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UGI Corp. has entered into agreements with Tenaska affiliate Tenaska Resources LLC to jointly develop natural gas resources in the Marcellus Shale in north-central Pennsylvania, the company said Monday.

SM Energy said Wednesday that next year it will spend 90% of its planned drilling and completions budget of $1.2 billion on its Eagle Ford, Bakken/Three Forks and Permian Basin programs.

Imperial Oil Ltd., Canada’s second-largest integrated producer, on Wednesday said it would pay US$1.56 billion to gain a 50% interest in Celtic Exploration Ltd. after the unconventional operator is taken over by ExxonMobil Corp.

The Federal Reserve Board (FRB) said activity in the energy industry was a mixed bag and mentioned shale only once — but in a positive light — in the latest edition of the “Beige Book,” a report published eight times a year with data provided by the 12 Federal Reserve Districts.

As the Obama administration gets ready to start its second term, now is the time for it to reevaluate how the nation’s energy policy offices can be better structured, said a Washington, DC-based think tank Tuesday.

Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s second-largest investor Carl Icahn has increased his stake in the Oklahoma City-based operator to 8.98% from 7.6%, according to a regulatory filing by the company. The activist investor earlier this year pushed for governance changes, including replacing Aubrey McClendon as chairman. Icahn was instrumental in shaking up the board of directors and appointed an associate, Vincent J. Intrieri, as one of four new members (see NGI, June 25).

Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s second-largest investor Carl Icahn has increased his stake in the Oklahoma City-based operator to 8.98% from 7.6%, according to a regulatory filing by the company. The activist investor earlier this year pushed for governance changes, including replacing Aubrey McClendon as chairman. Icahn was instrumental in shaking up the board of directors and appointed an associate, Vincent J. Intrieri, as one of four new members (see Daily GPI, June 22).

Following President Obama’s re-election to a second term, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) has formed a task force to challenge in court federal regulations issued by the government over the next four years that may affect oil and natural gas.

EnerVest Ltd., the second biggest leaseholder in the Utica Shale after Chesapeake Energy Corp., should complete the sale of a big chunk of its leasehold by the end of the year, CEO John Walker said Friday. The property sale could fetch as much as $6 billion for the privately held Houston operator and publicly traded arm EV Energy Partners (EVEP).