Seam

IGas Energy plc, which explores in the United Kingdom’s onshore, said shale gas reserves at its Ince Marches prospect in Cheshire, England, may be close to 10 Tcf, or double the original estimate. The producer now is looking for a farm-in partner.

ConocoPhillips on Wednesday said it intended to file required paperwork in early November to spin off its downstream unit from its exploration and production (E&P) business, which when completed would create the biggest pure-play independent in North America.

A crack stemming from an overstressed weld on the seam of the Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) pipeline may have played a part in the deadly explosion last September in San Bruno, CA, according to a report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.

A crack stemming from an overstressed weld on the seam of the Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) pipeline may have played a part in the deadly explosion last September in San Bruno, CA, according to a report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Pennaco Energy, the largest leaseholder and most active operatorin the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and southeastern Montana,reported that its gross gas production out of the basin has reached46.1 MMcf/d and is expected to increase rapidly now that newpipeline infrastructure is in place. This promising coal-bedmethane play, which took the national spotlight last year, isexpected to be one of the fastest growing areas in the RockyMountain region over the next decade.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Friday it will resolve a civilcourt case between a group of oil companies, headed by BP AmocoProduction Co., and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe over rights androyalties to natural gas produced from coal in the San Juan Basin.The Supreme Court will hear arguments in April with a decision dueby the end of June.

A decision by the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals giving theSouthern Ute Indian tribe rights and royalties to natural gasproduced on about 200,000 acres in the San Juan Basin of Coloradopotentially could be used as a precedent impacting 2.4 millionacres of producing properties in six Western states, AmocoProduction Co. said last week.