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The federal government could save more than $25 billion through 2025 if 20% of its third-party transportation providers were required to adopt the same alternative fuel targets, efficiency standards and reporting practices used by federal agencies’ fleets, according to a report by the American Clean Skies Foundation (ACSF).

While oil production in North Dakota could more than quadruple by 2025 to more than 2 million b/d, natural gas could do even better, gaining by nearly six times over current production to 3.1 Bcf/d, according to an analysis commissioned by the state’s Pipeline Authority and performed by Bentek Energy LLC.

Canadian environmental assessments and public hearings will no longer be required by the National Energy Board (NEB) for long-term natural gas, byproducts and oil export and import licenses. The NEB announced the time-saving change as a step to carry out regulatory reform legislation enacted as of June 29 by the year-old Conservative majority government following prolonged, heated debate in Parliament this spring.

Canadian environmental assessments and public hearings will no longer be required by the National Energy Board (NEB) for long-term natural gas, byproducts and oil export and import licenses. The NEB announced the time-saving change as a step to carry out regulatory reform legislation enacted as of June 29 by the year-old Conservative majority government following prolonged, heated debate in Parliament this spring.

The Pine Ridge fire along the Western Slope of Colorado tested the natural gas industry and required more than 10 wells to be shuttered in part of the Piceance Basin earlier this month (see NGI, July 9), but the response was effective, according to Encana Corp.’s David Grisso, who was the producer’s manager on the ground.

Regulating hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on public lands as the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to do would cost society $1.499 billion to $1.615 billion per year, according to an analysis commissioned by the Western Energy Alliance (WEA).

Chesapeake Energy Corp. shareholders jettisoned two board members up for reelection and approved three shareholder-initiated resolutions at the company’s annual meeting in Oklahoma City, signaling a turning point for the operator’s corporate governance and likely for the future of CEO Aubrey McClendon.

Atlas Resources Partners LP (ARP) has made a friendly deal to take over privately held Barnett Shale operator Titan Operating LLC for $184 million, giving the Philadelphia-based operator another big natural gas liquids (NGL) lift in the heart of Texas.

Kinder Morgan Inc. and El Paso Corp. have received all regulatory approvals required to close their merger, which is scheduled for May 24. The deadline for El Paso shareholders and equity award holders to elect the form of consideration they wish to receive in the merger is 5 p.m. EDT May 23. The deal was announced last fall (see Daily GPI, Oct. 18, 2011) and received antitrust clearance with a condition that some assets be divested (see Daily GPI, April 20; March 19).