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FERC Tuesday gave the go-ahead for UGI LNG Inc., a subsidiary of Pennsylvania midstream operator UGI Energy Services Inc., to place into service the expansion of its Temple liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility in Berks County, PA.

Houston-based Chimera Energy Corp. has licensed a shale oil extraction technology that is designed to replace hydraulic fracturing (fracking) with a process that was originally developed for use in areas that were too cold for the use of water. Chimera is keeping details of the process under wraps “until the company has their patent in hand, some details about exothermic extraction of shale oil will be closely held,” according to Chimera’s website. The company only said that it does not use “acids or explosives.” Non-hydraulic extraction is “a cheaper and more effective extraction method that does not affect groundwater at all,” according to Chimera, which said it has put in place a procedure for engineering its new method for mass production, patenting, licensing and sales. Testing and third-party certification of the process has begun, Chimera said.

FERC Thursday approved a request of Equitrans LP, a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based EQT Corp., to place into service the remaining facilities of a new pipeline in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that will provide additional takeaway capacity for Marcellus Shale gas producers.

Cheniere Energy Partners LP has struck commitments for $3.4 billion to fund the costs of developing, constructing and placing into service the first two liquefaction trains of the Sabine Pass LNG liquefaction project, it said. Sabine Pass Liquefaction is finalizing definitive loan documents with lenders and is working on commitments of about $200 million with additional institutions. The credit facility is expected to be closed by the end of the month. “Including the recently announced $2 billion of equity commitments [see Daily GPI, May 25], we have now received financial commitments of approximately $5.4 billion for the construction of trains 1 and 2 of our liquefaction project,” said CEO Charif Souki. “Our ability to access a very large credit facility will significantly reduce our costs of financing during construction. We expect to reach a final investment decision and issue notice to proceed to Bechtel upon meeting all conditions precedent under the financial agreements…” Sabine Pass is the only proposed U.S. liquefaction project to have been granted authority to export to non-free trade agreement countries (see Daily GPI, April 17).

Jersey City, NJ, has called on FERC to stay a June order approving the start of construction of Spectra Energy Corp.’s New Jersey-New York Expansion Project, a 20-mile expansion of the Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) and Algonquin Gas Transmission interstate pipeline systems.

All but two of Encana Corp.’s 35 shut-in natural gas wells were back in service Tuesday in the Piceance Basin as the danger from the Pine Ridge fire along the Western Slope in Colorado continued to subside. The two remaining shut-in wells are “low-producing” and located in the north end of the Piceance, an Encana spokesperson told NGI.

All but two of Encana Corp.’s 35 shut-in natural gas wells were back in service Tuesday in the Piceance Basin as the danger from the Pine Ridge fire along the Western Slope in Colorado continued to subside. The two remaining shut-in wells are “low-producing” and located in the north end of the Piceance, an Encana spokesperson told NGI.

The U.S. oil and natural gas rig count will fall through 2013, with a “glaring change” to the forecast for wet gas drilling, according to Raymond James & Associates Inc. A “meaningful rebound” won’t occur until the second half of 2014 and through 2015, analysts said Monday.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has begun building the Brasada Gas Plant in La Salle County, TX, which is expected to come online in 2Q2013 with initial capacity to process up to 200 MMcf/d of liquids-rich natural gas from the Maverick Basin, where the company operates on about 400,000 gross acres.