Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) and Targa Resources Partners LP (NGLS: Quote) Thursday said they had previously engaged in high level preliminary discussions regarding a potential business combination with Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. and certain of its affiliates, but those discussions have been terminated. Targa Resources Corp (NYSE:TRGP) stock performance was 20.45% in last session and finished the day at $150.62. Traded volume was 1.37million shares in the last session and the average volume of the stock remained 272.09K shares. The beta of the stock remained 1.05. Targa Resources Corp (NYSE:TRGP) insider ownership is 2.70%.

Shares of two other sand miners, US Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE:SLCA) and Hi Crush Partners LP, have more than doubled in the past year. U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE:SLCA) dropped -1.60 percent to $53.45 Thursday on volume of 1.32million shares. The intra-day range of the stock was $52.94 to $54.99. U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE:SLCA) has a market capitalization of $2.87billion.

Onshore contract driller, Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:PTEN) has completed the purchase of pressure pumping operations − based in East Texas – from a privately held firm. Patterson-UTI revealed that the purchase comprised 31,500 horsepower of hydraulic fracturing equipment. Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTEN)’s stock on June 19, 2014 reported a increase of 1.07% to the closing price of $34.85. Its fifty two weeks range is $18.83 -$34.88. The total market capitalization recorded $5.04billion. The overall volume in the last trading session was 1.34million shares. In its share capital, PTEN has 144.49million outstanding shares.

Gastar Exploration Inc. (NYSEMKT:GST) reported today that it has reached total depth on the vertical pilot hole for its first Utica/Point Pleasant well in Marshall County, West Virginia.  The Simms 5-UH well was drilled to a total depth of 11,410 feet and encountered approximately 92 net feet of pay in the Point Pleasant formation with measured porosities up to 17%. On Thursday, shares of Gastar Exploration Inc (NYSEMKT:GST) dropped -0.12% to close the day at $8.30. Company return on investment (ROI) is 6.70% and its monthly performance is recorded as 15.44%. Gastar Exploration Inc (NYSEMKT:GST) quarterly revenue growth is 41.88%.

Lukoil is in talks with U.S. oil firm Hess Corp (NYSE:HES) to buy a stake in its offshore project in Ghana, two sources close to the talks said, as part of its strategy to look beyond a closed Russian market. Hess Corp. (NYSE:HES) stock performance was 1.06% in last session and finished the day at $97.34. Traded volume was 1.88million shares in the last session and the average volume of the stock remained 2.34million shares. The beta of the stock remained 1.64. Hess Corp. (NYSE:HES) insider ownership is 0.60%.