Eddie LeBlanc will take over as CFO and executive vice president at SandRidge Energy Inc. on July 8, the operator said. LeBlanc formerly was CFO at East Resources Inc. from 2010 until 2013. Before that, he also served as CFO at PostRock Energy Corp. (2009-2010), Ascent Energy Co. (2003-2007), Range Resources Corp. (2000-2003), and Coho Energy Inc. (1995-1999). He has a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is a certified public accountant and chartered financial analyst. LeBlanc is moving into the office formerly occupied by James D. Bennett, who recently was named CEO (see Daily GPI, June 20). Bennett began as SandRidge’s CFO in January 2011 and he was named president in March.
Said
Articles from Said
The Fayetteville Shale is Dry, But It’s Hardly Dried Up
“We have thousands and thousands of well locations,” he said at the UBS Global Oil and Gas Conference. “We’ll be drilling at this pace for many years to come, assuming the [Nymex] strip pricing that we have today. We do plan to drill close to 400 wells this year and that certainly, of all of our operations, can flex more than any others as we need to respond to gas prices, one way or the other [see Shale Daily, May 24].”
Industry Brief
The Sand Hills and Southern Hills natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines have entered service, according to DCP Midstream, Phillips 66 and Spectra Energy Corp., which each own a one-third interest in the pipelines. The 720-mile Sand Hills is transporting NGL from the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale. The 800-mile Southern Hills is transporting NGL from production in the Midcontinent. “DCP Midstream will have an integrated NGL pipeline system, consisting of Sand Hills and Southern Hills as well as our interests in the Front Range and Texas Express pipelines, that connect our gathering and processing systems located in most of the major liquids-rich and oil-driven shale plays to growing Gulf Coast markets,” said DCP Midstream CEO Wouter van Kempen.
West Virginia Needs ‘Significant’ Investment in NatGas Infrastructure
If West Virginia and the broader region encompassing the Marcellus and Utica shales take advantage of value-added opportunities associated with natural gas — in the manufacturing, transportation and electricity generation sectors — a greater share of the economic benefits of the shale boom will be retained by the region, according to a report issued by Vision Shared, a the Huntington, WV-based nonprofit organization. But significant investment is needed upfront to make that happen.
Industry Brief
CN, Canada’s national railway, said it plans to accelerate work on a US$33 million project to upgrade a 74-mile section of the Whitehall Subdivision line in Wisconsin. The upgrade between the towns of Wisconsin Rapids and Blair would allow increased car-loading capacity and train velocity for hydraulic fracture (frack) sand suppliers Badger Mining Corp., Preferred Sands of Wisconsin LLC, Atlas Resin Proppants LLC and Taylor Frac LLC. After the upgrade, CN would be able to transport heavier freight cars loaded with frack sand, up to a maximum of 286,000 pounds. CN, which began the work in 2012, plans to complete the project by December 2014, a year ahead of time.
Antero IPO Rumored as Marcellus-Focused Output Triples
Antero Resources LLC, the Appalachian Basin-focused powerhouse powered by private equity giant Warburg Pincus, said last week net production in 1Q2013 jumped 114% year/year and increased 21% sequentially, primarily driven by 24 new wells brought online in the Marcellus Shale.
Industry Brief
Mercedes-Benz is providing DHL Express Mexico with Sprinter compressed natural gas (CNG)-gasoline bifuel vehicles. DHL previously said it is satisfied with the performance of the 15 MB Sprinter model, which first was deployed in November in Mexico City. The vans are part of a 218-vehicle delivery from the auto manufacturer’s Mexico arm, including 181 Sprinters, 32 Vito vans and five Smart cars. DHL reported its overall investment was about US$10.5 million. The four-cylinder, 1.8-liter natural gas engines represent “the first natural gas-powered Sprinter fleet in the Americas,” according to DHL.
Industry Brief
Blaze Energy Corp. said it has settled a dispute with Environmental Energy Services Inc. (EESV), exchanging subsidiary EESV Fayetteville Inc. and associated outstanding notes for EESV’s 76% stake in the company, in a stock deal valued at $1.9 million. Under the first phase of a reorganization plan, the Boise, ID-based company — which is not affiliated with Calgary-based Blaze Energy Ltd. — also accepted the resignations of all but one of its employees and canceled the lease for its corporate offices.
Pennsylvania Midstreamers to Improve Facilities in EPA Agreements
Two natural gas midstream operators in western Pennsylvania have agreed to improve their facilities after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said they failed to comply with Clean Air Act (CAA) rules to prevent accidental releases of flammable substances.
Industry Briefs
HollyFrontier Corp. and Holly Energy Partners LP are collaborating to construct a rail facility that will enable crude oil loading and unloading near HollyFrontier’s Artesia and/or Lovington, NM, refining facilities. The rail project, which will be connected to Holly Energy’s crude oil pipeline system in southeastern New Mexico, will have an initial capacity of up to 70,000 b/d and will enable access to a variety of crude oil types including West Texas Intermediate, West Texas Sour and Western Canadian Select. The project will provide additional crude oil takeaway options for producers as crude production in the region continues to grow, and an expanded set of crude oil sourcing options for HollyFrontier. Completion is expected by early 2014.