Pressure

Natural gas shale plays have become “relatively well delineated,” which is sending production costs south in many onshore basins, a trend that should continue as adequate infrastructure opens the door to more opportunities, according to Credit Suisse’s energy team.

Supporters of an “environmental bill of rights” charter amendment in Mansfield, OH, prevailed at the polls on Tuesday, but opponents of the measure fear it could be used beyond its intended purpose — to possibly block wastewater injection wells — and applied to other types of business.

Operations have begun at MarkWest Energy Partners’ Sherwood I gas processing plant and the initial phase of its high-pressure gas gathering system in Harrison and Doddridge counties, WV, to serve the Marcellus production of Antero Resources.

Low natural gas liquids (NGL) prices have been weighing down the profitability of midstream processors, and slowing NGL demand is likely to pressure profitability in the near term, but the outlook is generally good further out, Fitch Ratings said in a recent note on NGLs and midstream processors.

Low natural gas liquids (NGL) prices have been weighing down the profitability of midstream processors, and slowing NGL demand is likely to pressure profitability in the near term, but the outlook is generally good further out, Fitch Ratings said in a recent note on NGLs and midstream processors.

The Permian Basin, as well as the Eagle Ford and Bakken shales, which today are considered the “big three” drivers of U.S. oil production, would remain economic at current costs if West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices were to fall to $65/bbl, according to an analysis by Raymond James & Associates Inc. In fact, 13 of 20 onshore oil plays evaluated would breakeven below $65 using current costs, said analysts.

Natural gas liquids (NGL) prices have been under pressure for a while, but some might be caught off guard by continuing weakness in the NGL sector, cautioned analysts at Wells Fargo Securities in a note Tuesday.

The gas surplus and sub-$2-$2.50/MMBtu prices for natural gas will put downward pressure on power prices this summer, and step up the switching of generation facilities from coal-fired to gas-fired, according to FERC’s “Summer 2012 Energy Market and Reliability Assessment” report, which was released Thursday.

The gas surplus and sub-$2-$2.50/MMBtu prices for natural gas will put downward pressure on power prices this summer, and step up the switching of generation facilities from coal-fired to gas-fired, according to FERC’s “Summer 2012 Energy Market and Reliability Assessment” report, which was released Thursday.