Without stop-gap funding from congress by October 1st, the EPA could ‘Effectively Shut Down,’ leaving it with just a skeleton crew needed in case of emergency. The EPA has reportedly not shut down due to lack of funding since 1996. [AP]

French oil major Total could sell its stake in giant Russian gas field Shtokman. The US was originally envisioned as Shtokman’s main market, but North American unconventional gas production growth and ballooning costs needed to develop the technically-challenging field have prevented a final investment decision from being reached. Norway’s Statoil recently walked away from Shtokman, selling its stake to Gazprom. [Moscow Times]

North Dakota moves forward with plans to monetize its associated natural gas and reduce flaring as companies strike a deal to sell 13 million cubic feet of natural gas daily into the Chicago market. [Great Plains Energy Corridor]

This post was originally published by Breaking Energy.