Promise

After much promise but little action, the area of the Niobrara Shale play extending into southeast Wyoming has energy stakeholders in that state scratching their heads. The prospect of more seismic testing has at least one high-level state official encouraged.

Despite the promise of a veto from Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, Pennsylvania lawmakers are pushing to get a tax or fee on Marcellus Shale development included in the state’s fiscal 2012 budget, which is due at the end of June.

The promise of continued production growth from unconventional gas plays — shales in particular — has been repeated yet again in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest production forecast. While the overall gas-directed rig count has fallen, the number of rigs targeting unconventional plays (gas and oil) has increased from last year.

EQT Corp. CEO David Porges said the company was “off to a good start” in 2011, but he conceded that more work needed to be done to satisfy shareholders and to meet its strategic challenges.

Deep natural gas drilling in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continue to show promise and indicate “the potential for large structures” similar to discoveries onshore South Louisiana and in the GOM deepwater, executives with New Orleans-based McMoRan Exploration Co. said last week.

Deep drilling activities in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continue to show promise and indicate “the potential for large structures” similar to discoveries onshore South Louisiana and in the GOM deepwater, executives with New Orleans-based McMoRan Exploration Co. said Monday.

Success at extracting natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) from North American shales has turned the conversation about NGLs and the U.S. petrochemical industry around 180 degrees. The abundance of feedstock and fuel coming from shale plays has caught the attention of the petrochemical industry, but still more confidence is needed before the real investment can begin.

With continuing unfulfilled promise within the state’s renewable energy mix, biogas could use a marketing boost, and Sempra Energy’s two utilities have plans to provide the jump-start in recent filings at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). They expect a decision from regulators next year.

With continuing unfulfilled promise within the state’s renewable energy mix, biogas, or “green” gas, could use a marketing boost, and Sempra Energy’s two utilities said Tuesday they have plans to provide the jump-start in filings at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). They expect a decision from regulators next year.