Wide

Companies would be allowed to disclose probable and possible reserves and add in coalbed methane and shale gas to their reserves count under wide-ranging new rules for reserves evaluation proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Thursday.

Rapid City, SD-based Black Hills Corp. CEO David Emery’s grin was wide enough to show through his company’s first-quarter earnings conference call last Thursday, not because of the quarterly results, which were off compared to the same quarter in 2007, but because of the pending sale of seven independent natural gas-fired generation plants in four western states that collectively fetched $840 million from a joint venture of two asset management firms.

The House last Wednesday passed by a wide margin Democratic legislation that would extend tax breaks for renewable energy and energy efficiency at the expense of oil and natural gas producers.

The House Wednesday passed by a wide margin Democratic legislation that would extend tax breaks for renewable energy and energy conservation at the expense of oil and natural gas producers.

In outlining Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s priorities for the country in the coming year, Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean, in a wide-ranging speech, allowed that Kyoto Protocol emission reduction deadlines will be missed, and that Canada has every intention of defending its northern shores — and the mineral rights contained just off of them — from foreign interests.

In outlining Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s priorities for the country in the coming year, Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean, in a wide-ranging speech, allowed that Kyoto Protocol emission reduction deadlines will be missed, and that Canada has every intention of defending its northern shores — and the mineral rights contained just off of them — from foreign interests.

October natural gas futures traded in a wide range on Tuesday as bears plumbed support lines before the contract rallied back in the afternoon. The prompt month traded between $6.195 and $6.570 before settling at $6.568, down 8.5 cents from Monday’s close.

Any climate change legislation enacted by Congress should be “economy-wide” and “transparent, consistent, predictable and equitable,” says a draft resolution by a task force of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

Dominion Resources Inc. is considering a shake up of its wide-ranging business operations that may include a spin-off or sale of its profitable exploration and production (E&P) business and other nonstrategic assets next year. The company plans to refocus on its utility operations, CEO Tom Farrell said Tuesday.