| | | | |

The Best (and Not So Best) Utica Drilling Locations in Ohio

choosing the bestA recent shale gas conference held in Cambridge, Ohio on Nov. 10 turned up some surprising and interesting facts. One of those facts: Almost 100 percent of the land in Carroll County has been leased for possible Utica shale drilling, or is being held by production.

Here’s a few more interesting items from the conference, shared by a team from Ohio State University Extension (including where drilling is producing good results, and where it’s not):

Continue reading

| | | | |

Lawyer Cautions ALOV Landowners on Revising Signed Leases

At a meeting of the uber-large Associated Landowners of the Valley (ALOV) landowner group last night in Youngstown, Ohio, lawyer Alan Wenger warned the 500 landowners in the audience that landmen are knocking on doors once again, this time asking landowners already signed to modify their leases.

Wenger told landowners what energy companies like Chesapeake are asking for, and what landowners need to consider before signing:

Continue reading

| | |

New OH Bill Requires Landmen to Register, Become Experts

Ohio arguably has the most strict drilling rules of any state in the country for shale gas and oil drilling (so far, before New York gets off the pot). But the Dems in Ohio want more rules. This time they’re targeting landmen.

Ohio House Bill 493 would require landmen to become experts in exploration and production, in addition to real property and contract law. It also requires them to be registered:

Continue reading

| |

IEA Issues World Energy Outlook 2012 – Shale Energy the Star

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its annual World Energy Outlook (WEO) for 2012 yesterday. One of the starring roles in the report goes to unconventional shale gas and oil being produced by the U.S. Among the statements in the report: “The WEO finds that the extraordinary growth in oil and natural gas output in the United States will mean a sea-change in global energy flows.” The report predicts the U.S. will be a natural gas net exporter in eight short years—in 2020.

Below is the press release for the new report which contains a lot of interesting detail. Below we’ve embedded (1) a copy of the executive summary from the report, (2) a copy of the many of the findings in the report in the form of a “fact sheet”, and (3) a copy of PowerPoint slides shown to the press. There are a number of highly interesting slides (see our description below).

Continue reading

| | | |

Final PA Impact Fee List – Williamsport Gets Extra $300K

Last week the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) released the final breakdown for impact fee revenue and which municipalities get how much. You may recall the original breakdown released in mid-October (see this MDN story). Some municipalities scratched their heads and asked the PUC how they determined the numbers. The PUC went back and reworked the numbers and the list below is the final final list. The biggest change by far was the City of Williamsport, PA which saw an increase just north of $300,000.

Continue reading

| | |

Battelle to Assist OH in IDing Shale Wastewater Technologies

The Battelle Memorial Institute is going to give the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) a hand with figuring out which shale gas wastewater treatment technologies will work for Ohio.

Battelle, OEPA and ODNR issued a joint press statement yesterday outlining the collaboration:

Continue reading

| | | | | | |

Southern Gas Utility Invests in NE Constitution Pipeline

Piedmont Natural Gas, a natural gas utility with more than one million customers in North and South Carolina and Tennessee, has decided they want a piece of the Marcellus Shale gas action. Piedmont is investing $180 million in the yet-to-be-built Constitution Pipeline that will run from Susquehanna County, PA to Schoharie County, NY. Williams, the company building the new pipeline, and Piedmont collaborate on other projects too. Piedmont is also a customer of Williams’ Transco natural gas pipeline.

Here’s the announcement from Piedmont on why they’ve decided to invest in the Constitution Pipeline project:

Continue reading

| | | | | |

Drilling Mud Manufacturer Opens Plant in Wellsville, OH

Drilling mud manufacturer Anchor Drilling Fluids USA has just opened a new facility in Wellsville, Ohio—the first such facility in Ohio’s Utica Shale region. Anchor sited the plant next to a barite processing plant which they’ve invested in. Barite is one  of the compounds used to make drilling mud.

From the press announcement about the new plant opening:

Continue reading