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MDN Exclusive Analysis of Ohio’s 2015 & 4Q15 Shale Production

ODRNAs MDN previously reported, as of the third quarter 2015 Ohio’s oil and natural gas production from shale deposits had already surpassed production for all of 2014 (see OH Shale Wells Already Smash 2014 Record, 3Q15 Results). The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) recently issued production numbers for the fourth quarter of 2015, as well as reporting on the entire year. Ohio’s oil production from shale in 2015 doubled over 2014–up 99.9%. Ohio’s natural gas production in 2015 more than doubled, up 110% over 2014. Below we have the ODNR’s high level overview of the numbers, along with MDN’s own exclusive analysis showing: the top 25 producing gas wells, the top 25 producing oil wells, and then the top 25 gas and oil wells as ranked by average production per day. There is a difference! The longer an oil or gas well is online, the less it produces. Newer wells produce more. So we show you which wells are not just producing the most quantity overall, but which wells are producing at the fastest (most productive) rates–even if they haven’t yet been online a full three months. We also include a link to the complete list of 1,265 wells that had at least some Utica oil or gas production in 4Q15, in a more usable format than that provided by the ODNR
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Concerned Citizens Test Water Near NWPA Injection Well, No Leaks

In early 2013 Bear Lake Properties in Warren County, PA (near the New York border) opened a new injection well to accept Marcellus Shale wastewater (see NW PA Frack Wastewater Injection Well Begins Operation). The new injection well faced stiff opposition. Columbus Township, where the well is located, originally passed and later rescinded a ban on injection wells under threat of lawsuit (see Columbus Twp, PA Ban on Injection Wells Rescinded). A few local residents tried to pressure the federal EPA, the agency that permits and oversees all injection wells, into reconsidering their approval (see Local Residents Protest 2 Wastewater Injection Wells in NW PA). Finally, anti-drilling group Clean Water Action tried to get the EPA to reverse their decision (see Anti-Drillers Go After EPA on PA Injection Wells Approvals). In the end, it didn’t matter. The EPA reviewed and re-reviewed and said the location and construction for the well is safe. Since that time, a group of local citizens began and have continued testing every well, pond, creek, swamp and mud puddle anywhere close to the injection well, looking for evidence that the well is leaking. Guess what they’ve found? Nothing…
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30 Big Green Groups Ask FERC to Pay Them to Oppose Pipelines!

In a day and age when we see our country slipping away from us at an alarming rate, and we witness outrage after outrage, when yet a new outage appears, it’s hard to focus attention on it and get worked up about it. We’ve told you the about the latest angle of attack against the fossil fuel industry by fossil haters like THE Delaware Riverkeeper. That angle is to attack the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with multiple lawsuits, hoping to tie it up in knots and make it dysfunctional (see THE Delaware Riverkeeper Sues FERC, Tries to Close it Down and Dela. Riverkeeper Sues FERC Again – Over Leidy Pipeline Expansion). Here’s the latest outrage that has us hopping mad. Some 30 Big Green groups have filed a petition with FERC asking the agency to set up an Office of Public Participation. The groups, including such luminaries as the Sierra Clubbers, National Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund, want to be able to aggressively challenge pipeline (and other) projects that come before FERC–and get this, they want to be compensated for the work they do to challenge those projects! Can you believe it!! They want TAXPAYERS to pay their staffers and lawyers to try and stop the very projects that benefit those same taxpayers! Simply amazing. We’ve truly fallen Through the Looking Glass, Alice…
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How Rich White Billionaires Control the EPA – Connecting the Dots

Ever wonder how in the world fossil fuel haters have such success in places like liberal New York? There’s a pretty simple explanation: follow the money. Anti-drilling shills forever bleat about Big Oil and powerful corporations with deep pockets having undue influence. It’s actually the reverse. Rich, white, liberal billionaires are using their money to buy influence over environmental policy adopted by states and the federal government. How do we know? In 2014 the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works published the results of an investigation into how the EPA and other agencies are being influenced by big money in the Big Green movement. The report is titled “The Chain of Environmental Command: How a Club of Billionaires and Their Foundations Control the Environmental Movement and Obama’s EPA” (full copy below). The report name names and fingers foundations like the odious Park Foundation as being behind many of the anti-drilling efforts in the Marcellus/Utica region. The report connects the dots between billionaires, the tax exempt foundations they fund, and how money gets laundered through those foundations and put into the hands of anti-drilling activist groups. Although the report is from 2014, we only recently became aware of it when an MDN reader pointed it out to us (thanks Frank!). The report exposes the irrefutable corruption that exists in the environmental movement…
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Dominion East Ohio Distributes $110,000 Community Impact Awards

Last September MDN told you that Dominion East Ohio had allocated $110,000 to award in community grants to non-profits that have “made a difference” in the Ohio communities they serve (see Dominion Does It Again – $110K in Grants to OH Community Groups). As we said at the time, Dominion is a company that is “doing it the right way” with respect to giving back to the communities in which they operate. Yesterday Dominion announced they’ve awarded that $110,000 to 15 groups. Here’s who the winners are…
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Just What is in Frack Fluid Anyway?

It’s been a while since we’ve revisited the topic of “Just what the heck is in fracking fluid anyway?” Recently Energy in Depth published a graphic to illustrate what’s in a drop of fracking fluid. First up, did you know that 99.51% of fracking fluid is–water and sand? No, we didn’t think you knew that. For all of the nightmare, scary talk fossil fuel haters pedal, somehow they forget to mention that almost all fracking fluid is water and sand. “But it takes millions of gallons of frack fluid for each well, so maybe the chemicals in that other one-half percent really do pose a threat.” Fair enough. What’s in the other 1/2 of 1% of fracking fluid–the other few thousand gallons used to frack a shale well? Things like instant coffee, walnut shells, table salt, laundry detergent, make-up remover, lemon juice and soap. Everything in fracking fluid is stuff you find under your kitchen sink or in your bathroom medicine cabinet. Here’s that excellent graphic from EID…
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Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Mar 17, 2016

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading. In today’s lineup: Residents oppose NEXUS compressor station in OH; WV budget busted thx to low coal & natgas royalties; VA lawmakers back pipeline; final Clean Power Plan a trojan horse meant to kill natgas; Obama disallows Atlantic Coast drilling by fiat; Chesapeake & Anadarko wisely hedged in 4Q15; Brazil taking all LNG exports from Sabine Pass; and more!
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