Success

Chevron Corp. reported that it has had more natural gas drilling success in the Carnarvon Basin offshore Western Australia, which it called the country’s “premier hydrocarbon basin.”

Southwestern Energy Co., which has built fortunes and natural gas reserves from success in the Fayetteville Shale, saw its production jump by almost a third in 2Q2010 from the same period a year ago.

Riding high from their success with health care legislation last week, Democrats made overhaul of the financial regulatory system their next priority. The Senate Banking Committee took the first step last Monday, voting out a bill in less than a half hour to enact sweeping reforms. The measure drew fire from the energy industry for its failure to exempt end-users, who use over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives to hedge commercial risk, from the proposed central clearing and trading requirements for the nearly $500 trillion OTC derivatives market.

Exploration success from onshore shale gas operations doubled Houston-based Petrohawk Energy Corp.’s proven reserves in 2009, setting the producer on track to once again top its production numbers in the first three months of 2010, company executives said last week.

Exploration success from onshore shale gas operations doubled Houston-based Petrohawk Energy Corp.’s proven reserves in 2009, setting the producer on track to once again top its production numbers in the first three months of 2010, company executives said Monday.

Exploration success from onshore shale gas operations doubled Houston-based Petrohawk Energy Corp.’s proven reserves in 2009, setting the producer on track to once again top its production numbers in the first three months of 2010, company executives said Monday.

Southwestern Energy Co.’s natural gas-weighted production in 3Q2009 jumped 38% from a year ago, driven by continued success in the Fayetteville Shale, the company said last week. The increased output led the Houston-based independent to raise its production guidance for 2009 by 53% over 2008 levels.

Southwestern Energy Co.’s natural gas-weighted production in 3Q2009 jumped 38% from a year ago, driven by continued success in the Fayetteville Shale. The increased output led the Houston-based independent to raise its production guidance for 2009 by 53% over 2008 levels.

Without the addition of an odorant, natural gas has almost no scent. Until recently gas producers had almost no voice on Capitol Hill. However, repeated success at unlocking gas from unconventional plays has them speaking up for policies that would make markets for their invisible and heretofore largely ignored fuel.