Report

California’s two major natural gas utilities are responsible for the bulk of methane leaks statewide, outpacing oil/natural gas activities in the state, which ranks third nationally in oil production, according to a new state report.

April natural gas is expected to open unchanged Thursday morning at $2.80 as traders cogitate on near-term cooler weather and look past a government report that is expected to show minimum usage. Overnight oil markets plunged.

Seismic activity thought to be caused by human actions — mainly drilling wastewater injection — declined in Oklahoma last year, possibly because of limits placed on disposal wells, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said Wednesday.

March natural gas is set to open 2 cents lower Thursday morning at $2.91 as weather forecasts call for even milder near-term temperatures. Overnight oil markets rose.

Shale drillers have driven a significant increase in the real estate property taxes that counties in eastern and southeastern Ohio have collected since the first Utica Shale wells came online seven years ago, according to a report prepared by the Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) and industry-backed Energy In Depth.

FERC issued certifications for 18.2 Bcf/d of natural gas pipeline capacity in 2016, a 15.4% increase from 2015 (15.7 Bcf/d), but the amount of capacity that entered service dropped slightly during that timeframe, according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

February natural gas is expected to open 11 cents higher Thursday morning at $3.33 as forecasters suggest Alaska ridging late in the month consistent with a return of colder temperatures to the Lower 48. Overnight oil markets rose.

February natural gas is set to open 2 cents higher Thursday morning at $3.29 as traders factor in slightly cooler temperatures before what is expected to be a moderate storage report. Overnight oil markets were mixed.

January natural gas is set to open 3 cents higher Thursday morning at $3.63 in spite of weather forecasts calling for slightly less cold, and expectations of a government storage report expected to show an increasing surplus. Overnight oil markets were mixed.