Progress

Royal Dutch Shell plc plans to invest a minimum of $1 billion a year in unconventional natural gas exploration in China, the producer’s top China executive said this week.

Setting aside low natural gas prices and unseasonably warm weather in the first quarter, Bismarck, ND-based MDU Resources Group Inc. is riding the continuing Bakken Shale boom in its home state, growing its oil production 19% for the first three months of this year and increasing its working rig count from two to 10 for its exploration and production (E&P) unit over the most recent quarter-over-quarter period.

Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar reiterated Tuesday that the Obama administration is continuing to develop draft rules for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in drilling operations, which he said would not slow the natural gas and oil boom.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is making progress in creating a “safety-first culture” in its natural gas pipeline operations, but in past years the combination utility lost its safety edge with the merger of its electricity and natural gas utility operations, according to Executive Vice President of Gas Operations Nick Stavropoulos.

While Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is making progress in creating a “safety-first culture” in its natural gas pipeline operations, in past years the combination utility lost its safety edge with the merger of its electricity and natural gas utility operations, according to Nick Stavropoulos, PG&E executive vice president of gas operations.

Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC made “significant progress” on its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project in 2011, but that wasn’t enough to keep red ink from marring Cheniere Energy Inc.’s bottom line, the company said Friday.

An investment manager organization that leads a coalition of shareholder advocacy groups for social and environmental issues says progress has been made in the third year of its quest to convince natural gas operators to be more forthcoming over how they are managing the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

An investment manager organization that leads a coalition of shareholder advocacy groups for social and environmental issues says progress has been made in the third year of its quest to convince natural gas operators to be more forthcoming over how they are managing the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Two transactions completed late in 2011 have helped Chesapeake Energy Corp. achieve “substantial progress” toward a goal of reducing debt by 25% by the end of this year, the company said last week.