Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Apr 3, 2013

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

New York

Will local fracking moratoriums hold up in court?
CBS6 – Albany
Marcellus shale play is a high-stakes game which could soon begin not far from home.  State judges are deciding if individual towns have the right to opt in to or out of the game of natural gas development.

Ohio

Ohio group launches online video series against Kasich’s drilling tax
Akron Beacon Journal
A conservative nonprofit has launched an online video series opposing Republican Gov. John Kasich’s proposed tax hike on oil and gas production.

Akron Satellite Internet Company Finds Their Niche in Shale Industry
Energy in Depth – Ohio
An Akron company has found its niche in the oil and gas industry. Skycasters, a telecommunications company that provides Internet connections in remote areas, has grown its business thanks to increased oil and gas production in Ohio.

Radioactive Drilling Waste Shipped to Landfills Raises Concerns
WVIZ NPR
Radioactivity is everywhere, but it’s concentrated – to varying degrees – in materials like radium or uranium found deep in the ground. When companies drill for natural gas, they bring some of those radioactive elements to the surface mixed in the leftover dirt and mud.

Pennsylvania

Perry Township residents concerned over seismic testing to find Marcellus shale
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Perry Township supervisors and residents expressed concerns and asked questions Tuesday about proposed seismic testing considered paving the way for future Marcellus shale gas drilling.

Property owner’s access blocked by gas company
Herald-Standard
“What am I supposed to do if I need to get in here?” That’s the question Dave Headley asked a worker from Atlas Resource Partners, the company who owns a deep Marcellus shale gas well on his property.

Gas Industry Training Creates New Opportunity, Second Chances
GantDaily.com
Mike Disney couldn’t help but smile as he received his certificate for completing the Floor Hand Training Program.  As one of 14 graduates of the latest Floor Hand class at Penn State DuBois, the Arkansas native can finally start a new career, and get his life back on track after a layoff derailed his 20-plus year career in mass media.

Solobay Again Urging State to Study the Benefit of Converting State Fleet to Natural Gas
Canon-McMillanPatch
State Sen. Tim Solobay is again urging the Department of General Services to study whether it should convert more state vehicles to run on natural gas.

West Virginia

Antero tank farm moves for no one
Shale Reporter
Antero operates 13 Marcellus rigs, all of which are in West Virginia, and it expects to add another by year’s end. Antero ascent in the natural gas industry, however, is blemished by the complaints of a Doddridge County landowner.

National

U.S. chemical industry supports LNG exports
Akron Beacon Journal
Newfound access to vast supplies of American natural gas from shale deposits is one of the most exciting domestic energy developments in decades, particularly for those in the U.S. chemical industry.

U.S. oil, gas professionals among the best paid in world
Akron Beacon Journal
USA based oil and gas industry professionals are the 6th best rewarded in the world, according to the Oil and Gas Global Salary Guide 2013 produced annually by expert recruiters Hays Oil & Gas and leading jobsite, Oil and Gas Job Search.

The Case For Tom Ward And Aubrey McClendon
Seeking Alpha
Tom Ward may be on his way out from Sandridge Energy (SD) and Aubrey McClendon is out from Cheseapeake Energy (CHK), both after battles with activist investors. Both CEOs were attacked by activist investors and in the press for high compensation and insider-deals that were not considered in the best interests of shareholders.