Producing

U.S. explorers took about a decade to claim and begin producing the huge onshore unconventional bounty. Now that they’ve got their rocks of plenty in hand, the task today is determining what to keep and what to toss, according to a Credit Suisse analyst.

When natural gas prices are $3, Southwestern Energy Co. has 1,200-1,500 well locations to drill in the Fayetteville Shale, but “in today’s price environment, that changes substantially,” CFO Robert Craig Owen said Wednesday in Austin, TX.

Southwestern Energy Co. is producing about 400 MMcf/d in the Marcellus Shale and doesn’t foresee any constraints in moving natural gas to markets north or south for the next couple of years, executives said Friday.

Energy & Exploration Partners Inc. (E&E) on Monday acquired 57,275 net acres and 11 producing wells in the East Texas Eaglebine formation from a subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy Corp.

The natural gas cash market worked lower by 9 cents on average Tuesday for Wednesday delivery with all market and producing areas declining. Rocky Mountain points were hit hard, but locations in the Midwest were weak as well. Most major trading hubs lost anywhere from a nickel to a dime. At the close of futures trading the May natural gas contract had fallen 6.5 cents to $4.017 and June was off 6.1 cents to $4.057. May crude oil rose 84 cents to $94.20/bbl.

North Dakota’s record-setting oil production pace has provided an economic boost that has increased sevenfold since 2004, reaching $30.4 billion in 2011, according to a study released by North Dakota State University (NDSU).

A report developed by the Eagle Ford Shale Task Force released Tuesday outlines the history and facts of the booming South Texas oil and gas play in 155 pages. The report addresses topics such as workforce development, infrastructure (pipelines, roads and housing), regulations, water quality, economic benefits, flaring and air emissions, as well as issues affecting landowners, mineral owners and royalty owners. The task force was formed by Railroad Commission of Texas Commissioner David Porter in 2011 (see Shale Daily, July 29, 2011). “In 2011, the Eagle Ford Shale supported almost 50,000 full-time jobs in 20 counties and contributed over $25 billion dollars to the South Texas economy,” the report said. “From 2011 to 2013, daily hydrocarbon liquid production, including natural gas liquids, increased from 100,000 to 700,000 b/d. These developments have made South Texas one of the most prominent energy-producing regions in the United States.”

Over-abundant markets and fallen prices have gutted government natural gas royalties in both of Canada’s main producing provinces, Alberta and British Columbia (BC), according to accounts disclosed by their treasury departments.

Over-abundant markets and fallen prices have gutted government natural gas royalties in both of Canada’s main producing provinces, Alberta and British Columbia (BC), according to disclosures by their treasury departments.