Potential

Oklahoma City-based Continental Resources Inc., the Bakken’s largest leaseholder, said Monday it has raised its reserves estimates for parts of the Bakken Three Forks area by 57% to 903 billion bbl following completion of an initial test well.

A continuation of the drought that began this summer in the nation’s midsection could help keep temperatures in the region low this winter, and has the potential to trigger a repeat of 2010-2011’s wellhead freeze-offs, according to a 2012-13 Winter Outlook released by Earth Networks-WeatherBug.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Jesse White (D-Cecil), who has frequently voiced his opposition to the state’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law and the potential impacts of gas drilling in the state, sent e-mails to Range Resources Inc. — the largest driller in his home county — asking for campaign contributions and a ride to the 2011 Superbowl on Range’s corporate plane.

A continuation of the drought that began this summer in the nation’s midsection could help keep temperatures in the region low this winter, and has the potential to trigger a repeat of 2010-2011’s wellhead freeze-offs, according to a 2012-13 Winter Outlook released Wednesday by Earth Networks-WeatherBug.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Jesse White (D-Cecil), who has frequently voiced his opposition to the state’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law and the potential impacts of gas drilling in the state, sent e-mails to Range Resources Inc. — the largest driller in his home county — asking for campaign contributions and a ride to the 2011 Superbowl on Range’s corporate plane.

Like many, but not all, producers, Houston-based Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. has shifted to oil because that’s where the profits are.

Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. announced Monday that it had closed on the sale of a majority of its leasehold in the northern Utica Shale to an undisclosed buyer for $43 million in cash.

ZaZa Energy Corp. more than doubled its proved Eagle Ford Shale oil reserves between the end of last year and Sept. 1; however, proved Eagle Ford gas reserves declined by more than half with the dissolution of a joint venture (JV) the company had with Hess Corp.

Production in North Dakota’s Bakken/Three Forks shale playscontinued to climb month over month in August, the most recent month for accumulating statistics, the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) reported. With more wells producing in August compared to the previous month (7,701 vs. 7,481), both crude oil and natural gas production exceeded July totals. Crude oil production reached 21.7 million bbl in August, compared with 20.9 million bbl in July. A number of wells remained idle as there were 8,495 wells capable of production in August, DMR said. As in recent months, the vast bulk of the production came from four counties: Dunn, McKenzie, Mountrail and Williams.