Taking

U.S. steel and iron producer Nucor Corp. on Tuesday said it is taking a half-stake in some of Encana Corp.’s U.S. natural gas wells to guard against an expected increase in U.S. gas prices.

Spectra Energy Corp. is taking a one-third interest in the Sand Hills and Southern Hills pipelines, both of which are under construction by DCP Midstream LLC, a joint venture of Spectra and Phillips 66. The deal is expected to close by the end of November when Spectra, Phillips 66 and DCP Midstream each would own one-third of the pipelines and equally fund their completion. The aggregate investment by Spectra is expected to be $700-800 million. Sand Hills, which would take natural gas liquids from the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale to Gulf Coast markets, would have an initial capacity of 200,000 b/d and be expandable to 350,000 b/d. The first phase recently came online and connection to Mont Belvieu, TX, is expected by year-end (see Shale Daily, Oct. 29). The timing of Sand Hills’ second phase, the Permian portion of the pipeline, has advanced and is due to be in service in 2Q2013. Southern Hills would provide 150,000 b/d, expandable to 175,000 b/d, of capacity from the Midcontinent to Mont Belvieu and has a targeted in-service date of mid-2013.

Taking cover from what the news media is describing as the “Frankenstorm,” which is what is expected to result when Hurricane Sandy veers onshore into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and collides with a cold front from the West, trading exchanges announced their modified operating plans on Sunday.

As another sign that the vision of a “natural gas highway” for long-haul trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles is taking shape, Southern California-based Applied Natural Gas Fuels Inc. said it plans to double the output capability of its Topock, AZ, liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper responded Thursday to criticism from local elected officials in his state who are upset over his government taking the city of Longmont, CO, to court over its oil and natural gas drilling rules. Legal action was what Hickenlooper called a “last resort” in a letter he sent to various local officials considering similar local drilling rules.

Taking matters into his own hands after the U.S. Congress failed to pass the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 this summer, President Obama appears to be preparing an executive order aimed at protecting critical national infrastructure, including power plants, and natural gas and crude pipelines, from cyber attacks.

Taking matters into his own hands after the U.S. Congress failed to pass the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 this summer, President Obama appears to be preparing an executive order aimed at protecting critical national infrastructure, including power plants, and natural gas and crude pipelines, from cyber attacks.

A unit of banking giant Morgan Stanley said Thursday it is taking full ownership in Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, the primary natural gas transmission and natural gas storage facility provider for several of the biggest cities and power generation providers in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Despite taking a significant hit in its 2Q2012 profits related to its 25% interest in the Rockies Express Pipeline (REX), which is now on the sales block, San Diego-based Sempra Energy executives view the natural gas pipeline as a “significant” asset long term because of its potential role in moving gas bidirectionally from the developing parts of the Utica and Marcellus shales.