A series of accidents and environmental concerns illustrate the challenges the natural gas industry poses to the state and the reason why drilling companies need to pay their fair share to address them, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell said recently during a visit to southwestern Pennsylvania.

Dallas-based Chief Oil and Gas plans to disclose detailed information about the chemicals it uses to hydraulically fracture wells in the Marcellus shale to Pennsylvania and West Virginia officials.

Will New York State leverage Marcellus potential into jobs?

From the Marcellus Shale Coalition

Canonsburg, Pa.

Everyone’s heard of the famous Mason-Dixon line that separates the commonwealth of Pennsylvania from the state of Maryland (and Delaware too, incidentally). But what do you call the thing that separates the northern tier of Pennsylvania from the southern tier of New York? Ask any cartographer, and she’ll tell you it’s known as the “42nd parallel,” the same latitudinal line that extends west to set the boundary between Oregon and California as well.

Now ask that question of the 8,000 people in Broome Co., NY, who currently find themselves unemployed during one of the most difficult economic periods in recent history. Ask the 4,100 people in Steuben County, NY, who are without work. Or the 3,300 in Chemung County. Or the 2,000 in Chenango.

Ask what the northern border between New York and Pennsylvania symbolizes to them – and a good many will tell you it’s a brick wall keeping the jobs and revenue being generated in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Marcellus from crossing the border and getting into the hands of folks who need those things just as much in New York.

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Falcon Technologies and Services Inc. - a subsidiary of Carbo Ceramics Inc. and provider of custom spill prevention, control and countermeasure systems - has started operations in the Marcellus shale resource play.

After SM Energy announced its 2011 capex budget of $1 billion and outlined its plans to raise between $300 million and $500 million through asset sales and joint ventures, Jefferies & Co. Inc. released a report saying the company’s impressive growth was overshadowed by a funding gap.

Capstone Turbine Corp., a producer of low-emission microturbine systems, recently received an order for 18 C65 microturbines for a large independent oil and natural gas company operating in the Eagle Ford shale play.

In an effort to bring transparency to the practice of hydraulic fracturing, Range Resources Corp. has submitted its first voluntary disclosure forms from Marcellus shale operations to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

El Paso Midstream Group Inc., a subsidiary of El Paso Corp. is holding a 30-day, non-binding open season to solicit expressions of interest concerning the transportation of ethane on its proposed Marcellus Ethane Pipeline System (MEPS).

One month after its aquisition in the Chattanooga shale, Westmont Resources Inc. has completed an agreement to acquire 1,800 acres and 60 existing wells in the Marcellus Shale region in the southwest tier of Pennsylvania.

Reliance Marcellus II, a subsidiary of India's Reliance Industries Ltd. has plans to buy into additional Marcellus shale acreage with a joint venture agreement with Carrizo Oil & Gas.

The New York State Senate passed a moratorium on gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale to allow time for a comprehensive study to determine the effects of hydraulic fracturing, if any, on the state’s water supply.