Restrictions

As promised, the Corbett administration is rolling back restrictions on leasing Pennsylvania parks and forests for natural gas development.

Noting that his company is well positioned long term for mid-range natural gas prices and tougher environmental restrictions, Calpine Corp. CEO Jack Fusco reiterated Friday that the nation’s largest independent power producer continues to treat gas as its strategic ally. Calpine’s mostly new, natural gas-fired power plant fleet has the ability to benefit from both price and demand increases when they occur in the electricity sector, Fusco said in reporting decreased earnings last year.

Pacific Gas and Electric did not extend a systemwide low-inventory OFO beyond Thursday.

Texas regulators have adopted tougher restrictions on natural gas development-related air emissions in the Barnett Shale of North Texas. Eventually the new rules — which the industry laments as costly — will apply statewide.

Texas regulators have adopted tougher restrictions on natural gas development-related air emissions in the Barnett Shale of North Texas. Eventually the new rules — which the industry laments as costly — will apply statewide.

ANR reported completing repairs at the Eunice Compressor Station in southeast Louisiana and has lifted all associated capacity restrictions.

Alexander B. Grannis, chief of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), was fired by Gov. David Paterson late last Thursday after an unsigned memo was leaked to the press disparaging staff cutsthat would, among other things, impede the agency’s effectiveness to oversee natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

El Paso said it continues to operate under pressure restrictions in a section of Line 1102 north of Amarillo Compressor Station that makes it unable to physically transport gas north or south between the Amarillo and Dumas compressor stations. Transportation through this segment will be scheduled only to the extent that net nominations in both directions are approximately zero, the pipeline said. It has now acquired all of the property required for rerouting this segment. El Paso said. It expects to start construction in August with an anticipated in-service date around Oct. 5.

The House Natural Resources Committee last Thursday voted out legislation that would place greater restrictions on oil and natural gas producers that drill on federal onshore and offshore lands.