Rapidly

To support rapidly expanding drilling programs in the Utica Shale’s southern core, MarkWest Utica EMG LLC on Friday agreed to construct a third 200 MMcf/d cryogenic natural gas processor at the Seneca complex in Noble County, OH.

To support rapidly expanding drilling programs in the Utica Shale’s southern core, MarkWest Utica EMG LLC on Friday agreed to construct a third 200 MMcf/d cryogenic natural gas processor at the Seneca complex in Noble County, OH.

Data just coming in from 2011 shows that investment in U.S. shale oil and gas drilling nearly doubled over 2010 levels, which vaulted shale plays to account for nearly one-quarter of all wells drilled in the United States, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API).

Most exploration and production (E&P) executives believe shale natural gas prices have bottomed out, with 87% predicting that prices will stay the same or increase over the next two years, according to a survey of 357 North American executives.

Ultra Petroleum Inc.’s Wyoming unit on Friday agreed to sell a liquids pipeline system and gathering facilities and certain associated real property rights in the Pinedale Anticline in Wyoming for $225 million. The buyer is Pinedale Corridor LP, a newly created unit of CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, and the deal is expected to close later this month.

Oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Inc. said Wednesday “rapidly changing market conditions,” primarily in the pressure pumping business in North America as drillers move rigs out of natural gas fields, likely will impact profits in the first quarter.

Wyoming is facing a potential budget shortfall exceeding $100 million due to rapidly declining natural gas prices in a state highly dependent upon the shale boom and its related economic drivers, Gov. Matt Mead said Tuesday in Cheyenne.

“Rapidly increasing” production in the Permian Basin in West Texas has launched plans by Atlas Pipeline Partners LP to construct a 200 MMcf/d cryogenic gas processing plant there.

As a marathon hunt continues for cases of a Canadian pipeline plague, an additional effort aims to catch up with a U.S. method of easily and rapidly distributing hazard information.