Producing

With a 16% worldwide market share, Russia’s Gazprom remains the “undisputed leader” of global natural gas producers, followed by ExxonMobil Corp., with a 4% share, according to a new report by Societe Generale (SG).

An El Paso Corp.-operated well in North Louisiana is the first gas-producing well to be completed using all three of Halliburton’s proprietary CleanSuite production enhancement technologies for both hydraulic fracturing and water treatment, the companies said. More than four million gallons of an ecofriendly CleanStim fracture fluid system, which was first introduced by Halliburton last year (see Shale Daily, Nov. 16, 2010), was used to enhance the well, they said. CleanStim is a food-based fracking solution. Halliburton’s CleanStream process was used to treat nearly 4.8 million gallons of water and another one million gallons of produced water was prepared for recycling in the well through the CleanWave system.

Heavy rainfall in the West is producing potential record hydroelectric supplies that are impacting natural gas-fired power plant operations in California, according to senior officials at Houston-based Calpine Corp.

An El Paso Corp.-operated well in North Louisiana is the first gas-producing well to be completed using all three of Halliburton’s proprietary CleanSuite production enhancement technologies for both hydraulic fracturing and water treatment, the companies said. More than four million gallons of an ecofriendly CleanStim fracture fluid system, which was first introduced by Halliburton last year (see Daily GPI, Nov. 16, 2010), was used to enhance the well, they said. CleanStim is a food-based fracking solution. Halliburton’s CleanStream process was used to treat nearly 4.8 million gallons of water and another one million gallons of produced water was prepared for recycling in the well through the CleanWave system.

The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season may not be as active as previously predicted, producing only as many tropical storms as the 1995-2010 average (15 named storms, including eight hurricanes, four of them Category Three or greater), but the United States can expect two or three hurricanes to make landfall this year, forecasters at WSI Corp. said Tuesday.

Judging from testimony at a Texas House Energy Resources Committee hearing Wednesday evening, numerous producing and midstream interests in the state want to keep the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) much the same as it is instead of replacing the three-member body with a new one-commissioner entity, as has been approved by the Senate in SB 655 (see Daily GPI, April 14; April 6).

Chevron Corp. has its hand in nearly every natural gas and oil producing basin on- and offshore around the world. But for the long term, natural gas development will be the driver, and U.S. shale plays offer “opportunities” to sustain organic growth, the company’s exploration and production (E&P) chief said last Monday.

Xcel Energy Inc. announced Tuesday that it plans to shut down two coal-fired boilers producing 253 MW at its Black Dog power plant in Minnesota and replace them with a 700 MW combined-cycle facility that uses natural gas.

The Allegheny County (PA) Council has scheduled a hearing for 5 p.m. EST Thursday in Pittsburgh to hear public comment regarding Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling within the county.