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Virginia Grants Key Permits for Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Although the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) was federally approved a year ago, in October 2017 (see FERC Approves Atlantic Coast, Mountain Valley Pipeline Projects), the $6 billion pipeline from Dominion Energy running from West Virginia through Virginia into North Carolina had not yet secured all state-required permits. The remaining holdout has been Virginia. Late Friday afternoon the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) finally issued a “401” permit for crossing streams and rivers, which clears the way for ACP construction to begin in the Old Dominion.
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Doddridge County #1 in WV Natural Gas Production

According to Anne Blakenship, executive director of the WV Oil & Natural Gas Association (WVONGA), Doddridge County leads WV’s 55 counties in “oil and natural gas production.” She said Doddridge will “remain at the epicenter” of the state’s oil and gas industry “for years to come.” While Doddridge is indeed the #1 natural gas producing county, replete with a number of gas processing plants (and pipelines), Doddridge is not the #1 oil producing county.
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Sham “Risk Assessment” of ME2 Pipeline Released by Philly Antis

MDN told you in July that Philadelphia antis were paying $50,000 to a “consultant” to produce a faux report that will say the Mariner East 2 (ME2) natural gas liquids pipeline is dangerous, a nightmare waiting to happen (see Philly Antis Commission Faux “Risk Study” Targeting ME2 Pipeline). Sure enough, Quest Consultants–a company that sells itself to the highest Big Green bidder–has released their “report,” and it says exactly what Big Green told them to say.
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Columbia Gas Already 80% Done Replacing 48 Miles of Exploded Pipes

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts (NiSource) continues to try and recover from a series of explosions in its local delivery pipelines north of Boston in mid-September (see Local NatGas Pipes Explode Near Boston Killing 1, Injuring 25). The explosions and resulting fires tragically killed one teenager and injured 25 others. It left some 8,600 households and businesses without natural gas–for months. In early October, Columbia said it would replace all ~48 miles of natural gas mains, and all 6,100 affected service lines, by Nov. 19 (see Columbia’s Master Plan to Restore Gas Service in Mass. by Nov 19). To Columbia’s credit, 80% of the mains are already done, and over half of the service lines.
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U.S. Supreme Court Stops Climate Lawsuit by 21 Kids, Temporarily

On Friday we told you that the Trump Dept. of Justice had petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily stop a court case from advancing to trial next week (see DOJ Asks Supreme Court to Stop Climate Lawsuit by 21 Kids). Lawyers representing a group of 21 children filed a lawsuit in 2015 that aims to force the end of using all fossil fuels in the United States, to address so called man-made global warming. That case survived numerous challenges and was set to go to trial Oct. 29 in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. But on Friday, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts slapped a halt on the case and ordered both sides to give him information by Wednesday of this week. So, we have progress. Still not reason to celebrate, but moving in the right direction.
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Utilities Now Depend More on Pipelines, Less on NatGas Storage

A recurring theme (broken record) over the past few months has been, “Natural gas storage is too low, far lower than last year and far below the five-year average–prices will have to skyrocket any day now!” That’s been the meme by traders and industry watchers. We keep saying things have fundamentally changed–that drillers can open the spigots any time they want and let it flow. Don’t believe us? Then maybe you will believe the American Gas Association.
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Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Oct 22, 2018

The “best of the rest”–stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading: NY: State officials visit Beaver County Career and Technology Center; Oil and gas firm to locate in Alta Vista Business Park; Boston Herald: Gas pipeline limits create potential crisis; Happy 10th anniversary to the Eagle Ford Shale; San Francisco pension system approves divestment of five fossil fuel companies; EPA, federal agencies lay out agenda for future regulatory changes; U.S. natural gas production quarterly report: producers love current prices; America’s energy dominance is a remarkable achievement; Ex-Schlumberger chief to acquire biggest shale pipe servicer; Frustrated investors want frackers to consolidate; Chesapeake Energy is about to reach critical mass; Natural gas serves both short, long term climate goals, says Shell exec; IEA: lack of LNG fleet investment could pose a threat to market development.
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