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Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who oversaw a moratorium on offshore drilling after the BP plc oil spill and the restructuring of the agency, will step down in March, the agency announced Wednesday.

“Headline” U.S. natural gas production continues to move higher, but signs of decline are emerging in some onshore plays, according to Barclays Capital energy analysts.

Analysts are keeping an eye on costs and production results from the still-emerging Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS), but Amelia Resources LLC is going “100 mph” to market 47,300 net acres in the play, which management believes may hold a resource potential of more than 1 billion bbl.

PetroQuest Energy Inc. said Monday it has closed on the sale of its assets in the Fayetteville Shale for about $9.2 million as it shifts its focus to production of natural gas liquids (NGL) from other plays, including the Woodford Shale and the Mississippian Lime formation.

With Asian investment for fuel, action has begun on schedule on the next planned step to increase British Columbia (BC) production of shale gas and liquids.

With Asian investment for fuel, action has begun on schedule on the next planned step to increase British Columbia (BC) production of shale gas and liquids.

The nascent market for compressed natural gas vehicles (CNG) took another step forward as Seal Beach, CA-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a natural gas vehicle (NGV) fuel supplier, said that it will construct up to seven CNG fueling stations at waste management facilities across the country capable of fueling 30 refuse trucks a day.

Dow Chemical Co. has taken the next step forward to build a planned world-class ethylene facility in Freeport, TX, and is seeking a federal air emissions permit for the proposed plant.

The government of Poland plans to issue draft rules covering shale gas extraction within a week, the next step to help the country take advantage of what may be vast quantities of natural gas, authorities said Tuesday.