Wilson

Marathon Oil Corp. is selling all of its interest in 98,409 gross acres (96,738 net) in nine tracts in Karnes, Northern Bee and Wilson counties, TX, in the Eagle Ford Shale. However, the play remains a core focus of the company.

Native Americans claim they were unable to add input in the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) negotiations on the final rules that will regulate hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of oil and gas operations on public lands. Absent this input, some of the tribal leaders claimed the rules could impede their ability to develop their energy resources.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Citizens Advisory Council has appointed Marjorie Hughes as executive director. The 18-member council reviews the work of the DEP and makes recommendations to the department, the governor and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Hughes comes to the position following 35 years working on environmental and transportation issues for state and local governments, most recently serving as the chief of the DEP’s Conservation District Support Division in the Bureau of Waterways and Wetlands. She is replacing Sue Wilson, who retired from the position in December after 19 years.

If the only newspaper you read is The New York Times, you could be forgiven for thinking that all the news about hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is bad. Still, the good news about fracking — energy security, economic development and jobs — is often drowned out by environmental worries, former commodities trader, analyst, energy author and New Yorker Raymond Learsy told NGI’s Shale Daily.

A rupture on Enterprise Products Partners LP’s 20-inch diameter South Texas pipeline system in Wilson County southeast of San Antonio shut down a stretch of roadway Thursday afternoon, but there were no injuries and only one producer was affected, an Enterprise spokesman said. “We don’t know what happened, but shortly before 1 [p.m. Thursday] our control room personnel detected a pressure drop on that line and immediately began shutdown procedures…” spokesman Rick Rainey told NGI. “There was no ignition…but the line did rupture. A couple of county roads were shut down for a brief period. Repairs were expected to be completed by last Saturday morning. Rainey said there was no excavation going on in the area as far as Enterprise officials knew. The cause was under investigation.

FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff has tapped Thomas R. Sheets, a partner in the Las Vegas law firm of McDonald Carano Wilson, to be general counsel of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, succeeding Cynthia Marlette. Sheets has more than 32 years of energy industry, administrative practice and regulatory hearing experience. He has served as chairman of the Nevada Tax Commission for the past four years and was senior vice president and general counsel of Southwest Gas Corp. As FERC general counsel, Sheets will represent the Commission before the courts and Congress and will be responsible for the legal aspects of the agency’s activities.

Unexpected delays have prompted Koch Gateway to postpone thestart of maintenance at the Baxter Wilson Power Plant measuringstation until May 30. The work previously had been scheduled tostart Monday (May 22) and last five days. No nominations at thepoint will be accepted during this maintenance.