Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Mar 13, 2013

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

New York

Cuomo Drowning in “Hallway Chatter”: Score Another for NY’s Unchecked Capture
NY Shale Gas Now!
The astounding thing to me is that nobody seems to have tried to interpret the heart of this pique. Most observers readily understand Cuomo’s complaints that the pro-drilling side has long ago lost the PR war, at least provincially. But I want to tell you what I think the rest of it means.

Ohio

Utica shale might stretch farther west
Canton Repository
Drilling opportunities in Ohio’s Utica shale might extend farther west, according to revised maps posted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. ODNR geologists posted new maps on the agency’s website last week…

Natural Gas Industry Drives a Construction Surge in Ohio
New York Times
The countryside in eastern Ohio is marked by rusting tanks that stand in open fields and along the edges of family timber patches, like graveyard headstones for an era of energy riches that most people here thought had passed.

Exterran Plant to Ramp Up Production in April
Youngstown Business Journal
The first product from Exterran Energy Solution Inc.’s new 60,000-square-foot plant on Salt Springs Road is scheduled to roll out April 1, a company executive said Monday.

Pennsylvania

Residents Concerned over Seismic Testing Proposal
GantDaily.com
On Monday night, approximately 25 people filled the DuBois City Council chambers to respond to the Seitel Data seismic testing proposal for the DuBois watershed property that had been discussed at length during Thursday’s work session.

National

Paradigm Shift In Natural Gas: U.S. Exporting To Canada
Seeking Alpha/Richard Zeits
The Marcellus Shale has emerged as the single largest source of natural gas supply in North America, in less than seven years since its first horizontal well was drilled and less than five years since its active development began in earnest.

Short-Term Trend in U.S. Natural Gas Prices Point Higher
Energy Trends Insider
The U.S. Energy Department (EIA) reported that U.S. gas inventories were 2.2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) for the week ending February 22nd, a decline of nearly 6% year-to-date (YTD) compared to last year for the same period; however, storage remains 16% above the five-year average.

Shale fracking trumps methane hydrates for now
Beacon Journal
Shale fracking today, frozen methane hydrates tomorrow — and perhaps sooner rather than later? Pacific Standard reports that frozen natural gas, called methane hydrates, is getting a real serious look as an untapped clean energy source that could provide as much as 100 years worth of fuel.

Shale boom adds nearly 500,000 jobs
Pittsburgh Business Journal
Bloomberg video takes a look at what is happening nationwide with the shale boom. Correspondent Alix Steel reported that 115,000 mining jobs have been created over the past five years in the U.S. — about 2,000 a month.

NYT to Obama: Prohibit Pipeline to Choke-Off Oil Supply
CNS News
The New York Times published an editorial on Sunday calling on President Barack Obama to prohibit construction of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that would bring oil to the United States from Canada–but not to protect a fragile landscape in Nebraska or anywhere else in the United States.

U.S. Decreases 2013 Natural Gas Output Forecast by 0.6%
Bloomberg
The U.S. lowered its forecast for natural gas output in 2013 by 0.6 percent as freezing weather disrupted production, and decreased its outlook for prices.

Will Natural Gas Continue to Rally?
Motley Fool
The natural gas market is showing signs of recovery as the price of natural gas rallied in recent weeks. Does this mean natural gas will continue to rise? Or will natural gas change course and fall in the near future?

At least nominee for energy secretary is bullish on gas
Salem News
The good news about Ernest Moniz, President Barack Obama’s nominee to become secretary of energy, is that he seems bullish about natural gas.

John Stossel: Frack to the Future
Townhall
Celebrities are now upset about fracking, the injection of chemicals into the ground to crack rocks to release oil and gas.