Positive

President Obama’s tilt toward accepting the economic opportunities from U.S. natural gas abundance may have been in fits and starts, but the right-leaning oil and gas industry is finding a lot to praise today, industry officials said Wednesday.

Overall, cash prices fell 3 cents Friday in a broad retreat as only a handful of points made it to the positive side of the trading ledger. Offsetting the pervasive selling was the Northeast, which scored double-digit gains. Eastern locations were mixed, but the Rockies and major market trading points fell hard. At the close of futures trading, July had fallen 10.6 cents to $3.771 and August was down 10.6 cents as well to $3.793. August crude oil continued its losing ways, giving up $1.45 to $93.69/bbl.

Rex Energy Corp. is seeing some positive results from a well targeting Ohio’s Utica Shale, but it is disappointed with a third-party well completion technique at another and is blaming bad weather for delays in turning some wells to sales.

The Marcellus Shale today is the largest U.S. natural gas production region, with output of more than 7 Bcf/d, which has led to a “significant, positive” impact on early movers, but some operators continue to underperform share-wise in the play, according to IHS Inc.

The Marcellus Shale today is the largest U.S. natural gas production region, with output of more than 7 Bcf/d, which has led to a “significant, positive” impact on early movers, but some operators continue to underperform share-wise in the play, according to IHS Inc.

The New York State Assembly’s passage of a bill calling for a two-year moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in the state could divide the fragile bipartisan coalition that controls the Senate.

With a recently signed joint venture agreement targeting the Wolfcamp Shale in hand, Pioneer Natural Resources Co. this year plans to step up horizontal drilling there. In the Eagle Ford, longer laterals and more white sand proppant instead of ceramic are on the agenda.

Citing jobs creation and other positive domestic economic multipliers, San Diego-based Sempra Energy on Monday filed with FERC for approval to construct liquefaction and export facilities at its existing Cameron liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Hackberry, LA.

The Federal Reserve Board (FRB) said activity in the energy industry was a mixed bag and mentioned shale only once — but in a positive light — in the latest edition of the “Beige Book,” a report published eight times a year with data provided by the 12 Federal Reserve Districts.