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U.S. safety and environmental concerns are spreading north across the border into Canada, where the National Energy Board (NEB) is stepping up scrutiny of natural gas and oil operations from exploration to transportation.

Renewed vigor to tap into North America’s shales helped Schlumberger Ltd. to more than double its quarterly earnings, the oilfield services giant said Friday.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has been joined by 12 other Republican senators in introducing a bill that would require that every new major rule proposed by federal agencies be approved by both houses of Congress and signed by the President.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has been joined by 12 other Republican senators in introducing a bill that would require that every new major rule proposed by federal agencies be approved by both houses of Congress and signed by the President.

Citing limited operational flexibility to manage imbalances, Tennessee said a systemwide Imbalance Warning will go into effect Saturday and require all delivery point operators “to keep actual daily takes out of the system equal to or greater than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position. All receipt point operators are required to keep actual daily receipts into the system equal to or less than scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position.” If compliance is not sufficient, Tennessee said, it may take further actions, including contract- or meter-specific OFOs to maintain operational integrity.

A regulation proposed last week by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may work in the favor of natural gas interests because it will require power plants to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) to meet state-by-state emission reductions in 31 eastern states and the District of Columbia.

No significant changes have been made to a provision in the financial regulatory bill that would require major banks to spin off their swap desks, according to a spokeswoman for the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) Tuesday called on the Senate to remove a provision in the financial regulatory reform bill that would require large financial institutions to spin off their lucrative derivatives desks.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-CT) circulated a discussion draft last Tuesday that would require over-the-counter (OTC) derivative products to be centrally cleared and traded on regulated exchanges if they do not receive an exemption from federal regulators overseeing the futures and securities markets.