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The Domestic Energy Jobs Act (SB 76) was passed by the North Carolina Senate Wednesday, setting the stage for horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of oil and natural gas wells to begin in the state two years from now. It also encourages the governor to coordinate with South Carolina and Virginia for offshore drilling.

Aiming to expand its international unconventional resource opportunities, Houston-based exploration and production independent ConocoPhillips said Wednesday it has entered into a set of agreements with PetroChina Co. Ltd., under which PetroChina will acquire an interest in two Western Australia exploration assets and establish a joint study agreement (JSA) for unconventional resource development in China’s Sichuan Basin.

California state oil/natural gas officials have scheduled the first in a series of all-day public workshops for Feb. 19 in Los Angeles to gain feedback on draft hydraulic fracturing (fracking) rules for the state.

Howard Midstream Energy Partners LLC (HEP) will construct a cryogenic natural gas plant capable of processing 200 MMcf/d in the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale in Webb County, TX, the San Antonio, TX-based company said Wednesday.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead is considering a pre-drilling water testing requirement for oil and natural gas operators in the state.

Devon Energy Corp. is selling its assets in the Utica Shale in eastern Ohio, part of a strategy to raise new venture capital so it can focus on opportunities in the Permian Basin, Mississippian Lime and the Niobrara formation.

Louisiana’s economic output will grow by $30 billion between 2011 and 2019 as a result of natural gas-induced investment, according to a report by Louisiana State University’s Center for Energy Studies that details the impact of the natural gas boom on the state.

The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office in Rawlins, WY, announced that it will hold a public open house next Tuesday and extend the public comment period into March on a draft environmental assessment for the proposed expansion of natural gas drilling in two counties.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects total domestic marketed natural gas production to increase to 69.8 Bcf/d in 2013 from 69.2 Bcf/d in 2012, and to drop slightly to 69.5 Bcf/d in 2014. Growth in Lower 48 onshore production, driven largely by the Marcellus Shale and other shale plays, will continue through 2014, although it will be offset by Gulf of Mexico declines, EIA said.