| | | | | |

Chesapeake Energy Sells 37K Acres & 32 Wells in OH Utica

Chesapeake EnergyA small Worthington (Franklin County), OH driller, Geopetro, has just purchased 37,000 acres, 27 working shale wells and 5 not-yet-hooked-up wells from Chesapeake Energy for an undisclosed amount of money. The wells are located in Columbiana County, OH and Beaver County, PA. All but one of the wells are Utica wells. One of the wells is drilled to the Upper Devonian layer (above the Marcellus). The purchase is a big deal for the small Geopetro. It converts what until now has been mostly a conventional (shallow, vertical only) drilling company into primarily an unconventional/shale company. Welcome to the shale industry!…
Continue reading

|

Carl Ichan Sells Rest of his Chesapeake Stock, Good Riddance

Carl-Icahn.jpg
Carl Icahn – Evil Corporate Raider

Now that the damage has been done, evil corporate raider Carl Ichan has sold off the rest of his Chesapeake Energy stock–completely exiting the company. The one solace we have is that Ichan didn’t make any money from his dalliance with the company. He lost something like over $1 billion, according to our best guess (back in 2014 it was already $633M, see Carl Icahn Has Lost $633 Million on Chesapeake Gamble…So Far). We’ve chronicled the rise and fall of Ichan, and of Chesapeake, over the past four years. The purpose of investing, for people like Ichan, is to seize control of the company, fire a bunch of people, sell off a bunch of assets, which leads to a rise in the stock price. Said corporate raider then sells his shares and makes boatloads of money. Except that didn’t happen with Ichan’s investment in Chesapeake…
Continue reading

| | |

Philly Approves New Power Plant as Antis Throw Temper Tantrum

crybabyTurns out anti-fossil fuel protesters, behaving like the petulant children they are, couldn’t stop the adults in the room last night in Philadelphia. You may recall we told you yesterday that wackos from a fringe-left group called 350 Philadelphia threatened to “swarm” a meeting of SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) where a vote was scheduled on a plan to build a Marcellus gas-powered electric plant that would provide electricity to SEPTA’s northern Regional Rail lines (see Antis Plan to Shut Down Philly Transit Meeting re NatGas Powergen). The plan would mean lower carbon and other pollution, but because the fuel for the electric plant is Marcellus Shale gas, the wackos objected. It’s (gasp) a “fossil fuel.” Last night about 50 crazies showed up and began shouting like spoiled rotten children, to try and drown out the vote. But the vote was taken, and the plan to build the power plant was approved–unanimously…
Continue reading

| | | | | | |

3 M-U Drillers Benefit from TransCanada’s Failed Pipeline Plan

three-3Earlier this week we ran the news that Canadian pipeline giant TransCanada’s plan to radically lower the cost to pipe natural gas from the western regions of Canada to the eastern part of the country, in an effort to undercut Marcellus/Utica gas from flooding into the region, failed (see TransCanada Plan to Lowball M-U Gas Using Canada Pipeline a Bust). As we have pointed out, the plan had the potential to suppress an important new market for our gas, and the pipelines that will supply it (see Will TransCanada’s Lower Pipeline Rates Jeopardize Nexus/Rover?). TransCanada’s plan falling apart is good news for the Marcellus/Utica. The Bloomberg news agency agrees and ran a story that says three M-U drillers in particular will benefit from TransCanada’s decision to abandon their lowball pipeline plan…
Continue reading

| | |

IEA World Energy Outlook: NatGas Demand Increases 1.5% per Year

weo2016infographic
Click for larger version

Each year the International Energy Agency (IEA) issues a special World Energy Outlook report. The 2016 edition has just been published. This latest edition of the Outlook proclaims that renewables and natural gas are the big winners in meeting world energy demands from now until 2040. It also says “the era of fossil fuels appears far from over.” The Outlook predicts natural gas use will continue to rise, while coal will continue to fall. “We see clear winners for the next 25 years, natural gas, but especially wind and solar, replacing the champion of the previous 25 years, coal,” said Fatih Birol, IEA’s executive director. “But there is no single story about the future of global energy: in practice, government policies will determine where we go from here.” Birol also said global oil consumption will continue to increase between now and 2040. The Outlook sees natgas usage continuing to grow 1.5% per year, on average, for the next 25 years. Below is a press release about the report and a copy of the Executive Summary for the report. Sadly they don’t release the full report for free–it will cost you €120 (~$127) for the PDF version, and €150 (~$159) for a paper copy…
Continue reading

| |

Politically-Motivated New Jersey Rate Counsel in Bed with Anti-Drillers

drain-the-swampEarlier this week MDN brought you the news that the New Jersey Division of the Rate Counsel (NJDRC)–a state government agency responsible for representing the interests of residents, businesses and other rate payers in dealing with regulated public utilities and insurance firms–responded to PennEast Pipeline’s release of a study obliterating the NJDRC’s claims that the pipeline isn’t needed (see Tit for Tat: NJDRC Responds to PennEast’s Devastating Refutation). The NJDRC filed their response with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). However, NJDRC also issued a press release summarizing their FERC response. The press release is instructive. It proves that the NJDRC is populated with Big Green political hacks and is colluding with Big Green organizations in their “impartial” mission to protect NJ ratepayers (NOT)…
Continue reading

|

Is Weatherford Intl the “Bernie Madoff” of Oilfield Services Cos?

bernie-madoffLast week MDN brought you an article from the Seeking Alpha investors website, written by an analyst/investor pointing out the financial troubles at the world’s fourth largest oilfield services company, Weatherford (see Oilfield Srvs Co Weatherford in Financial Trouble). The investor writing the piece is “short” on Weatherford, meaning he’s invested money betting Weatherford’s stock price will go down–so there is a built-in conflict of interest in the article. But a few days after that article was published came the news that Weatherford’s CEO is suddenly gone (see Weatherford Fires CEO/Chairman, CFO Interim CEO), which seems to lend credibility to the Seeking Alpha writer’s thesis that the company is in trouble. That same writer is back with a new article–this one comparing Weatherford to fraudster and scam artist Bernie Madoff–seeking new money from investors to pay off previous investors. Strong words…
Continue reading

|

Mom Earth is Farting Methane Faster than Warmers Thought

flatulenceIt seems old Mom Earth has a major case of flatulence (i.e. farting). Researchers who have been mapping the ocean floor have discovered “an active strip of seafloor called the Cascadia Subduction Zone is bubbling methane like mad” off the coast of Washington, Oregon and California. [Quick, somebody call Cornell prof Bob Howarth! There’s fugitive methane escaping!!] Big Green advocates get their knickers in a twist over fugitive methane because, ‘ya know, it causes global warming. But this time mankind is nowhere to be found as the cause. This massive methane leak off the West Coast is Mom Earth, all by herself, farting away and killing herself without even knowing it. How tragic. And how funny!…
Continue reading

| | | | | |

Still Time to Enter the 2017 Northeast Oil & Gas Awards

Oil & Gas AwardsEach year MDN partners with the Oil & Gas Awards to promote their Northeast Awards–a way for companies in the industry that operate with distinction to get recognized by their peers. In March 2017 the Northeast Oil & Gas Awards will celebrate their 5th year. Over the past five years there have been thousands of entries and hundreds of finalists and winners. While the O&G Awards boys keep their ears to the ground to discover stellar performers, they want to know who YOU think are the best companies in the region. We are now 4 weeks out until the submission deadline for the 2017 Northeast Oil & Gas Awards (Dec. 14). Here’s how you can nominate your, or someone else’s, company for this year’s awards…
Continue reading

|

MDN Webinar Today! “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels” – Still Time to Register

moral-caseA quick reminder that MDN editor Jim Willis is hosting a webinar today at 2 pm Eastern. Jim’s special speaker is Alex Epstein, delivering a talk on his book: “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels.” Jim guarantees you will find what Alex has to say challenging and enlightening. He will help you understand why fossil fuels are BETTER than renewables. Controversial? You bet. What else would you expect from MDN?! Jim has lifted the limit of 100 for the number of attendees. We already have 197 people signed up.

If you want to join us, sign up on this page: https://mdn.clickmeeting.com/fossil-fuels/register

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Nov 18, 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: Rockefellers admit paying Columbia J-School to target Exxon; OH production up, but value of production down; US exporting shale gas…to Middle East!; US Silica takes advantage of downturn to buy more assets; green light for UK shale drilling; and more!
Continue reading