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This year likely will finish as the warmest since “at least” 1950 across the United States, but enough cold air is on the radar to spread snow to areas that have been without on Christmas for a few years, according to Accuweather.com.

Three key lawmakers in New York say one month isn’t long enough for the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to receive public comments on proposed rules governing high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF), and they are asking the agency for an extension.

Marathon Oil Corp. COO David E. Roberts Jr. has resigned effective Friday (Dec. 14) to “pursue other interests,” according to the company. Since joining the Houston-based producer in 2006, Roberts had been considered an important contributor to the upstream business. He was named senior vice president for business development and was promoted in 2008 to executive vice president of upstream, overseeing upstream and production. Roberts became COO when the company spun off its refining operations last year to become a pure-play explorer (see Daily GPI, July 1, 2011). He was said to be on the short list to succeed CEO Clarence Calazot, 62. The company declined to offer further details.

Tom Hassenboehler, who has been vice president of policy development and legislative affairs at America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) since January 2011, is taking over as chief counsel for the Energy and Power Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over controversial energy and environmental issues. Hassenboehler previously worked on Capitol Hill for a decade as counsel for Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) on the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, and as counsel on the House Energy and Commerce panel. He also worked in the offices of former Reps. Billy Tauzin (R-LA) and Bob Riley (R-AL). Hassenboehler will succeed Maryam Brown, who House Speaker John Boehner tapped to be his top energy aide, according to sources. He has a bachelor’s degree and juris doctorate from Louisiana State University.

Tom Hassenboehler, who has been vice president of policy development and legislative affairs at America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) since January 2011, is taking over as chief counsel for the Energy and Power Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over controversial energy and environmental issues. Hassenboehler previously worked on Capitol Hill for a decade as counsel for Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) on the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, and as counsel on the House Energy and Commerce panel. He also worked in the offices of former Reps. Billy Tauzin (R-LA) and Bob Riley (R-AL). Hassenboehler will succeed Maryam Brown, whom House Speaker John Boehner tapped to be his top energy aide, according to sources. He has a bachelor’s degree and juris doctorate from Louisiana State University.

U.S. hydraulic fracturing (fracking) capacity utilization has fallen by almost one-third since January, and all of the major domestic plays are in a “negative frack pricing environment,” according to PacWest Consulting Partners.

Support for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) among New Yorkers remained unchanged overall, as a sharp increase in backing among suburbanites canceled out flagging support from Upstate voters, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll released Wednesday.

In a long-term bet on abundant U.S. natural gas, South Africa’s Sasol Ltd. on Monday announced plans to construct a $16-21 billion natural gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in Westlake, LA — the second largest commercial plant of its kind in the world.

Under increasing scrutiny since the San Bruno natural gas transmission rupture and explosion two years ago, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) on Thursday announced its use of advanced pipeline leak-detection equipment.