| | | |

Bombshell: NY DEC Head Martens Started Anti-Fracking Group

Big newsWell well. Jon Campbell from the Gannett News Service wrote an article yesterday about New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens. It has a surprising revelation in it.

If you’ve read MDN for any length of time, you no doubt will know we have said we believe Joe Martens to be the fox in the henhouse—that is, the man put in charge of hydraulic fracturing in the state is a committed opponent of it (see this MDN story). Were we wrong?

Continue reading

|

Antero 2Q12 Update: More Marcellus/Utica Drilling Ahead

Antero Resource released their 2Q12 financial and operating update this morning. Among the highlights: They’re operating 10 drilling rigs in the Marcellus, all of them in northern West Virginia. They plan to add two more rigs in the near future to the 10 already there. To date, Antero has drilled and completed 88 Marcellus Shale gas wells. They’ve completed two Utica Shale wells in eastern Ohio and are right now drilling a third.

Below are the relevant portions from the update for this very active Marcellus/Utica driller:

Continue reading

| | | |

Ohio Drought: Does Fracking Use Too Much Water?

Like Pennsylvania, Ohio is experiencing drought conditions this summer. With drought conditions comes concerns that drilling companies use too much water from local rivers and streams (and other sources) for fracking. But also like PA, the amount of water used for fracking in Ohio is truly miniscule compared with other uses.

Until the recent passage of Senate Bill 315, Ohio could not control access to how much water is used by drilling companies. That’s now changed:

Continue reading

| | | |

Would Drillers be Interested in a Half Acre? Yep

You may not get rich as a landowner of a small plot of ground by leasing it for gas drilling, but depending on where you live, even if you own just a half acre of land, you may be able to participate in Marcellus or Utica Shale drilling. That’s what happened with Belmont County when they recently discovered the county owns a half acre plot of land they previously didn’t know they owned. Gulfport Energy made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Continue reading

| | | | | | |

Seismic Testing for Shale Coming to Armstrong County, PA

Ion GX Technology is in the process of contacting landowners and filing the necessary paperwork to begin seismic testing in Armstrong County, PA along with some portions of Westmoreland and Indiana counties. Landowners do not have to grant permission for seismic testing and cannot be forced to do so.

Continue reading

| | |

Audubon Society Works with Drillers on Habitat Restoration

The Audubon Society of Pennsylvania, the Ruffed Grouse Society and the Marcellus Shale Coalition are jointly hosting a series of meetings in southeastern and central PA for hunters, anglers and people interested in the outdoors to discuss habitat restoration after Marcellus Shale drilling. The sessions seek to find out how the drilling industry can become a partner in restoring areas after drilling activities disrupt an area.

Continue reading