Ill. Federal Court Dismisses Final Count in Suit Over Natural Gas Storage

BENTON, Ill. - A federal judge has dismissed the last remaining cause of action in a suit alleging that improper operation of a natural gas storage facility damaged the prospects for recovering gas from a layer of shale, ruling that the same dispute was resolved in an earlier state court action. Petco Petroleum Corp., et al. v. Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, No. 03-cv-4086-JPG (S.D. Ill.).

Judge J. Philip Gilbert granted defendant Natural Gas Pipeline's motion to dismiss a trespass cause of action on res judicata grounds on June 3, ending a lengthy dispute between NGPL over operation of …