A news release from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory describes a process called “catalytic hydrothermal gasification” that can be used to create natural gas from algae quickly, more efficiently and at higher yields than other biofuel processes.

Rigzone has a summary of a Gulf of Mexico gas hydrates assessment recently conducted by Department of Energy, United States Geological Survey, Minerals Management Service and industry experts. Their conclusion is: there is a lot of gas hydrate in the Gulf contained in reservoirs that might be viable for production.

ExxonMobil is close to a deal to supply four million tons of Indonesian LNG per year to buyers in Asia (Reuters). And, Chevron is moving forward on their Gorgon LNG project in Australia (Bloomberg).

A private landowner in West Virginia leased drilling rights to a natural gas company then transferred the property to a state park system. Now the state says the gas company is not allowed to drill. More in the Houston Chronicle.

A new method for converting algae into renewable natural gas has been transferred from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to the marketplace under a license between Genifuel Corporation and Battelle. PNL News Release.

An article at RigZone profiles the Marcellus Shale holdings and activities of Range Resources. Range was one of the first companies to aggressively buy Marcellus leases and now has significant holdings.

A few small earthquakes beneath a Barnett Shale natural gas field in Texas has many people talking that the quakes might be related to the withdraw of gas. More in the Star-Telegram.

The Houston Chronicle has an article that reports that many natural gas producers are cutting their output which may result in a natural gas price recovery.

A teachers’ pension plan in Ontario is suing Chesapeake Energy because Aubrey McClendon receives excessive compensation. This teachers’ group is experienced in shareholder activism. More at Canada.com.

A bill has been introduced that, if passed, would give the federal government regulatory authority over the hydraulic fracturing process that is used in many of the unconventional natural gas wells. Backers of the bill say that it is needed to protect ground water from chemicals used in the process. More at the Wall Street Journal.

An article on the Reuters website reports that Indigo Minerals, LLC is purchasing over 500 producing natural gas wells and undeveloped acreage in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas from Chesapeake Energy Corporation for $218 million.

A group of gas drillers in Arkansas is attempting to sue the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality over permitting methods for wastewater handling at drill sites over the Fayetteville Gas Play. More at the Oil and Gas Journal.

The United States Geological Survey reports that the U.S. Gulf of Mexico contains very thick and concentrated gas-hydrate-bearing reservoir rocks which have the potential to produce gas using current technology.

National Fuel Gas has been drilling wells into the Marcellus Shale and the yields from those wells seem to be increasing as their methods improve. They speculate about Marcellus Shale wells that yield 40 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. More in the Buffalo News.

Low demand for electric power, increased gas production from shales and competition from foreign LNG are putting downward pressure on the wellhead price of natural gas. More at the Oil and Gas Journal.