Marcellus Shale natural gas production is primed for a surge in growth that presents both opportunities and challenges for U.S. midstream and pipeline companies as well as investors.

Despite low current natural gas prices and environmental concerns over hydraulic fracturing, the relatively robust economics of the Marcellus and increasing regional demand mean that production should continue to grow dramatically. In the process, substantial new energy infrastructure will be required to gather, process, and ship natural gas and associated natural gas liquids (NGLs). Read more »

Oil prices traded mixed Thursday July 5, 2012 after China and the European Central Bank cut interest rates and Norway announced a lockout of unionized oil workers in a pensions dispute.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for August, finished at $87.22 a barrel, down 44 cents from Tuesday's closing level. The market was closed Wednesday for a public holiday.

In London trade, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in August added 93 cents to settle at $100.70 a barrel. Read more »

Antero Resources, a Denver based oil and gas driller, said Monday July 1, 2012 that it has completed the $445 million cash sale of all of its exploration and production assets in the Arkoma Basin to Vanguard Natural Resources LLC.

The assets consisted of 66,000 acres in the Woodford Shaleplay in the Arkoma Basin in Oklahoma and 5,300 net acres in the Fayetteville Shale play in Arkansas, Antero said in a statement.

The assets contained an estimated 251 billion cubic feet of proved developed reserves as of March 31, and 833 producing wells. Read more »

Back in 2008, near the height of the natural gas drilling boom in the Barnett Shale, more than 200 drilling rigs operated in the big North Texas field. With the collapse in natural gas prices this year, that number is down nearly 80 percent from its peak.

But not in the northwestern reaches of the field. In Montague, Jack and Wise counties, there is nearly as much drilling activity as in 2008, accounting for half the 48 rigs now in the Barnett. Read more »