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Xcel Energy’s combination Colorado utility filed quarterly rate changes with state regulators that could result in monthly retail natural gas utility bills dropping by up to 8% compared to the first quarter this year. The rate for residential natural gas customers would drop 6.9% from 52.06 cents/therm in1Q2012 to 45.17 cents/therm in 1Q2013; for small businesses, rates would drop 8% from 52.28 cents/therm to 44.82 cents/therm. The Denver-based utility is asking the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for the changes to be effective Jan. 1.

The administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett says new natural gas pipelines should be allowed to share rights-of-way (ROW) with roadways, one of 16 policy recommendations made to fulfill a requirement of the state’s new omnibus Marcellus Shale law, Act 13.

Range Resources Corp. expects to spend about 85% of its $1.3 billion 2013 capital expenditures (capex) budget on liquids-rich and oil projects, predominately in wet areas of the Marcellus Shale and through horizontal drilling in the Mississippian Lime, the Fort Worth, TX-based company said Wednesday.

With a new president taking the reins of power for a six-year term and the rest of North America undergoing an energy transformation, the time is right for Mexico to use its deep energy resources to become a fully developed nation over the next two decades, a Mexico City economic consultant and former federal official told a Manhattan Institute forum on Monday.

At a one-day meeting of California’s state legislature Monday a new bill was introduced calling for public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in oil/natural gas drilling by the same state lawmaker who has unsuccessfully sponsored similar bills the past two years.

With a Nov. 29 deadline quickly approaching, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) has reportedly hired experts from three universities to conduct a health impact analysis of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in the state.

Continental Resources Inc. has signed separate agreements to buy producing and undeveloped properties in the Bakken Shale for $650 million, and to sell land and assets in its east region for $125 million.

The Pennsylvania State Senate unanimously passed a bill last Monday absolving mine operators and landowners from liability for any injury or damage caused by the use of acid mine drainage (AMD) in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations.

The overall cash market advanced another 6 cents on average with only a minority of points in the loss column and some locations sporting double-digit gains. Rockies and northern California points were strong as well as the Gulf Coast and the Midcontinent. Much to the delight of market technicians, futures put in a new high, and at the close November was 3.0 cents higher at $3.617 and December had added 4.3 cents to $3.947. November crude oil followed slumping equity markets and dropped $2.05 to $90.05/bbl.