Practices

An Encana Corp. official on Thursday once again urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw a year-old draft report of groundwater samples near natural gas drilling sites in Pavillion, WY, saying the report was “sloppy” and had led to a “misguided response.”

Longmont, CO, voters Tuesday approved a hotly contested ban on the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) within its jurisdiction, passing a ballot measure (Question 300) by a comfortable margin, according to reports.

FERC last Thursday approved a final rule that updates and improves standards for business practices of interstate natural gas pipelines, including new and revised standards aimed at improving the coordination between pipelines and electric utilities.

FERC Thursday approved a final rule that updates and improves standards for business practices of interstate natural gas pipelines, including new and revised standards aimed at improving the coordination between pipelines and electric utilities.

Maryland’s portion of the Marcellus Shale may be limited to only the two westernmost counties, but its development would benefit the entire state, Drew Cobbs, executive director of the Maryland Petroleum Council, told an audience in Hagerstown, MD, on Wednesday.

Operational best practices and “robustly enforced” regulation can make hydraulic fracturing (fracking) a safe practice in the United Kingdom, according to a review by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Al Armendariz, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Dallas office, resigned Monday following public outcry over his remarks supporting a “crucify them” approach to enforcement of the oil and natural gas industry.

In its final rule to eliminate harmful air pollution from oil and natural gas production, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday extended the deadline for full compliance from 60 days to two-and-a-half years — 2015 — which officials said was a “reasonable” time.

Continuing as one of the leading producers in the Marcellus Shale play, Fort Worth, TX-based Range Resources Corp. on Thursday reported increased production of natural gas, liquids and crude oil, while prices were down and initial results were in on Pennsylvania’s newly imposed natural gas impact fee. The fee’s initial charge put overall production taxes at about $13.6 million, or 23 cents/Mcfe, for the first quarter, Range said.