Each year Marcellus Drilling News takes Thanksgiving and the day after off to rest and relax with family. We will be sure to keep an eye on the news and if there is anything earth-shattering, we will bring you that news. Otherwise, we’ll see you next Monday. Have a great Thanksgiving! – Jim Willis, Editor
PA Marcellus Gas Production Up 2%, Wells Drilled Down 18% in 3Q
Yesterday Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released its latest quarterly Natural Gas Production Report–for July through September 2020 (full copy below). The report shows natgas production in PA rose 2.0% compared to the same period last year, which is the lowest increase on record since the shale revolution began. The number of new wells spud (drilled) in 3Q20 was 111, down 18% over 3Q19.
Continue reading
Enbridge Building Solar Farm in PA to Power TETCO Compressor Stn
In September MDN brought you the news that pipeline company Enbridge is building a solar farm to provide electricity to power (in part) a Texas Eastern Transmission Pipeline Company (TETCO) compressor station in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, which is a first (see Enbridge Using Solar Farm to Power TETCO Compressor Station in NJ). Enbridge has announced they’re doing it again–this time in Pennsylvania.
Continue reading
Nuverra Environmental Solutions Refinances $33M of Debt
Nuverra Environmental Solutions (formerly Heckmann) is one of the largest companies in the United States that handles transportation and disposal of shale drilling wastewater and leftover rock and dirt from drilling. The company has major operations in the Marcellus/Utica region. Nuverra announced yesterday it has stitched together several different deals in order to raise $32.8 million (new debt) in order to pay off older, coming-due debt.
Continue reading
A Rational Look at Why Dumping NatGas by 2050 is Impossible
There are those in the non-thinking, arrogant, ignorant Big Green movement who demand (they always demand) that everyone (except themselves) stop using fossil fuels. Now. Or the earth is dead in 10-20 years. (It’s always 10-20 years, ever notice that?) And then there are those who kind of believe there may be something to man-made global warming who are looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions realistically. Those in the latter camp, people who actually think rationally, say there is one way to reduce CO2 emissions over the next 30 years: by using more (not less) natural gas.
Continue reading
API Vows to Fight Biden’s Promised Federal Land Frack Ban
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has finally grown a backbone. Maybe. Back on Nov. 7, the API welcomed, with open arms, dithering old Joe Biden and Kamala “Commie” Harris–long before the outcome of the race was even determined. Now that the catastrophic (to oil & gas) reality of a Biden administration has started to sink in, API is changing its tune.
Continue reading
Other Stories of Interest: Wed, Nov 25, 2020
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: CNX Resources corporation announces pricing of $500 million of senior notes; FirstEnergy cut to junk at all three major ratings firms; Regardless of election, Thai giant PTT’s cracker project in Ohio in flux; West Virginia Sen. Manchin calls for update on Storage Hub report; NATIONAL: The secret weapon that will save oil & gas pipeline operators billions; What it took to balance the natural gas market this fall; INTERNATIONAL: LNG importers’ group names new president; Desperate Venezuelans attempt to refine gasoline at home; China to take oil-refining crown held by U.S. since 19th century.
Continue reading
Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Nov. 16-20
Last week Pennsylvania issued 11 new shale well drilling permits, all but one of them in the northeastern (dry gas) part of the state. Ohio issued one new permit, and West Virginia issued 2 new shale well permits.
Continue reading
Williams Deal with Bankrupt Chesapeake to Flow More Marcellus Gas
Pipeline giant Williams has cut a deal outside of bankruptcy court with Chesapeake Energy. The deal means Williams will continue to gather Chesapeake’s production in the Marcellus, Eagle Ford, and Midcontinent shale regions. Chessy has also committed to buying up to 150 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of capacity on Williams’ new Transco Regional Energy Access project which will flow Marcellus gas to customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Continue reading
Maryland Congressman Demands FERC Answers re MVP, ACP
Leftist Democrat Congressman Jamie Raskin, from Maryland, is asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to provide reams of documents on how it handles landowner complaints about natural gas pipelines crossing their land. Raskin is Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. He’s got his knickers in a twist over the centuries-old concept of eminent domain–that the government (under the Constitution) has the right to seize individual property with just compensation in rare but necessary cases.
Continue reading
LANL Invents Clever Way to Sniff Out Fugitive Methane Leaks
Researchers with the Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico continue to make big oil and gas industry breakthroughs. Two weeks ago we told you about LANL’s breakthrough discovery about pressures used when fracking in the Marcellus (see DOE Marcellus Research Finds High Frack Pressure Keeps Gas Trapped). A different group of LANL researchers have discovered a way to sniff out fugitive methane, perhaps cutting emissions up to 90%.
Continue reading
Some in Oil & Gas Industry Look Forward to a Biden Presidency
Every now and again we hear from MDN readers who mildly (or strongly) disagree with our politics and view of the leftwing Democrat Party and the frail, mentally-challenged Joe Biden (who won’t last two years in office before he’s pushed out for medical and/or mental reasons). They tell us a Biden presidency isn’t the end of oil and gas, and maybe he will even help our industry! (Even though Biden promised to “transition away from oil” in his last debate appearance.) We’re mystified that anyone can hold the view that Biden will be good for O&G, but there are people (in our audience) who do hold that view. The article below does a good job of capturing their viewpoint and thinking about the incoming Biden administration.
Continue reading
Oil & Gas Experts Give Realistic Assessment of Biden Impact
“OK Jim, what’s *really* going to happen to the oil and gas industry under a Joe Biden presidency? None of your apocalyptic B.S. please.” We’ve heard that sentiment/question expressed on occasion by MDN subscribers. Last week the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank and the Kansas City Reserve Bank hosted a virtual conference titled, “Energy and the Changing Economy: Navigating the Changing Energy Landscape.” Some of the best experts in the industry (some of them Biden supporters) delivered their best guess as to what will realistically happen over the next four years to the oil and gas industry under a Biden administration…
Continue reading
Other Stories of Interest: Tue, Nov 24, 2020
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: DRBC lawsuit update: still waiting on the federal court; Canton Chamber moves Utica Downstream event to January as COVID-19 cases spike; Renewables, GOP supermajority loom large over energy and environmental groups’ 2021 state legislative priorities; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: SDG&E to test blending hydrogen with natural gas supply; NATIONAL: Biden names John Kerry as ‘climate czar’ in new administration; Investment in US clean energy to total $55 billion in 2020: Generate Capital; Could U.S. propane demand plus exports draw down inventories enough to spike prices?; Pipe dreams leave U.S. energy firms caught in climate trap; INTERNATIONAL: Oil majors are paying the price for investing in renewables.
Continue reading
Gulfport Asks Judge to Force Cheniere Pipe Co. to Return $76M
Last Monday we brought you the news that Gulfport Energy, the third-largest driller in the Ohio Utica Shale, had filed for bankruptcy (see Gulfport Energy Files for Pre-arranged Chapter 11 Bankruptcy). Today we bring you the news that Gulfport has asked the bankruptcy judge to force one of the pipelines Gulfport uses to ship natural gas, Midship Pipeline Company (a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy), to give back $75.6 million it took in October.
Continue reading
Shale Drilling on PA State Land Slows Down; Only 1/3rd Built Out
Last Wednesday Shawn Lehman, from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources’ (DCNR) Resource Inventory and Monitoring Section, gave an update on DCNR’s ongoing efforts to monitor environmental and natural resource impacts of shale gas drilling on state forest land. We learned some interesting facts about shale drilling on PA state land as part of the presentation.
Continue reading