Publicly

Capital spending on exploration and production (E&P) by 139 publicly traded oil and gas companies is expected to increase to $406 billion this year, a 12% increase compared with 2010, according to a report from IHS.

A ballot initiative sponsored by former natural gas industry executive Sheffield Nelson to raise Arkansas’ severance tax on natural gas production has passed the muster of the state attorney general and would go before voters next year if proponents can garner enough signatures.

BP plc was the only one of the top five U.S. producers of natural gas that also showed up among the top five gas marketers in 2010, according to an analysis by Natural Gas Intelligence (NGI) of federal filings that showed a 6% gain in trading in 2010 over 2009.

The National Association of Publicly Traded Partnerships (NAPTP) recently warned its members that the Obama administration is considering corporate-level taxation of pass-through entities, such as master limited partnerships (MLP). Such a change could have significant consequences for the midstream energy sector where numerous companies are MLPs. The warning came in a confidential memo circulated to NAPTP members, which was leaked to Reuters. NAPTP Executive Director Mary Lyman would not share the memo with NGI but confirmed its distribution. In an e-mail to NGI, Lyman said, “At this point, there is no public proposal yet; we have simply heard that there is a proposal under discussion as part of corporate tax reform that would tax a broad section of pass-through entities, including MLPs — everything with gross receipts over $50 million.” The administration is still considering tax reform options, according to a White House spokeswoman.

UPS announced that it has purchased 48 heavy tractor trucks fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and plans to help build a publicly accessible LNG station in Las Vegas, NV.

UPS announced that it has purchased 48 heavy tractor trucks fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and plans to help build a publicly accessible LNG station in Las Vegas, NV.

Williams will split itself into two standalone publicly traded corporations, the Tulsa-based company said last week, in a move aimed at value enhancement that has been on the minds of company executives for a while.

Williams will split itself into two standalone publicly traded corporations, the Tulsa-based company said Wednesday, in a move aimed at value enhancement that has been on the minds of company executives for a while.

To provide an early warning system for potential natural gas drilling incidents, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) on Tuesday said it would expand its network of electronic water quality monitors on streams that flow through the Marcellus Shale region of New York and Pennsylvania.