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Alta Energy Partners, a newly formed joint venture of privately held Alta Resources LLC and an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, launched plans Tuesday to invest up to $1 billion in unconventional natural gas and oil properties in North America.

While unconventional energy plays require more water than their conventional counterparts, it’s the rapid growth of those new plays that is shining a spotlight on how the oil and gas industries use water, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor told attendees at CERAWeek 2011 in Houston last week.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants Pennsylvania to immediately test its water supplies for radioactivity.

Marathon Oil Corp., which has announced plans to spin off its integrated assets and become a stand-alone explorer, on Wednesday said it plans to increase its capital spending in 2011 to develop existing projects and exploit new resources, including onshore in North America.

Marathon Oil Corp., which has announced plans to spin off its integrated assets and become a stand-alone explorer, on Wednesday said it plans to increase its capital spending in 2011 to develop existing projects and exploit new resources, including onshore in North America.

Witnesses for Range Resources Corp. took the stand Wednesday during the first day of a hearing at the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) in Austin, TX, to defend the company against allegations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that its drilling activities in the Barnett Shale caused the contamination of private water wells in the area. However, EPA representatives were not in attendance.

Landmen headed for the Eagle Ford Shale, you’re too late. Engineers need to hurry. And beancounters, your day is coming. The Eagle Ford is the hottest thing in South Texas, but like the unconventional plays that came before, it too will have its seasons.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is expected to introduce stand-alone legislation early this week that will call for the comprehensive restructuring of the embattled Minerals Management Service (MMS).

The death toll from a Sunday explosion at a natural gas-fired power plant under construction in Middletown, CT, should stand at five, according to Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, who said everyone assigned to work at the blast site when the explosion occurred has been accounted for.