Speculation

Speculation about potential replacements for two Obama administration officials who are leaving top spots at energy-related agencies continues, with nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air pollution official Gina McCarthy reportedly among the leading candidates.

Encana Corp. is searching for a permanent CEO after Randy Eresman, who had spent his entire career at the Calgary company, suddenly resigned earlier this month. Director Clayton H. Woitas, who is CEO of privately held Range Royalty Management Ltd., remains interim president and CEO until a successor is named.

Attorneys on both sides of the legal battle over Act 13, Pennsylvania’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law, spent two hours in a packed Pittsburgh courtroom Wednesday giving oral arguments before the state Supreme Court.

Although the announcement does not mean the company is committed to its plans for a “world-scale” facility just yet, it ends months of speculation about where Shell would locate the facility and the competition among the three states in the running (see Shale Daily, Dec. 5, 2011; Sept. 7, 2011; June 7, 2011).

The head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) confirmed last week that the final rule on restricting excessive speculation in the derivatives market will be on the agenda at its Tuesday meeting.

The head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Tuesday confirmed that the final rule on restricting excessive speculation in the derivatives market will be on the agenda at next week’s meeting.

Royal Dutch Shell has put up for sale its minority 11.4% interest in Canada’s northern natural gas pipeline project, triggering fresh flurries of speculation about whether it will ever be built.

Royal Dutch Shell has put up for sale its minority 11.4% interest in Canada’s northern natural gas pipeline project, triggering fresh flurries of speculation about whether it will ever be built.

Speculation was rampant Friday that Encana Corp. was close to completing a multi-billion-dollar agreement with Chinese partners to speed development of its British Columbia (BC) natural gas holdings.