Serve

An open season for Project Mariner West, a proposed pipeline to deliver ethane from MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources LLC’s Houston, PA, processing and fractionation complex in the Marcellus Shale to Sarnia, ON, has received binding commitments that enable the project to proceed as designed with an initial capacity to transport approximately 50,000 b/d and the ability to expand to support higher volumes as needed, according to Sunoco Logistics Partners LP.

FERC has blocked Kern River Gas Transmission’s attempt to force shippers within the same class whose contracts are expiring to agree to renew for the same term or face higher rates.

FERC has approved Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line’s (Transco) proposed 225,000 Dth/d expansion of its system to serve growing natural gas markets in the Southeast region, the Williams Partners LP subsidiary said Wednesday.

A large coalition of public health and environmental groups has launched a campaign to regulate chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and other exploration and production (E&P) processes at the source, petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require disclosure from chemical manufacturers and processors.

A natural gas processing and fractionation plant, which is being built along the Ohio River in Natrium, WV, to serve producers in the Marcellus and Utica shales, is 90% contracted and should be in service by the end of 2012, Dominion said Thursday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has begun to serve producers active in natural gas shale development with subpoenas, according to Baird Equity Research, which cited an “attorney advertisement” issued by the Houston law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski as its source.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has expanded his energy advisory staff in partnership with the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources and its director, Rob Hurless, who will serve as a member of Mead’s policy team. Mead said the continuing partnership allows his administration to “tap into the energy expertise already in place at the university, and to keep the focus there on issues that are relevant to the companies that employ so many people in Wyoming.” Hurless will join Mead’s Policy Director Shawn Reese, who will continue to focus on energy, a spokesperson for the governor said. “Energy industries produce the bulk of our revenue, so I want state government to support the industry to the benefit of citizens,” said Mead.

Regency Energy Partners LP said it will spend about $450 million to construct a wellhead gathering system and other infrastructure in order to serve an undisclosed producer in the Eagle Ford Shale with gas and condensate gathering.

Appalachian Midstream Partners (AMP) will use a $176 million equity commitment from Avista Capital Partners to develop and expand its Bear Print system to serve Marcellus Shale gas production in north central Pennsylvania, the Columbus, OH-based company said.