Ventures

Across the Kinder Morgan companies more than $12 billion worth of expansion projects and joint ventures (JV) have been identified. One of them, conversion of a portion of the El Paso Natural Gas Co. (EPNG) pipeline to oil service is advancing, and a natural gas pipeline opportunity is on the radar, said CEO Richard Kinder.

Across the Kinder Morgan Inc. companies there are more than $12 billion worth of expansion projects and joint ventures (JV) identified. One of them, conversion of a portion of the El Paso Natural Gas Co. (EPNG) pipeline to oil service is advancing, and a new gas pipeline opportunity is on the radar, said CEO Richard Kinder.

More than 85% of Houston-based Rosetta Resources Inc.’s 2013 capex budget of $700 million will be spent in the liquids-rich window of the Eagle Ford Shale. About 10% of spending will go to evaluation of new venture opportunities outside the Eagle Ford that the company recently began talking about.

Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. is forming a joint venture (JV) in the Niobrara formation with Haimo Oil & Gas LLC, a unit of China’s Lanzhou Haimo Technologies Co. Ltd. Separately, the company announced third quarter production growth for oil, condensate and natural gas liquids (NGL).

UGI Energy Services Inc. and Capitol Energy Ventures Corp. have taken firm capacity on the proposed Commonwealth Pipeline, making them anchor shippers on the project, which is sponsored by Inergy Midstream LP, UGI Energy and Capitol Energy. The contracts are for 10 years at negotiated rates. Commonwealth would provide a path for bringing gas produced in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays to markets in central and southeastern Pennsylvania and the greater Mid-Atlantic region (see Shale Daily, May 8). The proposed interstate pipeline will consist initially of 120 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline extending from the southern terminus of the Inergy Midstream’s MARC I Pipeline in Lycoming County, PA, to several points of interconnection in southeastern Pennsylvania with other interstate pipelines, including NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage, Texas Eastern Transmission Co., Transco Pipeline, and Eastern Shore Natural Gas Co.

NiSource Inc. has clinched two joint ventures (JV) in the Utica Shale with Hilcorp Energy Co. to construct midstream facilities and to develop a “significant acreage block” in the Utica/Point Pleasant formation in northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP’s (KMP) Crude/Condensate pipeline (KMCC) has entered service, carrying crude oil and condensate from the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas to the Houston Ship Channel.

Joint ventures (JV) in its domestic natural gas division helped Consol Energy Inc. to achieve record fourth quarter profits, but it said Thursday sustained low gas prices will require scaling back spending and drilling plans in 2012.

Tulsa-based midstream company Caballo Energy LLC is targeting the Mississippi Lime of Oklahoma and Kansas, and the Cana Woodford Shale with its acquisition of Eagle Chief Midstream LLC, which owns a gas gathering and processing system in northwestern Oklahoma.