Language included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) relating to the use of diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) "is extremely unclear and is open to interpretation," making it unclear if the use of diesel fuel in fracking operations would be a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), according to a Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) spokesman.
Saying that imposing a severance tax on growing natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale could hurt his state's natural gas industry, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell on Monday announced that he was dropping the proposed 5% tax plan until at least next year.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has signed agreements for nominated capacity on a planned expansion of the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline system to deliver volumes into Canadian and U.S. markets from the producer's planned Bear Head liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal, which is scheduled to start up in 2008.
A trader for Golden, CO-based Enserco Energy has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection with the reporting of false natural gas price and volume information to manipulate a price index published by Platts' Gas Daily.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) last Tuesday approved the pending $475 million sale of Cascade Natural Gas to North Dakota-based MDU Resources Group Inc., following stipulations and a settlement filed with the PUC last month by MDU. Seattle-based Cascade serves retail natural gas customers in Oregon and Washington state, with its 54,633 Oregon customers concentrated in the central region including the towns of Pendleton, Hermiston and Ontario.