Vote

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit on Wednesday rejected on a split 2-1 vote an appeal by oil/gas industry operators and local governments in eastern Utah, upholding the Obama administration’s decision almost four years ago to withdraw 77 leases that had been sold at the tail end of the George W. Bush administration.

Gulf Coast petrochemicals maker TPC Group Inc. on Monday agreed to be taken private by First Reserve Corp. and SK Capital Partners in a cash-and-debt transaction valued at $850 million.

To build its “shale-related businesses,” Houston-based oilfield services operator FMC Technologies Inc., better known for its subsea business, is acquiring Calgary’s Pure Energy Services Ltd. for US$285 million.

An environmental group opposed to high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in New York State has launched a campaign asking the top 1,000 contributors to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s reelection effort to pressure him to ban the practice.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) last week rejected by a 3-2 vote a long-standing proposal to develop an idle dry natural gas field into a 7.5 Bcf capacity underground storage project beneath a residential community in Sacramento.

Taking two opportunities to field questions on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in as many days, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he supports “home rule” legislation and believes such powers would be an appropriate method for communities that support drilling to have it.

The head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission decried a House appropriations subcommittee’s vote last week to reduce spending for the agency in fiscal year (FY) 2013. The move comes at a time when the CFTC is gearing up to oversee the multi-trillion-dollar derivatives market.

The head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission decried a House appropriations subcommittee’s vote earlier this week to reduce spending for the agency in fiscal year (FY) 2013. The move comes at a time when the CFTC is gearing up to oversee the multi-trillion-dollar derivatives market.

The Senate late Thursday confirmed by voice vote the nominations of Tony Clark and John Norris to FERC and Adam Sieminski to head the Energy Information Administration (EIA).