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California’s Occidental Petroleum Corp. (Oxy) is eyeing 7 billion bbl of reserves from the Monterey Shale and other projects in the state, the management team said Tuesday.

Royal Dutch Shell plc has launched a strategic review of its North American oil and gas operations, particularly the unconventional assets, after taking a charge of more than $2 billion on the value of its U.S. and Canadian liquids-rich properties.

Thanks to the Marcellus Shale, Houston-based Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. recently completed the best quarter in its history on an operational and financial basis. The company is adding a sixth rig in the play as it anticipates multiple infrastructure projects to come online in the months ahead, increasing the ability to get its gas to markets.

Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. raised second quarter oil production guidance to 10,800-11,200 b/d from 9,600-10,000 b/d, increased its 2013 crude oil production growth target to 40% from 28% and raised its total 2013 production growth target to 10% from 6%, based largely on results in the Eagle Ford Shale.

Privately held Antero Resources Corp., which has all of its chips in the Appalachian Basin, plans to raise $1 billion through an initial public offering (IPO) of some of its stock on the New York Stock Exchange, it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The operator also has increased capital spending plans for the year.

The Monterey Shale’s oil reserves could offer California a way out of any economic shortfall, according to Navigant Consulting’s energy director.

With flaring of wellhead associated natural gas still hovering around 30%, state officials in North Dakota welcome the proposed new natural gas pipeline from the Bakken to Minnesota by a unit of Bismarck-based MDU Resources Inc., and the governor has pledged support for the pipeline’s development.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. has completed its takeover of Plains Exploration & Production Co., with a total value of $16.2 billion, including $9.7 billion in debt. The transaction, completed Friday, included a payment of about $3.3 billion in cash ($25/Plains share), 91 million shares of Freeport common stock ($2.9 billion) and a special cash dividend of $3.00/share (see Daily GPI, May 21). The acquisition of related affiliate McMoRan Exploration Co. for close to $3 billion is expected to close on Monday (June 3), subject to shareholder approval. Former Plains Chairman and CEO Jim Flores was named co-vice chairman and CEO/president of subsidiary Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC. Flores also is to be part of newly formed office of the chairman with Chairman Jim Bob Moffett and Vice Chairman Richard C. Adkerson, who also is CEO/president. Flores had served as chairman/CEO of Plains since its inception in 2002; he became president in 2004. Former Plains directors Alan Buckwalter and Thomas A. Fry also have joined the board. Buckwalter is the retired chair of JPMorgan Chase Bank, South Region, and Fry retired as president of the National Ocean Industries Association after serving from 2000 to 2010; he also previously directed the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management.

A district court judge has reconsidered her decision last month to pass a key surface rights case on to the highest court in West Virginia, the Supreme Court of Appeals.