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31 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 12 – 18

For the week of May 12 – 18, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica was up five from the previous week. Last week, 31 new permits were issued in the M-U. In the Keystone State (PA), seven new permits were issued. The top permittee was Range Resources, which was issued four permits in Washington County. Seneca Resources scored two permits in two different counties: Elk and Tioga. PennEnergy Resources received a single permit in Butler County. Read More “31 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 12 – 18”

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Epsilon 1Q: Gas Production Up Over 50% Thanks to Marcellus Wells

Epsilon Energy issued its first quarter 2025 update last week. Epsilon, a relatively small company, used to concentrate most of its effort on developing Marcellus Shale wells. However, over the past few years, the company has expanded into other plays and now owns assets in the Anadarko (Oklahoma and Texas), the Permian (Texas and New Mexico), and most recently, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (in Alberta, Canada). Epsilon typically does not do its own drilling. The company joint venture partners with (gives money to) other companies, like Expand Energy in the Marcellus, and the other company does the drilling. As for 1Q25, according to Jason Stabell, Epsilon’s CEO, “Our Marcellus business performed very well during the quarter, with all delayed turn-in-line wells now on production.” As a result, natural gas production was up over 50% from the previous quarter, resulting in a 200% increase in cash flow. Read More “Epsilon 1Q: Gas Production Up Over 50% Thanks to Marcellus Wells”

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Construction of Dimock Water System Project Begins in Northeast Pa.

In December 2022, MDN brought you the great news that Coterra Energy (formerly Cabot Oil & Gas) would be allowed to restart drilling in a nine-square-mile area in Dimock, PA (Susquehanna County) following a “no contest” plea deal with PA’s then-Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, on a misdemeanor charge (see PA DEP Allows Coterra (Cabot O&G) to Resume Drilling in Dimock). A provision in the agreement made the return to Dimock contingent on Coterra installing (paying for) a new water system for local residents. Work began with Phase 1 planning and design, which allowed Coterra to restart its Dimock drilling program (see Coterra Restarting Marcellus Drilling in Early 2Q – Return to Dimock). Phase 2, the actual construction of water pipelines, is now here. Read More “Construction of Dimock Water System Project Begins in Northeast Pa.”

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Fracking Issue Causing PA Working Class Voters to Shift Right

According to opinion researchers at Pennsylvania’s Franklin & Marshall College, the issue of fracking has deepened the schism between Democrats and Republicans in the Keystone State. Pennsylvania’s voter registration statistics have shifted rightward (from Democrat to Republican), which has been traced to shifts in the affiliation of working-class communities, particularly those located in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the state. New research offers a more direct cause for the shift: the decline of coal mining and the rise of shale gas development. Read More “Fracking Issue Causing PA Working Class Voters to Shift Right”

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Strategy Revealed for Building 3 GW Gas-Fired AI/Data Center in SWPA

In January, MDN brought you the news that TECfusions, based in Tampa, Florida, had purchased 1,395 acres in Upper Burrell (Westmoreland County), PA, for a groundbreaking data center project called TECfusions Keystone Connect (see Massive 3 GW Gas-Fired AI/Data Center Coming to Southwest Pa.). The site is the old Alcoa R&D campus and the surrounding real estate in New Kensington. The project will transform the shuttered office and industrial site into a state-of-the-art data center campus, with plans to deploy up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of gas-fired capacity over six years, using gas wells on the property (see Massive 3 GW Gas-Fired AI/Data Center in SWPA to Use Local Wells). At the Appalachian AI Energy Conference held earlier this week, TECfusions COO Mark Hamilton laid out the company’s strategy for developing the site moving forward. Read More “Strategy Revealed for Building 3 GW Gas-Fired AI/Data Center in SWPA”

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Wisconsin PSC Approves Big Gas-Fired Power Plant Near Milwaukee

The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin approved the We Energies plan to build a $1.2 billion gas-fired power plant at its Oak Creek Power Plant location (Oak Creek is a suburb of Milwaukee). Plans call for converting the facility from a coal-fired power plant to a natural gas plant that will generate 1,100 megawatts (MW) of electricity on demand (a “peaker” facility). The aim is to start the gas turbines when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. The PSC also approved a much smaller We Energies peaker plant in the Kenosha County town of Paris. Read More “Wisconsin PSC Approves Big Gas-Fired Power Plant Near Milwaukee”

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Pipeline Companies Face Expansion Dilemma: Buy or Build New?

President Donald Trump’s pro-energy policies were meant to speed the construction of the United States’ next generation of energy infrastructure, but many oil and gas pipeline operators would still rather buy than build their way to expansion due to a host of factors impeding large projects. The proposed 124-mile Constitution Pipeline from northeastern Pennsylvania into and through New York State is a perfect example. Williams canceled the project in 2020. Trump wants it revived and built. Will Williams or someone else build it? More importantly, will it get built at all? Read More “Pipeline Companies Face Expansion Dilemma: Buy or Build New?”

MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, May 23, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

NATIONAL: Senate votes to revoke California’s EV mandate; Natural gas futures flop after fourth straight triple-digit storage build; Why GE Vernova’s stock is power surging after just one year of existence; INTERNATIONAL: Deutsche Bank hits pause on new oil curbs, citing legal risk; Oil slips as OPEC eyes boost; Japan invests big in LNG despite climate-friendly promises; Egypt in talks to buy 40-60 LNG cargoes amid energy crunch, sources say. Read More “MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, May 23, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]”

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Vast Majority of MPLX NatGas Processing Happens in Marcellus/Utica

In late 2015, MPLX (i.e., Marathon Petroleum) bought out and merged in the Utica Shale’s premier midstream company, MarkWest Energy, for $15 billion (see MarkWest Energy Investors/Unitholders Approve Merger with Marathon). The “new” MarkWest, aka MPLX, plays on a much larger stage now, including the ownership and operation of major assets in the Permian Basin and the Bakken Shale, in addition to the Marcellus/Utica. However, the M-U still plays a starring role for the company. MPLX recently issued its first quarter 2025 update. CEO Maryann Mannen said most of the company’s first quarter profits were from its natural gas and NGL segment in the Northeast. Read More “Vast Majority of MPLX NatGas Processing Happens in Marcellus/Utica”

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Low Marcellus Break-Even Prices Keep Region #1 for Gas Production

The Marcellus Shale has a distinct advantage over every other gas-focused shale play in the country: It’s WAY cheaper than anywhere else to produce gas in the Marcellus. It’s called the break-even point, when a driller makes a profit after paying for expenses. The break-even in the Marcellus is *below* $2/Mcf (thousand cubic feet) for many drillers, including giants EQT and Expand Energy. Other gas-focused plays, like the Haynesville, cost a lot more—$3.50/Mcf or more for break-even. But then, the Haynesville is much closer to Gulf Coast LNG export facilities, so it costs much less to pipeline the gas. That’s OK, the Marcellus has a geographic advantage, too. Read More “Low Marcellus Break-Even Prices Keep Region #1 for Gas Production”

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Marcellus/Utica Gas Ready to Power the AI Revolution

Yesterday, the first of what will no doubt be many such events, the Appalachian AI Energy Conference (sponsored by Shale Directories) was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Pittsburgh/Southpointe. Event speakers explored why Appalachia is uniquely suited to meet AI’s massive energy needs. CNX’s VP of sustainable development, Brent Bobsein, spoke about the region’s “massive opportunity.” Read More “Marcellus/Utica Gas Ready to Power the AI Revolution”

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Antis Convince Rockland County, NY Legislators to Oppose Pipe Proj.

The Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline (owned by Enbridge) transports up to 3.09 Bcf/d through a pipeline that is 1,131 miles long. Algonquin connects to Texas Eastern Transmission (TETCO), Millennium Pipeline, and Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline and supplies New England with critically needed natural gas supplies for power generation and consumer use. As we told you in September 2023, Enbridge conducted an open season to gauge interest in expanding Algonquin’s capacity to flow more gas into New England—mainly from the Marcellus/Utica—called Project Maple (see Enbridge Open Season to Expand Algonquin Pipe in New England). Since that time, anti-fossil fuel nutters (like Food & Water Watch, Sierra Club, and others) have mounted a coordinated attack against the project (see our Project Maple stories here). Here we are, almost two years later, and the antis finally have a sliver of support—from the emasculated legislators of Rockland County, NY. Read More “Antis Convince Rockland County, NY Legislators to Oppose Pipe Proj.”

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3 Years Later, Freeport LNG Returns LNG Storage Tank to Service

Freeport LNG’s export terminal with three liquefaction “trains” completely shut down (all three trains) in June 2022 after an explosion and fire (see Explosion Rocks Freeport LNG Export Plant – Offline for 3 Weeks). What was initially thought to be a three-week outage lasted for ten months. The plant finally returned online in March 2023 (see Freeport LNG Plant Back to Full Capacity Using 2.1 Bcf/d of NatGas). Since that time, one or more Freeport trains have been offline more times than we can count. Freeport announced yesterday that, finally, after three years, it has restored full operations to the last remaining component that was still offline since 2022—an LNG storage tank. Read More “3 Years Later, Freeport LNG Returns LNG Storage Tank to Service”

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Trump PHMSA Gets Ready to Change Gas Pipeline Repair Regs

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is looking to overhaul repair requirements for natural gas and carbon dioxide pipelines. The PHMSA is asking the industry (and the public) how to make standards that have remained unchanged for more than 40 years more cost-effective. This effort marks the second in a series of high-priority PHMSA actions to implement the President’s “Unleashing American Energy” Executive Order. Read More “Trump PHMSA Gets Ready to Change Gas Pipeline Repair Regs”

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Fed. Bill Would Fix Biden’s Attack Against O&G Via the Tax Code

If you’ve ever run a business or have been self-employed, you know how important it is to claim every legitimate deduction on your tax return. Anyone with a brain knows that wages, fuel, and repairs are expenses, the “cost of doing business”—especially in the oil and gas business. Yet in their zeal to destroy fossil energy, the Bidenistas inserted new regulations in the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a law made possible by the single vote of former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (who will live in infamy for his vote), relabeling such deductions as “subsidies” for the oil and gas industry (but no other industries). The Bidenistas eliminated those legitimate deductions so that O&G companies could no longer claim them as deductions, at least not the full value in the year in which they are spent. It’s nuts! There’s a new bill in Congress to correct this attack against the fossil energy industry. Read More “Fed. Bill Would Fix Biden’s Attack Against O&G Via the Tax Code”

MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Thu, May 22, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: It’s time to “build, baby, build” in the Marcellus; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Moore signs two energy bills as June rate hikes loom; NATIONAL: Chubb drops $1.5B natural gas terminal policy; How to frac a modern shale well and boost capital efficiency; Why Ohio has a say on California’s gas car ban; Strong European demand pushes U.S. LNG exports up by 20%; INTERNATIONAL: Re-elected Shell CEO, asked about BP, says bar for deals is high; European Commission awards $1B in green hydrogen subsidies; Market skepticism surrounds Mexico’s ambitious plans to boost natural gas supply. Read More “MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Thu, May 22, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]”