Spurring

Two counties in western Pennsylvania, which is in a red hot region of the Marcellus Shale, were among the top 10 in the nation for employment gains in large counties between March 2010 and March 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Activity in British Columbia’s (BC) Horn River Basin has been contributing to leasing records in the province, spurring new pipeline proposals and a proposal for a new gas processing plant, which EnCana Corp. filed recently with provincial regulators.

Some states and private landowners are doing a better job than the Interior Department at spurring swifter development of oil and natural gas leases, according to a report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) last Tuesday. While part of this is due to the fact that states and private landowners face fewer restrictions (particularly on the environmental front) than Interior, the agency said states also are more actively providing producers with incentives to encourage rapid development.

The midweek buildup of heat in many sections of the U.S. and Eastern Canada was able to overcome further prior-day screen softness in spurring rebounds in most of the cash market Thursday. However, it’s highly unlikely that gains will continue Friday after a very bearish storage report led to a steep plunge in August natural gas amid another meltdown day in Nymex’s energy futures complex.

Prices were up at nearly all points Wednesday as heat levels were on the rise in some areas, spurring extra power generation demand to keep air conditioners humming.

With increased natural gas exploration and production spurring the need for additional transportation capacity, open seasons on new and recently expanded pipeline and gathering systems in the country continue to spread like wildfire. Okeanos Gas Gathering Co. LLC and Destin Pipeline are just two of the most recent to roll out solicitations.

During a year that saw fears of natural gas shortages sendprices through the roof, spurring E&P companies into frenzieddrilling, energy company shares reached a median total return of48% in 2000, according to a new report by John S. Herold, Inc., aConnecticut-based independent energy research consulting firm.

During a year that saw fears of natural gas shortages sendprices through the roof, spurring E&P companies into frenzieddrilling, energy company shares reached a median total return of48% in 2000, according to a new report by John S. Herold, Inc., aConnecticut-based independent energy research consulting firm.

Competition has changed the energy industry forever, spurringcompanies to use creativity to provide real choices for all energycustomers, according to Oliver G. Richard III, CEO of ColumbiaEnergy Group, at yesterday’s plenary session of the seventh annualNatural Gas Conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energyand the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.