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Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Delayed Another Week, Now Sept 17

Today was the day that the $3 billion expansion of the Transco Pipeline in 10 northeastern Pennsylvania counties known as Atlantic Sunrise was supposed to up and running, following a slight delay from an August start (see Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Slightly Delayed, Ready by Sept 10). But unfortunately, there’s been a second delay. Williams signaled last Friday that there will be yet another delay, due to weather. The start date, according to a notification on the Williams electronic bulletin board (below) is that Atlantic Sunrise will now be operational on or by September 17th–a week from today. However, we’d like to make an observation. Hurricane Florence is said to be aiming for the coast of North Carolina/Virginia, and on its current track, the remnants of that storm may well affect northeastern PA this coming weekend. So don’t be disappointed if there’s a third delay in the startup of Atlantic Sunrise…
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Southwestern Sells 1st Certified “Responsible Gas” to NJ Resources

Bet you didn’t know that natural gas can be certified as “premium” and “responsible,” did you? No, we didn’t either. It was quite a surprise when we read that Southwestern Energy has, for the first time anywhere, sold natural gas to a customer (utility company New Jersey Resources) that has been certified as “responsible gas.” The certification comes from Independent Energy Standards Corporation (IES) and they call it their TrustWell™ Responsible Gas Program certification. And what does such a prestigious label certify? It certifies the gas was “responsibly developed.” As opposed to irresponsibly developed gas, which is what everybody sells. “Responsible” gas, according to IES, is gas that doesn’t leak as much methane during the extraction and transportation process, doesn’t spill as much water and chemicals on the ground, sources water from places that are, well, responsible (we suppose), and engages the community–to make them feel good about all this responsible-ness going around. Yes, you may detect a little bit of snark in our comments on this news–because we happen to think the industry at large is already doing a great job of being responsible–without having a label put on it. This is just marketing. Hey, if it floats your boat to have a “responsible” label on your gas (paying to do so), go for it. Such a designation will never impress the eco-nuts. IES says they think “in time” that some 25-50% of all gas sold in the U.S. will have such a certification/label as green-friendly. We think that’s an ambitious number, given the fact there are still only five Marcellus/Utica drillers who have gone through the rigors of receiving a certification from the Center for Sustainable Shale Development, an organization that’s been around since early 2013 and offers something similar to IES’ cert…
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Problem at Majorsville Compressor Reduced Flow on Rover Pipe

Rover system map – click for larger version

Near the end of August, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave Energy Transfer Partners permission to start up both the Burgettstown and Majorsville Laterals, beginning Sept. 1 (see FERC Finally Approves 2 Key Rover Pipeline Laterals, Sept 1 Start). The Majorsville lateral is a “feeder pipeline” that connects supplies of natural gas produced in West Virginia (and western PA) to the main trunk of the Rover Pipeline. Rover is a super highway flowing Utica (and Marcellus) gas to the Midwest and Canada. But without smaller laterals (feeders) flowing gas into the main trunk of Rover, there’s no gas to sell to anyone. Majorsville did, indeed, start up on or about Sept. 1st, but part (or all) of the Majorsville lateral went down a few days later, last Thursday, because a piece of equipment in the Majorsville compressor station needed “maintenance.” According to ET, such maintenance is “part of the normal startup” for a compressor station. Whatever the issue/problem was, it was quickly fixed and by Friday (a day later) the full Majorsville lateral was back up and running…
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Ohio Democrats Float Bill to Cap Injection Wells at 23 per County

Liberal Democrat State Rep. Glenn Holmes (from Girard, Trumbull County, OH) is attempting to use a hammer to kill a fly. That is, he’s floating House Bill 723 to cap the number of injection wells at 23 per county, in an attempt to block a new injection well from getting built in Hubbard Township. Currently Trumbull County has 17 live and functioning wastewater injection wells. Five more are currently under construction. If the bill passes, it would prevent a newly-proposed well in Hubbard from getting built. Come here fly, see this hammer? Instead of debating the merits (or lack thereof) of the single well in Hubbard, how many wells are too many in Trumbull County, Holmes wants to limit injection wells everywhere in the state as his preferred solution. Right now Trumbull and Ashtabula counties are tied for the top spot with 17 active injection wells each. Nearby Portgage and Stark counties both have 16 injection wells. Meigs County, in southeast Ohio, has 14 active injection wells. Here’s the latest Democrat shenanigan aimed at stifling the Utica (and Marcellus) industry in Ohio…
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Philly RINO Wants “Risk Assessment” of ME2, Now That It’s Built

RINO (Republican In Name Only) Pennsylvania House of Representatives member Chris Quinn, from the Philadelphia area, introduced House Resolution 1034 last Wednesday. The resolution instructs the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the PA Public Utility Commission (PUC) to prepare a “comprehensive risk assessment of the Mariner East 2 [ME2] Pipeline.” Even though ME2 is 99% built and will soon go online. The resolution, which if passed doesn’t have any practical effect since it’s not a law, is actually an exercise in political derrière covering. What if the DEP and PUC performed such a risk assessment, and what if the report they issued found there are some risks associated with ME2 (as there are will any/all pipeline projects, roads, electric lines, stepping outside your door, etc.)? What then? The pipeline isn’t going away. It’s still going to be used, now that it’s built. Such is how the game is played by political swamp dwellers. Quinn also says he’s about to introduce House Bill (HB) 2609 requiring the state Attorney General to draft a landowner “bill of rights”–issued to landowners who may be subject to eminent domain for pipelines. Can’t wait to see what that bill says…
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Eclipse Resources Stock Hits New 1-Yr Low – $1.17/Share

We typically don’t report on the ups and downs of the stock price for Marcellus/Utica companies, primarily because the per-share price goes up, then it goes, down, then it goes up again…You get the picture. However, today we’re reporting on the share price for Eclipse Resources (as of last Friday) because it hit a new one-year low of $1.17 per share, before closing at $1.28/share. Bumping around the bottom of the barrel. Why pick on Eclipse about their stock price? Because they’re in the middle of getting bought out and merged into Blue Ridge Mountain Resources, the former Magnum Hunter Resources (see Eclipse Resources Merging with Former Magnum Hunter). And because it’s a shame the stock price is that low, given that Eclipse has had a stellar record of drilling long laterals–currently the record-holder for longest onshore laterals in the world! (All drilled in the Ohio Utica Shale.) We hate to see a star performer like Eclipse under-perform financially. It doesn’t seem to balance on the scales of cosmic justice. What now seems obvious, in retrospect, is that Eclipse has been in a financial pickle for some time–hence their sale to Blue Ridge Mountain…
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Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Sep 10, 2018

The “best of the rest”–stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading: Appalachian basin natural gas production expected to jump; No need to feel guilty about reliance on Utica shale gas; Sharp divisions over nuclear, natural gas in NJ’s new energy plan; Number of producing wells in Utica surpasses 2,000; Venture Global LNG in 20-year supply deal with Repsol; Haynesville natural gas production quietly surging behind Appalachia, Permian; EPA lost more than 1,500 workers in first 18 months of Trump administration; EPA’s Wheeler says all 10 regional offices to remain; US natural gas demand is expected to grow 40% in ten years; U.S. House of Representatives approval for small scale LNG would up exports to Latin America; 10 incredible facts about American LNG exports; How long will natural gas be a bridge fuel?; and much more!
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