Reaching

The United States could produce 5 million b/d from shale oil deposits by 2017 and may become the world’s largest oil producer — reaching up to 16 million b/d in just a few years by combining shale with conventional oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and biofuels, according to a researcher at Harvard Kennedy School.

The United States could produce 5 million b/d from shale oil deposits by 2017 and may become the world’s largest oil producer — reaching up to 16 million b/d in just a few years by combining shale with conventional oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and biofuels, according to a researcher at Harvard Kennedy School.

A landowner coalition, the Powder River Basin Resource Council, has petitioned Wyoming energy officials to revise rules pertaining to oil and natural gas development.

Crude oil production from the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas was up by 74% in February compared with a year ago, reaching an all-time high of 471,258 b/d from the nine fields that comprise the majority of the play, according preliminary data from the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC).

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) gained more political support for a far-reaching plan to abandon its historic reliance on out-of-state coal-fired power generation and to rely more on natural gas.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) gained more political support for a far-reaching plan to abandon its historic reliance on out-of-state coal-fired power generation, and part of the plan includes a switch of coal units to burn natural gas.

North Dakota’s record-setting oil production pace has provided an economic boost that has increased sevenfold since 2004, reaching $30.4 billion in 2011, according to a study released by North Dakota State University (NDSU).

Natural gas production in the Lower 48, boosted by output from shale plays, was up to 72.70 Bcf/d in December, almost 1% (0.62 Bcf/d) over December 2011, but down 1.1% (0.83 Bcf/d) compared with November, according to the most recent data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Infrastructure projects, acquisitions and contracting activity — particularly in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas — served to lift crude oil pipeline throughputs for NuStar GP Holdings LLC last year. Some of NuStar’s South Texas pipeline assets had been underutilized.