Yield

Keeping U.S. natural gas at home would yield more economic bang per molecule than liquefying and exporting it, according to a study conducted by Charles River Associates and paid for by The Dow Chemical Co., which has lobbied hard against exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Make no mistake, the shale boom is a great thing for the country, but anyone expecting it to yield energy independence is in need of a reality check, according to Fitch Ratings.

Federal officials have confirmed that two agencies studying the effects of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) are conducting their work in Washington County, PA, near a Marcellus Shale drilling and impoundment site that is the target of a lawsuit.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. and CEO Aubrey K. McClendon were notified by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the Fort Worth, TX, regional office has launched an informal inquiry and “requested that the company and Mr. McClendon retain certain documents,” the company said after the stock market closed on Thursday.

“This is a 2013 development. It’s not a 2012 development. The next year is about evaluation. It’s about getting your head around the rock,” said Michael Bodino with Global Hunter Securities LLC.

ExxonMobil Corp. is suing the Department of Interior for canceling three leases in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) that could yield “billions of barrels of oil.” Statoil ASA, ExxonMobil’s partner in the disputed offshore Julia Unit, joined the lawsuit that was filed earlier this month.

ExxonMobil Corp. is suing the Department of Interior for canceling three leases in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) that could yield “billions of barrels of oil.” Statoil ASA, ExxonMobil’s partner in the disputed offshore Julia Unit, filed a similar lawsuit earlier this week.

Although some had expected a prior-day futures rise along with a cold North and a hot South to yield a continuation of rising prices Thursday, it was not to be. Declines were small in most cases and there were quite a few instances of flat to slightly higher numbers, but the cash market overall was softer going into the Good Friday/Easter holiday weekend.

The ongoing oversupply of natural gas hasn’t deterred most independent exploration and production (E&P) companies from maintaining a robust drilling pace in the shale plays because of the shift by many to crude and natural gas liquids (NGL) for margin relief, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report.