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PA DEP Fines Landfill (with Drill Cuttings) 2nd Time – $59K

The Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Westmoreland County, PA (southwestern corner of the state, near Pittsburgh) was fined $24,000 earlier this year (see PA DEP Fines Drill Cuttings Landfill for Contaminated Runoff). The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) claimed effluent from the landfill, because the landfill accepts shale drill cuttings, had damaged a water treatment system in a nearby municipality. The DEP is back to shake down the landfill again, this time assessing a $59,000 fine.
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DTE Energy Explores Sale or Spin-Off of Pipeline Business

DTE Energy has been a long-time pipeline builder and operator in the Marcellus/Utica region. DTE, based in Detroit, is both a utility company and a midstream/pipeline company. According to an in-depth Forbes article (quoting Bloomberg), DTE is “exploring options” to either sell or spin-off its natural gas pipeline assets, including those in the M-U.
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How Much M-U Gas Flows to the Gulf Coast Each Day? We Have Answer

Over the years we’ve written about pipeline systems being built or expanded and upgraded to carry Marcellus/Utica natural gas to other regions, including as far away as the Gulf Coast, where the gas either gets used in petrochemical plants or (more commonly nowadays), gets exported as LNG. We now have some estimates for just how much of the 33+ Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) of our gas goes to the Gulf Coast.
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FERC Wants U.S. Supreme Court to Rule on Pipes & Bankruptcies

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) would like the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on whether it (FERC) or the bankruptcy courts have the final say in whether or not drillers can wiggle out of long-term pipeline contracts by declaring bankruptcy. Chesapeake Energy is trying to do so now, attempting to shed several contracts including some in the M-U region (see FERC Sides with Energy Transfer Against Chesapeake re Pipe Contract).
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Upstream PA 2020 – In-Person Event 2 Weeks Away!

Each year one of MDN Editor Jim Willis’ favorite events to attend is the Upstream PA event, planned and hosted by our buddy Joe Barone at Shale Directories. Unfortunately, Jim will have to miss this year’s event, being held Oct. 29 in State College, due to ongoing recovery from COVID-19. Jim and his wife are doing OK–it’s just taking a loooong time to get over the bug. At any rate, if you don’t have the coronavirus, you should attend! There’s still a few open seats and this event sells out each year.
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Other Stories of Interest: Thu, Oct 15, 2020

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Exposing the eco-activists’ ‘greening’ of Pennsylvania in 2020; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: OUC announces plan to switch power plant from coal to natural gas; NATIONAL: Bankrupt Chesapeake Energy shareholders need a reality check because they still are getting no recovery; As oil bankruptcies surge, vulture investors start their long feast.
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