Producers

The second version of the U.S. Department of Interior’s (DOE) proposed rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on public lands isn’t as bad as the first, but with a projected cost per well of $96,913, it still leaves much to be desired, industry groups said.

Eastern shale gas production growth has trumped Wyoming Powder River Basin (PRB) coalbed methane (CBM) as Calgary-based global energy processor Enerflex Ltd. said Thursday it is closing its Casper natural gas compression and processing plant, affecting 89 workers.

Former BP plc operating chief Doug Suttles on Tuesday took over as CEO and president of Encana Corp., one of the largest natural gas producers in North America.

As oil and gas companies continue to ponder the best strategy for unlocking natural resources in the Utica Shale — and industry analysts continue to debate the merits of doing so — data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) indicate that the state has passed an important milestone: 100 horizontal wells online and in production.

The costly and complex decision to shift from being one of the biggest natural gas producers to becoming one of the largest liquids operators showed some positives for Chesapeake Energy Corp. in the first three months of this year, which also gained on improving natural gas prices.

EQT Corp.’s decision to focus development operations in the Marcellus Shale appears to be paying off as the company reported Thursday that 1Q2013 production sales volumes increased by 47% over last year’s quarter and that production sales volumes from the Marcellus alone increased by 103%.

A proposed settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and two independent producers, which allegedly rigged bidding in a government lease sale in Colorado, would nearly double the fines to be paid by the companies, compared with a previous settlement, according to documents filed recently in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

Opponents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Michigan plan to begin collecting signatures for a petition that could ask voters in 2014 whether to allow the drilling stimulation practice to be used in the state.

While water use for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in drought-stricken Texas is considered modest when compared to other uses, such as for agriculture, where the water is drawn from is a significant consideration, according to an analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).