Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Jan 23, 2013

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

Maryland

Montgomery lawmakers call for ban on fracking
Gazette.net
Two Montgomery County lawmakers are proposing an outright ban on drilling for natural gas in Western Maryland through the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Ohio

Natural gas, oil industry to rally at Statehouse today
Dover-New Philadelphia Times Reporter
Workers, employers and lobbyists for Ohio’s growing oil and gas industry are descending on the Statehouse to tout the industry’s economic benefits.

Steptoe & Johnson Expands Utica Shale Presence
PRWeb
Steptoe & Johnson has expanded its presence in the Utica shale with the opening of a new office in Canton, Ohio.

Most Ohioans see economic potential in fracking, Huntington survey finds
Business Journal
A majority of Ohio consumers believe the shale gas industry will bring economic opportunity to their areas of the state, says a new survey commissioned by Huntington Bancshares Inc.

Drilling on schedule for OEC’s Legislative Summit on Feb. 1
Akron Beacon Journal
Ohio shale drilling will be on the agenda when the Ohio Environmental Council holds its Legislative Summit on Feb. 1.

Pennsylvania

Allegheny County moves forward with rules on gas drillers’ emissions
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Allegheny County officials added a three-day notice to their proposed shale drilling rules, then gave them unanimous preliminary approval on Tuesday.

Natural gas provides better life
O-R Online
I have kept quiet for quite some time trying not to ruffle any feathers, but every time I show up at meetings of the Robinson Township supervisors, I never see many people from Robinson Township.

Range Resoures geologist honored for Marcellus discovery
Fort Worth Star Telegram
Fort Worth-based producer Range Resources says geologist William A. Zagorski, vice president of geology for Range’s Marcellus Shale Division, will receive the Norman H. Foster Outstanding Explorer Award from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

West Virginia

Oilfield Trucking Solutions relocating in state
Charleston Gazette
Oilfield Trucking Solutions plans to close its facility in Buckhannon and move the operations to Beech Bottom by the end of February.

National

‘FrackNation’ Documentary Exposes Shoddy, Anti-science Journalism
NewsBusters
Explosions and fires are a common feature of today’s fictional movies as heroes dodge bullets and conflagrations in pursuit of justice. That might explain why opponents of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) have decided to dramatize their case against scientific progress by lighting water on fire and then falsely blaming fracking for the blaze.

US dry gas production could grow for rest of decade: Raymond James
Platts
US natural gas production will continue to grow for as much as another decade, investment bank Raymond James’ top oil and gas analyst said Tuesday, driven by huge production gains in the Marcellus Shale and gas associated with oil and natural gas liquids drilling.