Shale

The influx of natural gas in the Northeast brought on by ramped-up Marcellus Shale development is keeping the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) busy, as evidenced by two new authorizations for gas transportation projects.

The Gasland documentary film continues to dog the footsteps of the natural gas industry (see Shale Daily, Feb. 16). The film’s director Josh Fox and actor-turned-activist Mark Ruffalo flanked Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rep Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) Thursday as they announced plans to reintroduce legislation to regulate the practice of hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) at the federal level.

The influx of natural gas in the Northeast brought on by ramped-up Marcellus Shale development is keeping the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) busy, as evidenced by two new authorizations for gas transportation projects.

Former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary John Hanger has joined the Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott law firm in Harrisburg, PA. Hanger will support the firm’s practices in the areas of energy, utility and environment, concentrating in alternative energy, clean transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency, competitive energy markets and smartgrid, according to the firm. Hanger, a former CEO of Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future and a former member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Duke University. He left DEP last month after a tenure of more than two years during which activity in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale mushroomed.

Copano Energy LLC said it has struck long-term contracts with several Eagle Ford Shale producers, including Abraxas Petroleum Corp., Paloma Resources, Petrohawk Energy Corp., Pioneer Natural Resources, Reliance Eagleford Upstream Holding LP, Newpek LLC and Riley Exploration. It has also expanded its contract with GeoSouthern Resources to include a larger acreage dedication. Copano will provide gathering, compression, processing and fractionation services for the producers in portions of DeWitt, Karnes and Live Oak counties, TX, under the contracts, which are primarily fee-based. Copano has secured firm producer commitments for aggregate production of up to 120,000 MMBtu/d and additional commitments for production from approximately 135,000 gross acres in the Eagle Ford. Copano also said it will extend its DK Pipeline by 58 miles through Lavaca County, TX, to connect with the DK Pipeline system into its Houston Central Complex.

Last week’s freezing temperatures in the Southwest, which froze some natural gas wells in Texas’ Barnett Shale and caused rolling blackouts in much of the state, were the most severe test of Texas natural gas deliverability since the winter of 1989, a reliability council representative told the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) Tuesday.

In the article “IEA Official: Shale Will Exert Downward Pressure on Gas, Oil Prices” (see Daily GPI, Feb. 4), NGI incorrectly attributed comments made by International Energy Agency (IEA) Deputy Executive Director Richard Jones to Jim Burkhard, who was also misidentified as IEA’s managing director. Burkhard is the managing director of Cambridge Energy Research Associates. NGI regrets the errors.

Burgeoning gas supplies from shale plays are a boon not just to producers and domestic energy security hawks; they’re bringing smiles to executives across the U.S. petrochemical industry, too.

Burgeoning gas supplies from shale plays are a boon not just to producers and domestic energy security hawks; they’re bringing smiles to executives across the U.S. petrochemical industry, too.