Shale

Combined year/year conventional and unconventional oil production in Ohio slid 19% in 2016, reflecting the shift to dry gas production, which increased by 44% during the same time, according to estimates compiled by members of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) for the annual Debrosse Memorial Report.

Shale play sweet spots won’t stay sweet forever; base production decline is a fact of life, and with projected domestic demand growth, $3 natural gas won’t cut it, Range Resources Corp. CEO Jeff Ventura told a Houston audience Thursday.

U.S. shale producers are pulling out more oil and gas at a much lower cost, setting them on course to accelerate activity later this year and into 2018.

North America’s fuel mix will undergo significant upheaval to 2035, with natural gas, fueled almost entirely by unconventional production, overtaking oil as the dominant fuel, BP plc reported Wednesday.

Dealmaking across the U.S. oil and natural gas sector, particularly in the onshore, has begun 2017 “with a green flag and a full tank of gas,” following a surge in activity during the fourth quarter, PwC researchers said Tuesday.

After nine years of consideration, the Interior Department’s (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a final rule Tuesday, amending federal regulations to ensure that adequate royalties and environmental protections are in place for any future oil shale development on public land.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. reinforced its move away from natural gas this week, announcing it would exit the Marcellus Shale with the sale of its upstream and operated midstream assets for $1.24 billion to a subsidiary of privately-owned Alta Resources Development LLC, giving that company re-entry to the play.

Six projects underway at four national laboratories, which are delving into processes used to extract oil and natural gas from unconventional shale reservoirs, have received more funding by federal officials.

Appalachia went red on Tuesday, not only helping Republicans take the White House and keep their grip on the U.S. Senate, but mostly endorsing candidates with pro-energy agendas and rejecting an effort to thwart the oil and gas industry.