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Biden Appoints Richard “Dick” Glick FERC Chair – Forget Pipelines

Richard Glick becomes FERC Chairman

Democrat Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Commissioner Richard “Dick” Glick, to the best of our knowledge, has voted against every single new or expanded gas/oil pipeline to come before FERC using the same broken-record response: man-made global warming. Yesterday President Biden appointed Glick as the new Chairman of FERC. We seriously doubt any new pipeline projects will now get approved, period. Glick’s chairmanship also threatens existing projects like Mountain Valley Pipeline and PennEast Pipeline.
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FERC Tables Vote to Allow PennEast Pipe to Split in 2 Phases

With Richard “Dick” Glick as the new Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), life just got harder for the PennEast Pipeline project. Not impossible, but certainly harder. On Tuesday FERC gave PennEast a little bit of love when it turned down a request by a Pennsylvania landowner that PennEast not be allowed to use eminent domain to cross the landowner’s property. But also on Tuesday FERC removed from its agenda a final decision on whether or not to approve PennEast’s request to split the project into two phases.
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FERC Approves Compressor Upgrade for New England Gas Pipeline

Westbrook XPress Project map (click for larger version)

Fortunately, there are some key pipeline projects already approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that don’t require any further approvals (or interference) by FERC commissioners. One such project is the Westbrook XPress Project, part of TC Energy’s Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS). Westbrook XPress will flow an extra 124 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of Marcellus/Utica natural gas into New England. On Tuesday TC Energy asked FERC for permission to commence construction. This morning FERC approved it.
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Opposition to Dormant Mountaineer NGL Storage Hub in Monroe, OH

Last fall Mountaineer NGL Storage, a $500 million project in Monroe County to build underground storage for ethane and other NGLs, asked Ohio to cancel a key permit for the project (see Mountaineer Asks Ohio to Cancel NGL Storage Hub Permits). Our understanding is that until PTT Global Chemical makes a final decision to build an ethane cracker in nearby Belmont County, OH, Mountaineer is not ready to proceed. The two projects will move along together. When PTT announces, Mountaineer will reapply for the permit. Yet anti-fossil fuelers actively continue to make a fuss, making untrue statements about the project and its impacts on the region’s environment.
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PA DEP Using ePermits for Erosion & Sedimentation to Avoid New Law

After literally *years* of complaints that simple permits in Pennsylvania required in drilling new shale wells–like a Chapter 102 Erosion and Sedimentation permit–are taking two, three, even six to eight months for an approval (instead of the law-mandated 14 days), the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) is finally doing something about it. Why? They’ve just received a swift kick in the seat of the pants.
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What Biden’s First Two Days on the Job Mean for the O&G Industry

President Joe Biden is already a complete disaster for the oil and gas industry. His first two days in office (day and a half, actually) can only be described as a full-on attack against our industry. That’s according to the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA). We received a rundown of the damage Biden has already caused. Here’s just one example (out a list of 100+): Biden has put a freeze (pun intended) on the Dept. of Transportation’s rule that allows LNG to be shipped by rail. The rule is being “reviewed” with an eye to reversing it.
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Enverus U.S. Rig Count Up Another 6 to 430, M-U Steady at 42

Over the past week, the Enverus U.S. rig count added another 6 active rigs, making the new count 430. The Marcellus wet gas region (in southwest PA and WV) lost a rig, while the Marcellus dry gas region (in northeast PA) gained a rig. Overall the Marcellus/Utica combined rig count remained stead at 42 active rigs. The M-U’s chief competitor, the Haynesville Shale, lost one rig, now with 48 active rigs.
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Other Stories of Interest: Fri, Jan 22, 2021

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Change at White House could mean change on future of fossil fuels in West Virginia; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Regulators deny permit for $2B methanol project in Washington; NATIONAL: EIA expects crude oil prices to average near $50 per barrel through 2022; Biden announces senior Dept. of Energy staff; Exelon applauds Biden Executive Orders on climate change, Paris treaty; On his first day, Biden insults Canada and ends thousands of jobs; Biden administration pauses federal drilling program in climate push; Temporary halt to oil leasing on federal lands: bad for America’s consumers and econ recovery; INTERNATIONAL: European Parliament reiterates call for Nord Stream 2 gas link to be halted; How TTF became a premier natural gas trading hub and global benchmark.
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