A new state-by-state study estimates total unconventional oil and gas production in the Lower 48 will contribute $63 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues in 2012, with contributions rising to nearly $113 by 2020, said IHS.

Dominion and Caiman Energy II LLC are forming a $1.5 billion joint venture to provide midstream services to natural gas producers operating in the Utica shale in Ohio and portions of Pennsylvania.  The companies expect to close on the joint venture by Dec. 31.

Shareholders of Petrobank Energy & Resources Ltd. and its 56%-owned subsidiary PetroBakken Energy Ltd., both of Calgary, have approved a reorganization in which the companies will emerge as separate entities (OGJ Online, Oct. 30, 2012).

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. (Japex) has approved commercial in situ development of its Hangingstone oil sands project south of Fort McMurray, Alta., by its consolidated subsidiary Japan Canada Oil Sands Ltd. (Jacos).

Cavalier Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Paramount Resources Ltd., Calgary, has filed a regulatory application for the Hoole Grand Rapids project with the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board and Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.

Suncor Energy’s Firebag in situ production complex in the oil sands region of Alberta was producing 130,000 b/d of bitumen at the end of November following start-up of the project’s fourth phase.

Rosneft and ExxonMobil Corp. signed a pilot development agreement finalizing a previously announced joint project to assess the possibility of commercial production of tight oil at the Bazhenov and Achimov formations in Western Siberia.

Athabasca Oil Corp. reported strong test results in the Duvernay shale play in west-central Alberta, and AOC said a better understanding of the shale’s fracture characteristics has enabled the company to evolve its hydraulic fracturing techniques.

The board of directors of Athabasca Oil Corp. has sanctioned the Hangingstone 1 steam-assisted gravity drainage oil sands project in the southern Athabasca region of Alberta and approved a $536 million (Can.) development budget for it (OGJ Online, Oct. 4, 2012).