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George P. Mitchell, whose company successfully paired horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing (fracking), which launched the rebirth of onshore natural gas and oil drilling in North America, was honored Monday by Texas Gov. Rick Perry and state legislators.

Three bills that if enacted would place a moratorium on using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in drilling operations, as well as review oil and gas drilling practices, have advanced in the California legislature along partisan lines in a body dominated by Democrats.

President Obama Monday tapped Anthony Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, NC, to succeed Ray LaHood as secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), which oversees the safety of the nation’s natural gas and hazardous pipeline infrastructure, as well as roads, airports and railways.

Sanchez Energy Corp., which targets the liquids-rich Eagle Ford Shale, charted first quarter production of 355,000 boe, an increase of 106% from the fourth quarter and 320% from the year-ago period, the company said.

Pacific Northwest water flows, which can influence summer energy supplies throughout the West, are likely to differ greatly between the northeasterly and southeasterly parts of the four-state and far western Canada region, according to the latest analysis from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC). Below-average steam flows can be expected in the Snake River basin and eastern Oregon in the southern part of the Columbia River Basin, but flows are expected to be near or just slightly below normal in the upper Columbia and main Columbia River this spring and summer. “The highest runoff forecast in the basin can be found in the upper Columbia in British Columbia,” NPCC Manager Jim Ruff told the NPCC board. He also concluded that with an only slightly below-normal snowpack as of April 1, it is likely there will be a good summer runoff at near-normal levels in the main Columbia River this spring-summer season. NPCC’s latest analysis follows the Northwest River Forecast Center predicting that river flows for the first seven months this year will be about 89% of normal, and the fact that they are that high is attributable to much higher-than-normal precipitation last fall (see Daily GPI, April 8).

Two key legislators in the Pennsylvania General Assembly introduced a pair of bills on Wednesday designed to make natural gas service available to more consumers in the state.

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), which represents major natural gas producers and marketers, said Greg Vesey, president of Houston-based Chevron Natural Gas, was elected chairman of the association for a two-year term. Vesey is responsible for marketing natural gas to wholesale and large end-use customers throughout North America, as well as contributing to the growth of Chevron’s European gas business. NGSA’s other officers for the 2013-2014 period are Bill Green of Devon Energy, who has been elected vice chairman; and Frans Everts of Shell, who is serving as secretary/treasurer. R. Skip Horvath will continue as president and CEO of the NGSA.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has scheduled three forums on natural gas issues in May. The forums, which would be held in a roundtable format “to encourage discussion and allow flexibility to find areas of agreement,” would include input from members and a variety of stakeholders, according to committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Topics for the forums are “Infrastructure, Transportation, Research and Innovation” (May 16), “Domestic Supply and Exports” (May 21) and “Shale Development: Best Practices and Environmental Concerns” (May 23).

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has scheduled three forums on natural gas issues in May. The forums, which would be held in a roundtable format “to encourage discussion and allow flexibility to find areas of agreement,” would include input from members and a variety of stakeholders, according to committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Topics for the forums are “Infrastructure, Transportation, Research and Innovation” (May 16), “Domestic Supply and Exports” (May 21) and “Shale Development: Best Practices and Environmental Concerns” (May 23).