Resumed

Hearings resumed Wednesday in New Mexico on a request from the state’s two main energy industry groups that the state’s “pit rule” be modified to make it more cost effective. An official with the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department indicated that additional hearings may be required by the Oil Conservation Commission (OCC). New Mexico’s Independent Petroleum Association (IPA) and Oil and Gas Association (OGA) have continued to seek administrative changes to state rules for handling natural gas and oil drilling production waste (see Daily GPI, May 22). Earlier, IPA and OGA representatives told the OCC that their costs are rising to comply with the pit rule, and ranchers expressed environmental concerns. After five days of testimony in May, the OCC was taking additional input and that was expected to require additional hearings beyond the one now scheduled for Friday (June 22). A final determination by the OCC will not come up until about a month after hearings are concluded, according to a state resources department official.

Generally minor softness has lasted only one day this week so far, as a large majority of locations resumed climbs Thursday that once again were mostly in single digits. Patches of snow and rain stretched from the Rockies to the Northeast and snow was even expected to reach the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas by Friday. Subfreezing lows will become more frequent at least through Friday before many areas begin to warm again.

July natural gas futures inched higher Tuesday as traders see the market needing to overcome difficult technical resistance before any trend higher can be resumed while others see the market at a turning point. At the close July had advanced a miserly 0.4 cent to $4.831 and August futures were up 0.1 cent to $4.858. July crude oil rose 8 cents to $99.09/bbl.

Newfield Exploration Co. Thursday raised its 2011 capital budget to $1.9 billion from $1.7 billion set at the beginning of the year. The increase largely relates to leasing in “an undisclosed resource play,” said CEO Lee Boothby during a conference call with financial analysts.

BP plc shares resumed their slide Monday, closing down nearly 10% at $30.67 on the New York Stock Exchange nearly two months after the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank at the company’s Macondo well site in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).

After showing early signs of a rally, the expiring April natural gas futures contract on Monday resumed the downtrend of the last few months, locking in a low of $3.820 before going off the board at $3.842, down 3 cents from Friday’s close. The May contract finished the day at $3.916, down 1.4 cents from Friday’s finish.

After showing early signs of a rally, the expiring April natural gas futures contract on Monday resumed the downtrend of the last few months, locking in a low of $3.820 before going off the board at $3.842, down 3 cents from Friday’s close. The May contract finished the day at $3.916, down 1.4 cents from Friday’s finish.

Following a small rebound in values on Friday, April natural gas futures on Monday resumed the recent downtrend, notching a low of $4.036 before closing out the regular session at $4.079, down 9 cents from Friday’s finish.

Following a small rebound in values on Friday, April natural gas futures on Monday resumed the recent downtrend, notching a low of $4.036 before closing out the regular session at $4.079, down 9 cents from Friday’s finish.