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The article discusses orphaned natural gas wells in the U.S. Once abandoned, the wells need to be plugged for environmental purposes. Although some states require energy companies to post bond beforehand for plugging, it is often not enough to cover costs. Details are presented about idle wells seized by the state of Wyoming from energy entrepreneur Ed Presley, whose High Plains Gas Inc. owes millions of dollars in fines, penalties, and bonding fees.

The article reports on the plan of Australian multinational mining, metals and petroleum company BHP Billiton to charge 2 billion dollars for its U.S. onshore petroleum business after the development of a gas field in Texas proved to be more complex and costly than anticipated.

The article discusses research reported in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" on defective natural gas well construction versus hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, as the cause of aquifer contamination in several locations in Pennsylvania and Texas.

The article presents U.S. news briefs as of February 12, 2014 on topics including the Nevada state government's decision to stop defending its ban on same-sex marriage, an explosion and fire at a natural-gas well in Dunkard Township, Pennsylvania, and a laser-pointer-related reward program.

The article reports that the Pennsylvania Senate has passed a bill which would set fees for natural gas drilling and limit the regulation of gas development through local drilling ordinances, examining reactions to the bill from politicians, petroleum companies, and environmental groups.

This section offers news briefs on issues and events in the U.S. as of July 2010, including the deaths of two people from an explosion at a natural-gas well in western Pennsylvania, a federal investigation which found that military officials and defense contractors bought and downloaded child pornography, and the health condition of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor after undergoing hip-replacement surgery.

The article reports on the plan of gas driller Range Resources Corp. to reveal the chemicals used to hydraulically fracture natural-gas wells in Pennsylvania.

Corrections to two articles published in previous issues are presented, including one about the storage and processing of natural gas in a shale-gas well in the May 10, 2010 issue and another about the service center of Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. in Greensboro, North Carolina in the May 6, 2010 issue.

The article discusses expectations for two of Royal Dutch Shell PLC's natural-gas undertakings in Qatar. Chief executive Peter Voser said the projects would generate $4 billion in cash flow by 2011. One of them, the Pearl gas-to-liquids plant, cost at least $18 billion and is the largest such plant in the world.

The article reports that Total SA has submitted a development plan to China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC). According to Charles Mattenet of Total, $1.5 billion to $2 billion will be invested at the South Sulige block in Inner Mongolia if the development plan is approved by CNPC and the Chinese government. Mattenet cited the plan of Total to drill about 2,000 wells at South Sulige over the life of the field.

The article reports that the South Yolotan-Osman natural gas field in the southeast of Turkmenistan is the fifth largest in the world. This is revealed in a study conducted by Gaffney Cline & Associates, an oil advisory firm. The field contains between 4 to 14 trillion cubic meters of gas. For years, Turkmenistan's dictator Saparmurat Niyazov shunned investors. After his death in December 2006, BP PLC, Chevron Corp. and Total SA flocked to Ashgabad, the Turkmen capital, looking for business deals.

Deals with the natural gas well discovered in California by a consortium lead by Berkley Petroleum Corp. Information on the natural gas.

Reports on a natural-gas discovery of Chevron Corp. in Canada's Northwest Territories. Capacity of the gas discovery; Plans for the well.

Reports on the discovery of natural gas wells in Alberta by Petro-Canada. Significance of the discovery; Estimated initial production from the well.

Reports on the test flow rate of Louisiana Land & Exploration Co.'s exploratory gas well in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.

Reports that Mobil Oil Corporation and the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies plan to abandon the Camisea natural-gas project in Peru, owing to the demands of the government which makes the venture unprofitable. Details on Peru's demand for gas supply; Duration and amount of money the companies spent developing the fields; Location of the fields; Comments from David Dickson, Mobil spokesman; Views of analysts on the abandonment of the project.

Reports about the discovery of the Philips Petroleum Company of oil through a well in China's Bohai Bay. Peak rate of the flow of the well; Location of the well.

Reports the completion of testing of a natural-gas well by Kelley Oil Corp. in the Fire Island Field of Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. Results of the test; Ownership of the well.

Reports on developments pertaining to Apache Corp. Completion of nine gas wells in British Columbia; Daily production rate net; Distance of the area from Fort St. John, British Columbia.

Reports that Parallel Petroleum Corporation announced that it has completed three natural-gas discovery wells on the Texas Gulf Coast. Claims that the wells are producing at a combined rate of 2.5 million cubic feet a day.

Reports testing of an natural-gas well by Tesoro Petroleum Corp. in Texas.

Reports the participation of MSR Exploration Ltd. in the completion of a natural gas well in Canada located southwest of Edmonton, Alberta.