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Ohio Landowners Sue Encino Energy for Shorting Royalties

Landowners in Carroll and Columbiana counties (Ohio) have filed a class action lawsuit against Encino Energy claiming the company underpaid oil and natural gas royalties. Last November Encino Acquisition Partners (i.e. Encino Energy) completed its purchase of all of Chesapeake Energy’s Ohio Utica Shale assets for $2 billion (see Stop Press: Chesapeake Sells ALL of its Ohio Utica Assets for $2B). The deal included all of Chesapeake’s 933,000 Ohio acres–with 320,000 net Utica acres–and 920 operated and non-operated Ohio Utica wells.
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PennEast Asks Full 3rd Circuit to Reconsider Bad Decision

The stakes are about as high as it gets: “The immediate disruption of the natural gas industry,” says PennEast Pipeline. We’re referring to a terrible decision in September by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that disallows PennEast from using the delegated power of eminent domain to cross properties either owned by, or with easements granted to, the state of New Jersey (see Federal Court Rules PennEast Pipe Can’t Run Thru NJ State Land). Earlier this week PennEast asked the Third Circuit to reconsider the decision, this time with all of the judges reviewing and voting instead of just three.
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AEP Retains Drilling Rights for 31K Acres of Park Land Sold to OH

American Electric Power (AEP) recently sealed a deal to sell more than 31,000 acres of land in eastern Ohio to the state of Ohio for $47 million. The state will use it for a state park. However, subsurface rights are not part of the deal. AEP will wisely hold on those rights. At some point AEP may want to drill and frack the land, and that has antis in a tizzy.
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FirstEnergy Uses Questionable Tactics Against Referendum Workers

All we can say is, shame on FirstEnergy. They hired people to block petition gatherers trying to get signatures for a referendum for the November ballot. The tactics used can only be described as bullying–sometimes physical. Workers are trying to get enough signatures on a petition to place a referendum on the November ballot. The referendum, if adopted, would overturn House Bill 6 which grants a $1 billion bailout to FirstEnergy’s economically failing nuclear power plants (see Ohio Nuke Bailout Law Means Fewer Natgas-Fired Electric Plants). FirstEnergy doesn’t want to give up that money.
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Southwestern Energy Lands Another “Responsible Gas” Customer

In September 2018 MDN brought you the news that Southwestern Energy had, 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 (see Southwestern Sells 1st Certified “Responsible Gas” to NJ Resources). It looks like they’ve landed another customer for their “responsible” gas: Virginia Natural Gas.
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Marcellus Wastewater Plant in PA Extracts 1st Batch of Lithium

lithium chloride molecule

In March, MDN brought you the news that Eureka Resources, which owns and operates three centralized treatment/recycling facilities that process wastewater from the Marcellus Shale, announced a joint venture with MGX Minerals to use MGX’s high tech solution to recover lithium from Marcellus wastewater (see Eureka to Extract Lithium from Marcellus/Utica Wastewater). In September MGX’s equipment arrived on site in Bradford County, PA and installation began (see Marcellus Wastewater Plant in PA Gets Ready to Extract Lithium). Finally, the day is here! Last week the very first batch of lithium chloride was extracted from Marcellus brine wastewater.
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Cuomo Now Blames His Own PSC for NYC Gas Shortage

Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, is not only pathetic, he’s transparent. Over the past few weeks multiple people have criticized Cuomo for his no-new-pipeline policies that have lead to pain and suffering for some New York City and Long Island residents who cannot connect to natural gas because of a coming shortage. The New York Post, Wall Street Journal and other media outlets have piled on. So too have President Trump and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. All in the past seven days! What does little Andy do? Blame shift.
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Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, Oct 25, 2019

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: How to tell Cuomo frets the natural gas shortage: He’s passing the buck; Toomey praises Trump for shale gas exploration policies in Pennsylvania, U.S.; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Optimizing shale well designs could boost Eagle Ford and Permian economics by 19-23%; Cameron LNG natural gas facility officially opens today; Planned natural gas release angers compressor station opponents; NATIONAL: The United States now exports crude oil to more destinations than it imports from; Natural gas and renewables will rule America’s electricity future; Natural gas exports to Mexico swell, but is a tidal wave coming?; INTERNATIONAL: Novatek – TC LNG Shipping JV off “Blocked Person” list.
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