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has placed pipeline safety on the list of the 10 top transportation challenges that will face the nation in 2013.

In the wake of key natural gas pipeline ruptures and explosions in the past two years, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has placed pipeline safety on the list of the 10 top transportation challenges that it will face in 2013.

A Chesapeake Energy Corp. subsidiary on Friday was fined $600,000 and placed on probation for two years after pleading guilty in federal court to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) in order to build a roadway to a natural gas drilling site in northern West Virginia.

Questar Pipeline Co. is holding a binding open season through Sept. 10 for capacity that will be created by new replacement compressor facilities at its existing Simon Station in Sweetwater County, WY.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was placed on the defensive last week by reports that suggested that as recently as four years ago the combination utility was encouraging workers to defer natural gas pipeline leak repairs. The combination utility responded and said it took exception to the allegations, which date back to 2008.

Although there is no direct link to the catastrophic San Bruno pipeline rupture and explosion nearly two years ago, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. again was placed on the defensive by local news reports Tuesday suggesting that as recently as four years ago the combination utility was encouraging workers to defer a lot of distribution pipeline leak repairs.