Second

As much of the eastern half of the United States braces for its second dose of significant summer temperatures Thursday, cash prices for much of the country on Wednesday soared between a dime to more than a dollar, with the Northeast region continuing to come in on the high side of the day’s gains.

The price for Utica Shale acreage is rising at a surprising clip if a lease agreement signed this week by the Board of Commissioners of Columbiana County, OH, and an agent for Chesapeake Energy Corp. is any indication.

Following the abrupt departure of Forest Oil Corp. (FST) CEO H. Craig Clark, one analyst that follows the company suggested that his quick exit was related to the company’s failure to strike a joint venture (JV) in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas.

The composition of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) is changing with the election of one new member in the recent state primary and the prospect for a second new regulator following the general election in November. Current District 1 Commissioner Jason Marks is term-limited out this year. Bernalillo County Assessor Karen Montoya won a Democratic primary and will face Republican candidate Christopher Ocksrider in November for the seat. In the meantime, Valerie Espinoza, a county clerk in Santa Fe, gained sufficient votes for the District 3 seat to allow her to bypass a runoff and head straight to the PRC, replacing Douglas Howe. Howe was appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez on an interim basis to fill a vacancy created when Jerome Block resigned last year after pleading guilty to felony charges involving embezzlement of public funds.

Pro- and anti-liquefied natural gas (LNG) export advocates in Oregon reemerged this week with the start of a second FERC environmental review of the proposed 230-mile, 36-inch diameter Pacific Connector pipeline between the interstate pipeline hub in Malin, OR, and the proposed Jordan Cove LNG site at Coos Bay.

A bill that would legalize hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in North Carolina and lay the groundwork for its regulation tentatively was scheduled for a second reading Wednesday in the state Senate, one day after clearing a key legislative committee.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched a natural gas vehicle (NGV) website to help public- and private-sector fleet operators decide if they want to convert part or all of their operations to NGVs. The website offers information on both compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) options. Inspired by the state’s booming shale gas play, Pennsylvania’s new state law (Act 13) passed earlier this year (see Shale Daily, May 11) authorized DEP to establish the Natural Gas Energy Development Program to distribute $20 million in grants during a three-year period to help pay for the purchase and conversion costs of NGVs. The website (www.dep.state.pa.us) section on the “Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program” offers more details on the grants as well as information on NGV conversions and fueling.

Three families in western Pennsylvania have filed a lawsuit against 17 defendants, including an operator for Range Resources Corp. and two independent water testing labs, alleging that a drilling and impoundment site caused health problems. The plaintiffs also accused Range and the labs of conspiring to hide evidence of drinking water contamination.

Energy Transfer Partners LP’s (ETP) $5.3 billion purchase of Sunoco Inc. isn’t expected to close until the second half of this year, but integration of the two companies “is well under way,” according to ETP CFO Martin Salinas.