Proper

It wouldn’t be a proper T. Boone Pickens speech without a wild predication or two, and the legendary oilman made a handful at Hart Energy’s 2011 DUG (Developing Unconventional Gas) East conference in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) has suspended 41 water withdrawals in Pennsylvania as of Monday afternoon because of low-flowing streams in the central part of the state, forcing many natural gas driller to stop taking water from certain local waterways.

Talisman Energy Inc. temporarily shut down all hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations in North America while it investigated a well control incident that occurred Jan. 17 at a Talisman natural gas well on state forest land in Tioga County, PA, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said Tuesday. DEP is conducting a separate investigation of the incident.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) Monday published a new guidance document outlining current best-industry practices for the proper drilling and cementing of wells that are being hydraulically fractured. The document, “Hydraulic Fracturing Operations — Well Construction and Integrity Guideline,” is designed to ensure that shallow ground water aquifers and the environment are protected throughout the drilling, completion and production phases of a well’s life, according to API. “The guidance document helps supplement and support existing state regulations to ensure that development of our nation’s abundant natural gas resources is safe and effective,” said API Upstream Director Doug Morris. A free .pdf of the guidance document is available at www.api.org/Publications/epstandards/. A hard copy may be purchased for $40 from www.api.org/publications or by calling IHS at (800) 854-7179.

The Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) and Bureau of Land Management actions fall short of what is required to to ensure the proper measurement of oil and natural gas production for royalty purposes, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a recent report.

The Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) and Bureau of Land Management actions fall short of what is required to to ensure the proper measurement of oil and natural gas production for royalty purposes, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said Friday.