Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Jan 7, 2013

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

New York

Bakken Oil Tankers on the Hudson River
Pam’s House Blend
For several months long trains of rail cars full of crude oil can be seen inching along, or stopped altogether, beside I-787 in downtown Albany NY.

Cuomo likely won’t signal fracking plans in state address
Press & Sun-Bulletin
On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will lay out his vision for the third year of his term during his annual State of the State address. Not likely to be discussed: hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

Hannity Rips Cuomo on Hydrofracking, Unemployment
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
A high-profile conservative commentator took to his national radio show yesterday to knock Gov. Andrew Cuomo, criticizing the Democrat for his inaction on hydrofracking and the state’s unemployment rate.

Ohio

Martins Ferry Plant Still Idle
The Intelligencer
A rich and proud history of steelmaking may have come to an end for Martins Ferry, as the RG Steel plant sits quiet following its recent $2 million purchase by Quay Mull and Joseph N. Gompers.

Utica Shale area smaller than some thought
Youngstown Vindicator
The production area of the Utica Shale is shrinking compared with some industry expectations, but that won’t necessarily be a bad thing for the Mahoning Valley.

Lobbyist unloads on Kasich plan to raise oil and gas taxes
Business Journal
Ohio Oil and Gas Association executive Tom Stewart says his industry is “delivering in spades for Ohio” and doesn’t deserve to be singled out for higher taxation.

Pennsylvania

Energy Boosts U.S. Office Market as Pittsburgh Rents Jump
Bloomberg
Leasing demand from natural-gas and other energy companies is helping to bolster the U.S. office market and drive growth in cities such as Pittsburgh, where rents are at their highest in more than a decade.

Shale fees temporary windfall for many
Tribune-Review
The budget-planning process, often an arduous task for municipal officials, was made easier for some communities this time around by an influx of Marcellus shale natural gas revenue.

Marcellus Shale at year’s end
Lexology
The year comes to a close today with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court having yet to rule on the constitutionality of Act 13’s provisions concerning the ability of municipalities to control Marcellus Shale development through local zoning rules.

National

A dispute over ‘Land’
Philly.com
Before many Pennsylvania moviegoers settle in for Matt Damon’s film about the fight over natural gas drilling, they will see a message from the energy industry offering “straightforward facts” about hydraulic fracturing.

EPA fracking study may dodge some tough questions
WHIO
An ongoing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study on natural gas drilling and its potential for groundwater contamination has gotten tentative praise so far from both industry and environmental groups.

EIA delays release of ’11 natural gas, oil reserves data
SNL Financial
Initially scheduled for a January release, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2011 crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids proved reserves data will now be reported in March.