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Atlas Energy/Pipeline Sells Itself (Again) – for $7.7 BILLION!

Stop Press!Breaking news as we go to press: Pittsburgh-based Atlas Energy and Atlas Pipeline, both with operations in the Marcellus/Utica (part of which was previously sold to Chevron for $4.3 billion, see The Unconventional Rise & Sale of Atlas Energy), has just sold what was left of itself–again. This time the buyer is Targa Resources for a truly atounding $7.7 billion…
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Come Meet MDN at O&G Awards in Dallas & OKC in October

MDN editor Jim Willis is pleased to participate in a series of Oil & Gas Awards events later this month. Jim has been asked to moderate two panel discussions at both the Southwest Oil & Gas Awards event being held in Dallas, TX on Oct. 23, and two panel discussions at the Midcontinent Oil & Gas Awards event in Oklahoma City, OK on Oct. 29. Although MDN readers are located mostly in the northeast, we have quite a few in both the Dallas and OKC areas. We’ve worked out a very special deal for MDN subscribers. Attend the one-day conference at either event (or at the third event in Bakersfield, CA on Oct. 21) for FREE. This is a golden opportunity for me to get to meet you, and for you to hear industry leaders from both the upstream and midstream discuss the most important regional issues affecting the oil and gas industry. Just head on over to this special page to register (seating is limited, register now): //www.oilandgasawards.com/mdn/. Here’s what you’ll hear at each event…
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Updated List of Shale-Related Infrastructure/Econ Projects in OH

The sharp researchers at law firm Bricker & Eckler continue a winning streak with a special report they issue twice a year. “Shale Economic Development Overview (Fall 2014)” is a list of projects details, by county in Ohio, of those projects started or planned because of shale drilling (full copy below). The first edition of this list was published in October 2013 and showed projects worth $12.2 billion. This October? A staggering $21.5 billion. Just one more piece of irrefutable proof of the enormous economic benefits from shale development…
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Second Generation Wastewater Impoundments – Truly Safe?

Little did we know it at the time, but former PA Dept. of Environmental Protection Chris Abruzzo’s last public interview was granted to MDN editor, Jim Willis, just three weeks ago before Abruzzo resigned (see PA DEP Sec. Abruzzo’s Last Public Interview…with MDN). Topic A that Jim asked Sec. Abruzzo was about the recent record fine of Range Resources ($4.15 million) for a series of leaky wastewater impoundments. Abruzzo stated during that interview, several times, that newer “next generation” impoudments have come along that are much safer. What are these “next generation” impoundments and are they really safer?…
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Important Landowner/Driller Case Heads to PA Supreme Court

A Pennsylvania landowner signed a lease with Cabot Oil & Gas in 2007. Part of the way through the lease, before Cabot initiated drilling, the landowner sued Cabot to dissolve the lease, citing certain reasons that they believe justified that action. The case went to court and the court eventually threw out the landowner’s case, meaning the lease is still in effect. Cabot then filed a counterclaim to have the lease term extended, something called an “equitable extension of lease terms.” In other words, once sued, the lease term should go on pause, and because they won, Cabot should then be able to un-pause the lease term and continue (which would otherwise have expired due to the long time it takes for court cases to play out). The court did not grant Cabot’s request and the case has now been appealed all the way to the PA Supreme Court. The decision will set an important precedent for both landowners and drillers…
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Will Cove Point LNG Plant Goose Royalties for Landowners?

With the final recent approval for Dominion’s Cove Point, Maryland LNG export facility, the plant should go online sometime in 2017 (see Dominion Gets Final Fed Approval to Build Cove Point LNG Plant). Question: Will that one, single plant sop up enough Marcellus (and Utica) methane to raise the price of shale gas in the northeast and correspondingly raise the amount of royalties received by landowners? According to the executive director of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association, that answer would be “yes”…
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Enormous Benefits for All Virginians from Atlantic Coast Pipeline

The typical low information person (someone who reads headlines only, never bothers to think deeply about economics or politics) assumes when a new pipeline project is announced that the only entity to benefit is the pipeline company and maybe gas drillers who will sell their commodity by moving it through that pipeline. Such people could not be more wrong. Take the recently announced 550-mile, $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline project from Dominion (see Dominion Commits to Major New Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Project). Most of that pipeline will travel through Virginia. What, precisely, will be the economic impact of that project on ALL Virginians? Glad you asked…
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WRI Plan to Save the World from Carbon & Methane in 5 Easy Steps

Another save the world fantasy report has just been released by the World Resource Institute (WRI). According to a new “study” titled “Seeing is Believing: Creating a New Climate Economy in the United States” (full copy embedded below), if you just wave the magic wand of government and create regulations to restrict carbon and methane, the world will be a better (cleaner) place, and it will cost us all a lot less. That’s the theme of the report. Complete fiction and fantasy–but then, we all like a good story, right? One helpful recommendation: capping so-called emissions of carbon (the stuff you breathe out with every breath) in 9 northeast/mid-Atlantic states will create 16,000 jobs and pump $1.6 billion into the economy. Only in liberal la la land do these kinds of statements get taken seriously. Another one: “Cost-saving” measures can reduce “waste” in existing natural gas systems, saving 25% of the methane that gets “leaked” into the atmosphere. Just adopt the EPA’s draconian rules that call for dry-seal centrifugal compressors, low-bleed pneumatic devices, and install infrared cameras everywhere to detect and repair leaks. Price tag? According to WRI, just a few measly pennies per thousand cubic feet of natural gas. No sweat. Again, only in liberal la la land do these conditions exist…
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