In August, the Canadian province of British Columbia sold $98 million in bonus bids in its natural gas and oil mineral rights sale, bringing the calendar year total to more than $760 million.

Exxon Mobil Corp. will license its Multi-Zone Stimulation Technology (MZSTSM) well treatment process to Calfrac Well Services Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

European unconventional resources are on a par with North America, according to IHS CERA’s Jonathan Parry, but he expects the reserves will be developed much more slowly due to regulatory and environmental issues as well as commercial risk factors.

According to a recent Wood Mackenzie report, China’s coal bed methane (CBM) growth is currently slow but will make up one third of unconventional gas supply to the country in the long-term. This leaves room for emerging leader, PetroChina, to position itself either independently or with foreign partners as a player in the future of global unconventional gas.

Sino Oil and Gas Holdings Ltd. (formerly Genesis Energy Holdings Ltd.) has entered an acquisition agreement with an independent third party for the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of coalbed methane company Orion Energy International Inc. for roughly US$301 million.

Oil and gas company Genesis Energy Holdings Ltd. has signed a an acquisition agreement with an independent third party for coalbed methane (CBM) company Orion Energy International Inc.

Far East Energy Corp. has negotiated an agreement with its partner, China United Coal Bed Methane and Shanxi Provincial Guoxin to sell all production of coalbed methane (CBM) from the contract area covered by the Shouyang Production Sharing Contract. Far East will gfet 1.55 Rmb per cubic meter of gas, including new Chinese government subsidies, which equates to roughly $6.55 per Mcf.

CNX Gas Corp. has earmarked $400 million for shale programs and coalbed methane programs in 2010.

Quicksilver Resources Inc. has completed its first well in the Horn River Basin in Northeast British Columbia. The well tested at an initial production rate of 13 million cubic feet per day.

Gastar Exploration Ltd., an exploration and production company focused on finding and developing natural gas assets in North America, has completed the sale of its Australia assets and plans to use the proceeds for debt retirement.

Universal Well Site Solutions, a provider of automated and wireless well-site production solutions for coal bed methane, shale gas and low pressure traditional gas projects, has named coal industry veteran Jackie Dymond as its National Director of Field Training and Safety.

Petroflow Energy Ltd. has entered into a definitive purchase and sale agreement to sell its San Juan Basin coal bed methane property. The sale, which is still subject to due diligence on the part of the purchaser, is scheduled to close in May 2008 for gross cash proceeds of $29 million.