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Ohio Gov. John Kasich unveiled his proposed biennial executive budget on Monday, which includes a two-tier severance tax structure that would, for the first time, differentiate between horizontal and vertical wells drilled into the emerging Utica Shale.

Oil and natural gas prices are facing a “third variable” on plentiful natural gas liquids (NGL), which appears to be creating the next domestic supply glut, a KeyBanc Capital Markets (KBCM) analyst said last week

Oil and natural gas prices are facing a “third variable” on plentiful natural gas liquids (NGL), which appears to be creating the next domestic supply glut, a KeyBanc Capital Markets (KBCM) analyst said Wednesday.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman last week approved the revised route for the northern portion of TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would run through his state. He notified both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of his decision in a letter.

A natural gas well in Utah owned by Devon Energy Corp., which apparently caught fire just after midnight Tuesday, may take up to a week to extinguish, said authorities.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has added a high-tech laser scanning device to its safety tool box for its pipeline systems. EXAscan, which is produced by Creaform in Quebec, may be placed a few inches above a section of pipe to produce 3-D views. It is said to be accurate within 40 microns (0.0016 of an inch) to detect potential corrosion, dents or warping. PG&E is able to capture information electronically for an entire pipeline section within minutes, a spokesperson said.

A decision by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to set aside its original federal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) proposal has drawn plaudits from associations representing major oil and natural gas producers.

Gulf of Mexico (GOM) operator ATP Oil & Gas Corp., which filed for bankruptcy protection last August, has asked the court for permission to auction some of its shallow-water wells.

A trio of New York legislators opposed to high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) held court over a lengthy public hearing Thursday on rules that would govern the practice, but officials with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) were not in attendance.