Programs

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Friday reiterated the importance of natural gas to the Obama administration’s energy and job-creation programs. Salazar said his department is very active in efforts to boost gas development both on and offshore in the United States.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Friday reiterated the importance of natural gas to the Obama administration’s energy and job-creation programs. Salazar said his department is very active in efforts to boost gas development both on and offshore in the United States.

A nonprofit organization that conducts voluntary reviews of state oil and natural gas regulations has made a few minor recommendations for Colorado’s hydraulic fracturing (fracking) regulations, but concluded that the program is well managed and contains some strengths the shale gas industry would find noteworthy.

After expressing initial reservations, a group representing county governments in Pennsylvania is now supporting a county-level impact fee proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett.

An environmental impact review on oil shale and tar sand plans in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming initiated earlier this year by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an “inefficient and unnecessary” exercise, according to one Shell Exploration and Production (E&P) Co. official.

The administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is drafting legislation for an impact fee on natural gas drillers in the state, according to the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. Over the past week Corbett said he could support a fee for mitigating local impacts and some statewide issues, but not for unrestricted revenue.

North America’s abundant natural gas resources have begun to weaken Russia’s influence on Europe’s energy supplies and could counter Iran’s influence as an energy supplier, according to research by the Baker Institute Energy Forum at Rice University.

If recently announced drilling programs are any indication, 2011 could be the biggest year to date for Utica Shale exploration.

If recently announced drilling programs are any indication, 2011 could be the biggest year to date for Utica Shale exploration.