York

In a stunning setback for shale development in New York state, an appellate court ruled unanimously last week to uphold two local bans on oil and gas activities. Attorneys representing landowners and energy companies told NGI that they have already started the process to appeal to the top court in the state, the Court of Appeals.

The Bakken Shale, Hess Corp.’s “principal engine of growth.” averaged 65,000 boe/d in the first three months of this year, an increase of 55% from a year ago, the CEO told investors on Wednesday.

Range Resources Corp. achieved a record high production volume of 876 MMcfe/d during the first quarter of 2013, driven in large part by the continuing success of its drilling program in the Marcellus Shale, the company said Thursday.

The Independent Oil and Gas Association (IOGA) of New York has called on the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) to initiate an investigation into apparent violations of lobbying laws by the group known as “Artists Against Fracking,” which is led by Beatles star John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, and their son, Sean Lennon.

National Grid US named John Donleavy chief operating officer covering natural gas and electric utility operations in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, according to National Grid US President Tom King. Donleavy is the former CEO of Vermont Electric Co. King credited Donleavy with leading an enterprise-wide business process transformation and the largest capital infrastructure construction program in the company’s and Vermont’s history. Reporting to King, Donleavy will oversee all aspects of National Grid’s operations in the United States, including gas and power transmission/distribution systems, generation, liquefied natural gas control center operations, emergency planning and a variety of operating, safety and environmental programs.

The Independent Oil and Gas Association (IOGA) of New York has called on the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) to initiate an investigation into apparent violations of lobbying laws by the group known as “Artists Against Fracking,” which is led by Beatles star John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, and their son, Sean Lennon.

FERC on Friday issued certificates for two Dominion Transmission Inc. (DTI) Marcellus Shale-related projects in Pennsylvania and New York: the Tioga Area Expansion Project and the Sabinsville-to-Morrisville Project.

Although the New York State Department of Health (DOH) said it needs a few more weeks to complete a health impact analysis of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens said it would not cause undue delay to start processing drilling permit applications.

Some fourth-graders in New York state agree that they don’t want unconventional drilling using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in their state, but they didn’t arrive at that conclusion because of biased messages in the classroom, said Southwestern Energy CEO Steve Mueller. They just don’t know that “natural gas is a true national treasure.”