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A bipartisan group of Michigan House lawmakers is urging its colleagues to consider ways to expand the use of natural gas, offer tax breaks to some producers, get regular reports on the state’s infrastructure and capabilities for natural gas, and put more land with state-owned mineral rights up for oil and natural gas leasing.

A bipartisan group of Michigan House lawmakers is urging its colleagues to consider ways to expand the use of natural gas, offer tax breaks to some oil producers, get regular reports on the state’s infrastructure and capabilities for natural gas, and put more land with state-owned mineral rights up for oil and natural gas leasing.

Dominion Cove Point LNG Inc. (DCP) is seeking long-term, multi-contract authorization from the Department of Energy (DOE) to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its import terminal in Lusby, MD, south of Baltimore. Export approval would boost activity at DCP’s terminal, ease constraints on northeastern pipelines and give Marcellus Shale gas producers an additional outlet for their supply, according to the company.

Range Resources Corp. President Jeffrey L. Ventura is slated to become CEO of the company Jan. 1 when current CEO John H. Pinkerton will become executive chairman, the Marcellus Shale-focused producer said Monday.

Ahead of a midnight deadline Friday to comment on the Delaware River Basin Commission’s (DRBC) draft water quality amendments, those for and against the proposed changes attempted to make their voices heard by delivering thousands of responses to the commissioners.

When the Pennsylvania General Assembly returns to its regular session next week it will once again face a proposal to institute a severance tax on natural gas production.

Acting West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Wednesday night said he would continue to fight for the state’s huge coal industry, but he also urged state residents to embrace the opportunities that would come from natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

February natural gas futures on Tuesday dipped into the mid-$4.50s but rebounded to close the regular session at $4.669, up 1.9 cents from Monday’s finish. Traders, some of whom had been expecting a correction to Monday’s monster 24.5-cent gain, took Tuesday’s strength as a sign that the bulls are a little more firmly in control.

After breaking below $4 for the second time in the last four regular trading sessions, January natural gas futures on Wednesday rebounded to close at $4.152, up 9.3 cents from Tuesday’s finish.