Thursday

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Thursday issued an alert to persons who are considering private securities offerings for oil and gas ventures as an investment opportunity, saying that such investments carry significant risks.

EQT Corp.’s decision to focus development operations in the Marcellus Shale appears to be paying off, as the company reported last Thursday that 1Q2013 production sales volumes increased by 47% over last year’s quarter, with production sales volumes from the Marcellus alone increased by 103%.

Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. (Oxy) set a record U.S. production at 478,000 boe/d in 1Q2013, its 10th consecutive record quarter, Oxy officials reported Thursday during a conference call with analysts. Income from continuing operations during the quarter was down slightly from the same period last year ($1.4 billion, or $1.69/diluted share, vs. $1.6 billion, or $1.92/diluted share, in 1Q2012), they said.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Thursday overwhelmingly voted out the nomination of Ernest J. Moniz to head up the Department of Energy (DOE), which now heads to the Senate floor.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Thursday overwhelmingly voted out the nomination of Ernest J. Moniz to head up the Department of Energy (DOE) to the Senate floor.

A flash fire Thursday evening at a pig receiving station in Tyler County, WV, injured three people and forced Eureka Hunter Pipeline to shut in a portion of its pipeline system in the area, according to parent Magnum Hunter Resources Corp.

BP plc Group CEO Bob Dudley on Thursday said 2013 will be a “year of execution,” to build financial reserves, followed by a “year of delivery” as it prepares to launch a portfolio of 45 major upstream projects to 2020.

President Obama’s nominee for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sailed through her confirmation hearing last Thursday, fielding softball questions from Democrats. The issues raised by Republicans were more pointed, but not by much. Gina McCarthy was not pressed on one of the most important issues to oil and gas — regulations pertaining to hydraulic fracturing (fracturing).

President Obama’s nominee for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) easily sailed through her confirmation hearing Thursday, fielding softball questions from Democrats. The issues raised by Republicans were more pointed, but not by much. Gina McCarthy was not pressed on hydraulic fracturing (fracturing).