Western

The fate of the northern portion of the multi-billion-dollar Keystone XL oil pipeline from western Canada to the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in the hands of the Obama administration will be the bellwether this coming year, determining if the U.S. technology-driven abundance of hydrocarbons is going to be cashed in as part of a North American-wide energy transformation, according to a former private equity energy star and now senior think tank fellow.

As part of a continuing effort to stretch Bakken and western Canadian oil supplies into new markets, Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. on Thursday outlined a $6.2 billion, four-year effort to expand several of its pipelines to access light oil markets in the eastern United States and Canada.

The fate of the northern portion of the multi-billion-dollar Keystone XL oil pipeline from western Canada to the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in the hands of the Obama administration will be the bellwether this coming year, determining if the U.S. technology-driven abundance of hydrocarbons is going to be cashed in as part of a North American-wide energy transformation, according to a former private equity energy star and now senior think tank fellow.

Petronas Carigali Canada Ltd. and Progress Energy Resources Corp. provided more details on their proposed Western Canada liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility, including its name, and said the project’s throughput could increase by 60% if regulators approve the companies’ proposed merger.

The latest Interior Department Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposed plan on oil shale and oil sands leasing on western lands has come under attack from the chairman of a prominent House energy subcommittee.

The growing size and complexity of several liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects in western Canada is casting some doubts about their viability, according to the CEO of one of the similar proposed West Coast export projects in Oregon. Ultimately, this may work to the advantage of U.S. LNG export projects that are relatively simple in comparison.

EFL Overseas Inc. (EFLO) has acquired from Nahanni Energy Inc. additional rights and interests in the Liard Basin natural gas field and facilities in the Kotaneelee area of the Yukon Territory, the Houston-based company said.

FERC Wednesday approved the requests of three western natural gas pipelines for temporary waivers of capacity-release regulations, clearing the way for the permanent release of off-system capacity held on the Wyoming Interstate Co. (WIC) pipeline to certain shippers.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. is looking for buyers for some land in Western Oklahoma’s emerging Granite Wash and Hogshooter plays, according to Meagher Energy Advisors.