Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Friday, Dec 9, 2011

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:

EQT launches plan to raise funds for shale development
Post-gazette.com
Downtown-based energy firm EQT Corp. will file an initial public offering for a portion of its pipeline subsidiary in the first quarter of 2012 as a way to finance development in the Marcellus Shale, the company announced Thursday.

Fear factors shouldn’t direct our nation’s energy policies
PennLive.com
Pennsylvania is fortunate to be in the center of a challenging debate over energy, with coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear and renewable sources such as wind power all having a "home" here.

Residents voice concerns over Marcellus drilling
PittsburghLive.com
Concerns about state legislation that opponents say doesn’t do enough to protect people from Marcellus shale natural gas drilling dominated a town hall meeting state Rep. Eli Evankovich hosted last week.

County impact fee remains sticking point
The Times-Tribune
A county-optional Marcellus Shale impact fee remains a sticking point in three-way negotiations to shape compromise legislation addressing a host of drilling-related issues.

Some legislators hopeful shale bill will be hammered out soon
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
State senators prepped a bill Wednesday so that Marcellus Shale oversight legislation could be approved quickly if negotiators hammer out a compromise within the next week.

Guest Viewpoint: Business, labor urge safe gas development
PressConnects.com
Our state sits atop one of the largest energy reserves in the world, a resource that can help reduce our country’s reliance on foreign energy and spur our local economy.

DEP seeks companies’ emissions data
Post-gazette.com
Pennsylvania has asked 99 Marcellus Shale gas drilling and development companies to submit air pollution emissions information that will be used in a comprehensive three-year state inventory of air pollutants required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Consol Energy reports on natural gas production
PittsburghLive.com
The Cecil-based gas and coal producer said it reached that milestone because of growth in the company’s Marcellus shale reserves and maintenance at the company’s coalbed methane and conventional gas production areas.

Range says it has met Marcellus Shale target
Star-Telegram.com
Fort Worth-based Range Resources said Wednesday that its Marcellus Shale operations in Pennsylvania have reached the company’s year-end 2011 target of production equivalent to 400 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, roughly double the output at year-end 2010.

Binghamton council proposes 2-year fracking ban
PressConnects.com
Members of city council are considering a two-year ban on hydraulic fracturing in the City of Binghamton. A public hearing on the proposal, scheduled Wednesday during a city council meeting, has been set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21 in council chambers.

Seismographs to monitor for Ohio quake-brine link
Dayton Daily News
New monitoring equipment will help determine whether earthquakes in the northeast part of the state are resulting from the disposal of brine used in natural gas drilling, a state official said.

MU study looks at effect of hiring out-of-state construction workers
Charleston Gazette
Local communities in West Virginia lose millions of dollars when out-of-state construction workers, rather than local workers, are hired for projects such as building Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling and processing facilities, a new study finds.

Special Session on Shale Possible
Wheeling News
West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin hopes to call state legislators to Charleston next week for a special session to deal with Marcellus Shale policy, he said during a visit today in Wheeling.

‘Boomtown’. Pa. Williamsport benefiting from Marcellus Shale drilling
ABC 27
Known as the place where Little League dreams come true, Williamsport, PA now boasts a big league industry with an economy climbing faster than anybody could’ve dreamed.

Guest Viewpoint: DEC plan for drilling would help our region
PressConnects.com
After years of evaluations and public input, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has put forward a comprehensive plan to safely develop natural gas resources in the Marcellus Shale region.

Feds: Pay attention to drilling in Pa., elsewhere
Star-Gazette
The final report from a federal panel on natural gas drilling warns that the industry and the government need to do more to address environmental concerns.