Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, May 16, 2012

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

A Local Company Goes International Thanks to Marcellus Shale
Energy in Depth – NMI
My company, Magna-Solutions, LLC designs and carries secondary flame-resistant (FR) work wear, raingear and accessories, to protect the men and women of today’s petrochemical and energy industries.

Some Marcellus Shale drilling waste found in Lancaster County
Chambersburg Public Opinion
Waste material from Marcellus Shale gas drilling is shown being treated at Armstrong Environmental Services in East Lampeter Township.

Drilling rules expand – fracking’ disclosures
The Columbus Dispatch
Drillers are eager to tap a vast reservoir of natural gas and oil within shale beneath Ohio, which could employ thousands, but critics say it will also cause pollution.

New US Sub-Prime: Putting A Price On ‘Chesapeake’ Gas
Forbes.com
The travails of Chesapeake have been well documented, and with good cause. This basically amounts to a new US ‘sub-prime’ moment.

Marshall: Should state designate no-drilling sites?
Beaver County Times
Listening to testimony involving natural gas drilling and municipal water sources at a public hearing, an area legislator was visited by inspiration. State Rep. Jim Marshall, R-14, Big Beaver, asked: Could Pennsylvania "be proactive and mark certain areas as no-drill zones?"

Medical Records Could Yield Answers On Fracking
National Public Radio
William Reigle has fibrosis, a disease that may be aggravated by nearby fracking.

Point Boro Supports Ban on ‘Fracking’ to Extract Natural Gas
Patch.com
Point Borough has aligned itself with opponents of a controversial technique to extract natural gas that some say threatens drinking water.

Elba moves toward exporting LNG
SavannahNow
On Tuesday, the company filed with the Department of Energy for approval to export LNG to Free Trade Agreement countries.

George Kaiser’s Excelerate to build first floating U.S. LNG export plant
NewsOK.com
Excelerate Energy, the U.S. liquefied natural gas company founded by Oklahoma billionaire George Kaiser, said Tuesday it will develop the country’s first floating LNG export plant off the Gulf Coast, joining a queue of projects awaiting government approval to ship out surplus gas.

Taxpayers Pay as Fracking Trucks Overwhelm Rural Cow Paths
BusinessWeek
When natural-gas drillers arrived in Wetzel County, West Virginia, resident Bill Hughes, a retired electrician, saw the benefits of producing a fuel that burns cleaner than coal. Then oversize trucks hauling drilling supplies began tearing up local roads, creating hazardous conditions.

Put the Pedal to the Metal
Business New Haven
Spectra Energy of Houston, Tex. has proposed a $500 million expansion of the existing Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline.

Natural Gas Cars Could Ease Pain At Pump
CBS Local
What if someone told you that you could fuel up your car for less than $2 a gallon? KDKA Investigator Andy Sheehan spoke with experts who believe it won’t be long before more of us will be reaping the savings.

From Farm Land to Frack Land
WNEP
If there is one part of our area that has seen dramatic change in the past 10 to1 5 years it is the northern tier.

Groups call on N.J. legislature to adopt bill on fracking waste
NorthJersey.com
A coalition of environmental, labor and faith-based groups this week is calling on the state legislature to adopt a bill that would prohibit the treatment, disposal or storage of waste produced by fracturing, a controversial process that involves pumping water and chemicals into the ground to release natural gas trapped deep in bedrock.

Senate passes fracking oversight bill
The Columbus Dispatch
A bill that passed the Ohio Senate 27-6 this afternoon would make oil and gas companies disclose more details about the chemicals they use to help drill wells to the state’s Utica shale.

U.S. energy independence is no longer just a pipe dream
USA Today
Williamsport, Pa., used to be celebrated for its past — as the 1938 birthplace of Little League Baseball, which still plays its annual World Series nearby. Then natural gas was found.