NATURAL GAS
The ITC has approved antidumping duties on imports of Oil Country Tubular Goods from six countries in response to a 2013 petition by U.S. steel pipe companies. On August 22, 2014, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted in trade cases on imports of certain Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) from nine countries. The ITC…...
Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 238 under the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program attracted $109.95M in high bids for 433,823 acres. On August 20, 2014, the Department of Interior (DOI) conducted the Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 238 as part of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for…...
The DOE will act on LNG export applications involving non-FTA countries only after completing the National Environmental Policy Act review and halt its practice of issuing conditional authorizations. On August 15, 2014, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy published final revised procedures for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export decisions involving non-Free Trade…...
Federal lands contain significant oil and gas reserves, however federal staffing resource challenges have led to decreases in resource development and delayed state and federal revenue. The proposed BLM Permit Processing Improvement Act of 2014 (S. 2440) has significant bipartisan support, and its passage would expand and extend upon the current federal land permitting program…...
A coalition of four companies has proposed a 100-mile pipeline to transport low-cost Marcellus natural gas to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. On August 12, 2014, PennEast Pipeline Company announced plans to construct a 100-mile pipeline to transport natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The $1B pipeline, a joint venture…...
A Colorado District Court has ruled against Fort Collins’ hydraulic fracturing ban, following a similar ruling that invalidated Longmont’s hydraulic fracturing ban in July. On August 7, 2014, the Larimer County District Court ruled that the City of Fort Collins’ ordinance imposing a five-year ban on hydraulic fracturing is preempted by the Colorado Oil and…...
According to EIA, Marcellus natural gas production reached a record high level exceeding 15 Bcf/d in July 2014. On August 5, 2014, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a report highlighting record growth in the Marcellus Region’s natural gas production, which exceeded 15 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in July. The report draws on EIA’s…...
A new task force will provide recommendations for Colorado oil and gas siting to minimize land use conflicts. On August 4, 2014, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced the creation of an 18-member task force to craft proposals that would minimize potential land use conflicts when siting oil and gas facilities near homes, schools, businesses, and…...
DOE has conditionally authorized LNG Development Co. LLC, Oregon to export LNG sourced from Canadian and domestic natural gas supplies. On July 31, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) conditionally granted long-term multi-contract authorization for LNG Development Co. LLC (Oregon LNG) to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries from the…...
FERC has authorized Freeport LNG to liquefy and export liquefied natural gas from its Quintana Island Terminal in Texas. On July 30, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized Freeport LNG Development LP to construct and operate facilities for natural gas liquefaction and export from its liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal near Freeport,…...
DOE has announced natural gas infrastructure modernization initiatives to reduce methane emissions. On July 29, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced measures to modernize the natural gas transmission and distribution systems as part of the Administration’s “Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.” The announcements came after the fifth and final Capstone Roundtable on reducing methane…...
A Colorado District Court has struck down a hydraulic fracturing ban in the City of Longmont citing preemption by state law. On July 24, 2014, a Colorado District Court ruled that Article XVI of the Longmont Municipal Charter, which bans hydraulic fracturing in the city of Longmont, is invalid as preempted by the Colorado Oil…...