As part of an artful Democrat scheme to try and build support for PA Gov. Tom Wolf’s worst idea ever–a high severance tax on the Marcellus industry–the Pennsylvania “Independent” Fiscal Office (nothing of the sort) issued projections that cast fear, uncertainty and doubt that the state’s annual impact fee, which is really just another form of severance tax, will decrease this year (see our companion story today). In making their scary prediction, the IFO quotes several statistics about PA drilling as it stands so far in 2015 that MDN found enlightening (and we think you will too). Note: We’re not saying the IFO’s stats are wrong, we’re saying their conclusions are (with respect to a severance tax). The IFO-quoted stats tell us how much new well drilling is down (so far) in 2015, how many wells have been drilled but not completed, and how many drilled/completed wells have been turned off (“shut-in”)…
