E&P

Moriah Group LLC, based in Midland, TX, is becoming one of the biggest operators in Powder River Basin (PRB) after securing a bundle of coalbed methane (CBM) gas wells from WPX Energy Inc. and Anadarko Petroleum Corp., as well as a big natural gas gathering system.

EV Energy Partners LP said Thursday it would acquire oil and natural gas properties in four basins across the country in a $259 million dropdown from institutional funds managed by affiliate EnerVest Ltd.

Thailand’s state-owned petrochemical and refining company, PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) pcl, said Thursday it would spend $100 million on engineering design work for a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker it has proposed to build in the heart of the Utica Shale in Southeast Ohio.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) said Tuesday it is considering allowing general permits for pipeline compressor stations and opening a pre-comment period to gauge interest among stakeholders.

A proposed order from a Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) investigation of seismic activity in the Barnett Shale region said a drilling waste injection well operated by XTO Energy Inc. is not likely to have been the cause of earthshaking that has rattled residents in the Azle, TX, area as far back as late 2013.

ConocoPhillips, the largest independent in the world, is laying off 10% of its global workforce, with most of the job losses affecting North America.

The Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin will continue to be the driver for Noble Energy Inc. through the rest of the year, CEO David Stover told a Denver audience at the 27th Annual Rocky Mountain Energy Summit.

W&T Offshore Inc. is selling its Yellow Rose field interests in the Permian Basin to recently formed Ajax Resources LLC for $376.1 million. Proceeds will go toward paying down debt and supporting liquidity in anticipation of opportunistic acquisitions offshore, W&T said.

Domestic dry natural gas production and consumption reached record levels in June, with the rate of consumption gains outpacing production growth, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).