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TransCanada and Columbia Pipeline Tie the Knot Today

tie-the-knot.jpgIn March MDN reported that Canadian midstream giant TransCanada wants a bigger piece of the Marcellus/Utica pipeline pie and decided to buy Columbia Pipeline Group for $10 billion (see TransCanada Makes Play to Buy Columbia Pipeline for $10B). The deal is now done. As of today, Columbia Pipeline Group’s stock is officially de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange and trades no more. Columbia is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian midstream giant TransCanada…
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Anti Circus/Freak Show in W Maryland – Complete with Animals

MDELogo_Horizontal_GreenTextAs MDN reported two days ago, the Maryland Dept. of the Environment (MDE) held a public hearing in Baltimore to elicit feedback on changes to the state’s proposed fracking regulations–already the tightest, harshest such regulations in the country (see Maryland Holds Hearings on Fracking, Crazies Turn Out to Complain). As we’ve said, for years, we find such public hearings nothing more than freak shows–a circus for anti-fossil fuel nutters to carry on. We’ve seen (and heard about) everything from poetry reading to mimes to “die-ins” at such events. The nutters are nothing if not creative. Another such hearing was held Wednesday night at Garrett College in far western Maryland. And sure enough, the nutters turned out again. This time it was literally a circus–complete with a dog and a pony in attendance…
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Religious Radicals Arrested for Stopping Work on Boston Pipeline

handcuffsOnce again a group of so-called religious leaders, including a serial criminal, were arrested in Boston blocking work on a very short, 5-mile pipeline (West Roxbury Lateral) that will bring cheap, abundant, clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas to local residents in the Boston area. Some 26 were arrested, some of the same nutters were arrested in May (see Boston “Religious” Leaders Arrested for Blocking Pipeline Work). Of the 26 arrested at Wednesday’s protest, eight people laid down in a trench and had to be hauled out on stretchers by police. (We personally wouldn’t have been so kind.) Among the arrested was Tim DeChristopher, a criminal who previously served 15 months in prison and six months at a halfway house after that for committing fraud against the Bureau of Land Management in 2008. DeChristopher moved to Boston to attend Harvard Divinity School. Guess that says it all…
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Chevron Selling Site Bought for Regional Marcellus HQ in Moon Twp

ChevronIn May 2013 amidst much fanfare, Chevron purchased 61 acres to build a new regional Marcellus Shale headquarters in Moon Township, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh (see Chevron to Build New (Big) Regional HQ in Pittsburgh Suburb). The plan was to build a huge, 350,000 square foot office complex that will be home to 1,750 people. In September 2013 Chevron got the thumbs-up from Moon officials (see Chevron Wins 1st Approval for New Regional HQ Near Pittsburgh). But by July 2014, Chevron put the project on hold (see Chevron Puts Moon Twp, PA Office Building Project on Hold). In early 2015 Chevron announced major layoffs in the Marcellus (see Chevron Laying Off 23% of their Marcellus Workforce in Pittsburgh) and then proceeded to consolidate the remaining workforce under one existing roof (see Chevron Consolidates Reduced Marcellus Workforce Under One Roof). And now, a sad end: the Pittsburgh Business Times is reporting that Chevron has just listed the 61-acre property for sale…
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Rasmussen Poll: Majority of Americans Support Fracking

RasmussenNormally polsters, when releasing a high level summary of a poll’s results, also release the “crosstabs”–the details of the poll. But apparently not if the poll is good news for the fracking industry. Rasmussen recently conducted a poll in a series of polls they’ve been conduction (for years) to gage the nation’s attitude about fracking. The poll finds 49% of American’s support fracking, while 34% oppose it. Quick fact: Fracking of conventional or vertical-only wells has been going on for more than 40 years in this country. The high level results were reported by Rasmussen, but no crosstabs which might tell us fracking is supported by a majority of Democrats. That kind of truth-telling is lethal to the politicians running the party. Here’s the (precious little) sum total of what Rasmussen did share about the latest fracking poll…
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More Frack Ban Ballot Measures Coming to OH in November

voteA few days ago MDN told you about the fruitless efforts by anti-drilling zealots in Youngstown, OH in delivering a petition for a sixth vote on a frack ban measure for the November ballot (see Brain Dead: Youngstown Antis File Petition for 6th Frack Ban Vote). As we’ve pointed out, repeatedly, the Ohio Supreme Court has already ruled such “home rule” measures, if/when they get passed, are unconstitutional (see OH Antis Handed Crushing Defeat in Broadview Hghts Home Rule Case). Makes no difference. There are a number of other brain dead Ohioans in other communities too. Medina, Athens and Meigs counties have all had petitions filed for anti-fracking ballot measures in November, as well as the city of Waterville. There’s still an active petition being floated in Portgage County. Nutters popping up everywhere in the Buckeye State!…
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Calif. Anti-Drilling Billionaire Tom Steyer Spending Big $ in PA

Tom Steyer
Anti-Fossil Fueler Tom Steyer, using fossil fuels to fly around the world

After buying the governor’s chair for Tom Wolf in November 2014 (see CA Anti-Driller Tom Steyer Purchasing Tom Wolf PA Governorship), billionaire and radical anti-fossiler Tom Steyer is back in the Keystone State spending more of his endless bags of money–this time to support anti-fracking Hillary Clinton in her faltering campaign to become president. Just like with PA Gov. Tom Wolf, if Hillary were to get elected, she’ll owe Steyer (and about two dozen foreign countries that she’s bribed over the past few years). Payback for Steyer will no doubt include an executive order banning fracking nationwide. That’s the price of doing business in libDem politics…
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EQT Donates $75,000 to WV Flood Relief Efforts

EQT logoA few days ago MDN told you how proud we are of the Marcellus/Utica industry for stepping up the plate and donating money (and time) to assist flood victims in West Virginia (see NatGas Industry Steps Up with $350K to Help WV Flood Victims). Add another $75,000 to that number. EQT has just donated $50,000, and EQT’s Mountain Valley Pipeline subsidiary $25,000 to flood relief in WV…
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Exxon Beats Back Free Speech Attack by Liberal AGs in Climate Fight

fight backMDN previously chronicled an insidious effort being spearheaded by the odious New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in an attempt to criminalize free speech by accusing Exxon Mobil of “knowing” man-made global warming is “true” but suppressing that knowledge (see NY AG Targets/Accuses ExxonMobil of Lying about ‘Climate Change’). You disagree with Scheiderman on global warming, he wants to take your money away and put you in jail. As we’ve pointed out, it’s Nazi-like (see Rise of the New (Environmental) Nazis – Free Speech Under Attack). Schnedierman has convinced other state AGs to join his cackle (what a group of hyenas is called), including the far-left AG of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, and the hapless, bumbling idiot of an AG in the Virgin Islands, Claude Walker. What the cackle didn’t expect is that their prey would turn around and begin hunting them! Exxon has already stopped Mass. AG Healey (see Exxon Fights Back Against Mass. AG’s Illegal Subpoena). Now, add one more victory to Exxon’s tally: the hapless Virgin Islands AG Walker has withdraw his subpoena against the company…
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Shale Economics 101: An Interview with O&G Giant Rusty Braziel

Rusty Braziel
Rusty Braziel

MDN has long been a fan of Rusty Braziel, co-founder of Bentek Energy (later sold to Platts) and founder/president of RBN Energy. Earlier this year we wrote about the release of Rusty’s new book, “The Domino Effect” and his appearance on Jimmy Cramer’s Mad Money program (see The Smartest Man in the Oil (& Gas) Patch: Rusty Braziel). A few weeks back Rusty sat down with Don Stowers, Chief Editor of Pennwell’s Oil & Gas Financial Journal, to talk about the big picture–some of the most important issues facing the oil and gas industry, the lasting impact of the Shale Revolution, and Rusty’s thoughts from 40-plus years in the energy business. It turned into the cover story of their June 2016 issue. Below is a recap of a few of the questions (and Rusty’s answers), along with a copy of the full article. Worth the read!…
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Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Jul 1, 2016

best of the restThe “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading. In today’s lineup: Inadequate NGL storage, pipelines in northeast; FERC schedule delays Mountain Valley, Equitrans pipeline projects; big oil production declines coming in Utica; air is cleaner because of natgas; oil industry execs feeling optimistic; natgas prices soars in 2Q16, but dips this week; NA climate plan omits natgas; and more!
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