Articles by Charlie Passut

Report Questions Generosity of Texas Tax Breaks for High Cost (Shale) Gas Wells

Texas's tax rate reduction program for "high-cost" natural gas wells may not be as generous as those provided by other states, and the shift in exploration from natural gas in the Barnett Shale to oil in the Eagle Ford Shale could also be making the incentive less relevant, according to a report by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Read More

Customers Protest Florida Gas Transmission Rate Hike Proposal

Several municipal electric and natural gas utilities in Florida have asked FERC to suspend a proposal by Florida Gas Transmission Co. LLC to raise its rates and generate more than $64 million in additional annual revenue. Read More

Vermilion Breaks Onto U.S. Stage, Mulls Drilling Options for 2015

Two months after acquiring acreage in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming -- and breaking into the U.S. for the first time -- Vermilion Energy Inc. said it believes it can significantly reduce drilling costs there but is so far undecided over where it will invest on capital expenditures in 2015. Read More

Hamm Ordered to Pay Nearly $1B in Divorce; 20M Continental Shares Tied Up

A judge in Oklahoma presiding over the divorce trial of Harold Hamm -- the founder, majority owner and CEO of Continental Resources Inc. -- has ruled that he must pay his ex-wife nearly $1 billion in alimony, with 20 million shares of the company's stock held as collateral. Read More

Quicksilver Has Strong 3Q, Taking Bids on Assets in 4Q

The third quarter was a good one for Quicksilver Resources Inc., thanks to a combination of higher earnings, reduced drilling costs and strong results from the first two wells it drilled in West Texas with its joint venture partner, Italy's Eni. Read More

Illinois Panel Approves Fracking Rules

Two days after voters in Illinois elected a new governor, a panel of state lawmakers has unanimously approved a series of regulations governing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state. Read More

Panhandle Proved Reserves Up 36%, Thanks to Eagle Ford

Panhandle Oil & Gas Inc. said its total proved reserves had increased 36% at the end of the third quarter, thanks in part to its acquisition of producing properties and drilling locations in the Eagle Ford Shale last June. Read More

Senate Republican Committee Leaders Expected to Push for Energy Exports

One day after Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate in the 2014 midterm elections, with analysts and officials from various industries and environmental groups making a wide spectrum of predictions for the next two years, there was one area of agreement -- the battles over the nation's energy policies are going to fundamentally change. Read More

Dominion Submits Pre-Filing Request to FERC for $500M Supply Header Project

Dominion submitted a pre-filing request to FERC on Tuesday, asking regulators to begin an environmental review of its proposed... Read More

Greyrock to Build Small-Scale GTL Plant in Houston Area

Greyrock Energy Inc. has received investor support for a small-scale gas-to-liquids facility in the Houston area and expects to have the plant operational by the end of 2015, the company said Tuesday. Read More