Governor Mike Beebe points to the Fayetteville Shale Play and wind energy projects as bright spots in the Arkansas job climate. More in an article on BusinessWeek.com.

A boost for development of the Fayetteville Shale is work starting on the “Fayetteville Express Pipeline” that will carry about 2 billion cubic feet per day from Conway County, Arkansas to the Trunkline Gas Company in Panola County, Mississippi. More on this at Market Watch.

In a news release, Chesapeake Energy reports that they are the second largest leaseholder in the Fayetteville Shale gas play with 440,000 net acres. They expect to produce about 300 mmcfe net per day by the end of 2009 operating 18 rigs. Their estimated average yield per well is 2.4 bcfe.

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.

Pipeline activity related to the Fayetteville Shale natural gas play in Arkansas prompted a bill in a state House committee that would restrict a pipeline company’s ability to use eminent domain to construct gathering system lines. See the Severance Tax Blog for details.

A PowerPoint presentation titled “Fayetteville Shale Play: Reducing Environmental Impacts” by Dr. Gregory J. Thoma of the University of Arkansas is posted at the Arkansas Conservation Alliance website.

The Fayetteville Express Pipeline is a joint project between Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP and Energy Transfer Partners LP.  They are building a nearly 200-mile-long line to transport gas from the Fayetteville Shale to local distribution facilities.  More in Arkansas Business.

An article at TheCabin.net reports that two gas companies that drill the Haynesville Shale in northern Louisiana have acquired drilling permits in Columbia County in southern Arkansas. These are suspected Haynesville Shale wells.

Some of the first properties leased in the Fayetteville Shale natural gas play in Arkansas are approaching their five year anniversary. Mineral rights owners are wondering about their options. More at ArkansasBusiness.com

British Petroleum America announced that they have purchased, for $1.9 billion, a 25% stake in the Fayetteville Shale natural gas assets of Chesapeake Energy Corporation. As Chesapeake acquires new property in the Fayetteville play, BP will have the option to purchase a 25% stake.

An article in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette tells about a proposed facility outside of Griffithville that is intended to accept the waste water from hydraulic fracturing of Fayetteville Shale natural gas wells. Issues raised by the facility are compared to experience with similar facilities that have long operated in Texas.

Here is an article with stories of how several property owners in Arkansas/Louisiana/Texas area are seeing properties that they paid $40,000 for just a few years ago fetch $800,000 signing bonuses from Haynesville Shale natural gas. Others are in a dilema…. Sell now? Or, hold out for more?

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is leasing over 10,000 acres of mineral rights and 26,000 surface acres in Yell County and Van Buren County to Chesapeake Energy for about $29,000,000. More details about the transaction and the Game and Fish Commission’s decision to allow this at RedOrbit.com.

A 500-mile, $1.34 billion natural gas pipeline connecting Fayetteville Gas Shale deposits and destinations in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas has been approved by federal regulators. Details about the pipeline can be found in the Houston Business Journal.