Wednesday

During her first appearance before the House Committee on Natural Resources last Wednesday, Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Sally Jewell, a former business executive and an engineer, got a gander at a political divide as wide as the Grand Canyon.

During an oversight hearing Wednesday by the House Natural Resources Committee on U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) operations, discussion frequently — and fractiously — turned to regulation of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), with Republicans calling for states-only oversight and Democrats complaining that proposed draft federal rules fall short.

A House subcommittee last Wednesday voted out a Republican-sponsored bill that seeks to speed up the permitting of interstate natural gas pipelines by both federal and state agencies.

NGI’s Shale Daily reported that lawmakers in Pennsylvania had passed a bill that the state chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO) opposes because it would allow forced pooling, and that it was unclear if Gov. Tom Corbett, a foe of forced pooling, would sign it (see Shale Daily, July 5). Patrick Henderson, Corbett’s energy adviser, told NGI’s Shale Daily the administration still opposes forced pooling, but doesn’t believe SB 259 would allow the practice. “Nothing in SB 259 requires someone to lease their land; changes the terms of a lease; or reduces the royalties paid to landowners,” Henderson said. “SB 259 is not forced pooling and has no relation to forced pooling.” The governor, he said, has until Wednesday (July 10) to decide whether to sign the bill.

Chicago-based Trillium CNG said Wednesday it plans to build 101 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations spread over 30 states, specializing in fast-fill technology for heavy-duty fleets.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is probing a chemical emergency at an oil well facility in January, where an inventory of chemicals wasn’t available to first responders as required under federal law.

If ExxonMobil Corp. has its way, it could be exporting natural gas from the United States and Canada to overseas markets, after the supermajor on Wednesday filed for permission to export 30 million metric tons a year (mmty) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the west coast of British Columbia (BC).

SandRidge Energy Inc. founder Tom Ward, the former chairman and CEO, was replaced Wednesday by the board of directors, which said its decision was “in the best interests of the company and its shareholders at this time.”

SandRidge Energy Inc. Tom Ward, who founded the company in 2006 and has been its only chairman and CEO, was ousted by the board on Wednesday and replaced by current President James Bennett.