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Marcellus/Utica Heading for Another Pipeline Shortage

Here in the Marcellus/Utica region (PA, OH, WV) we have a lot of natural gas production. We are the #1 gas-producing region in the United States. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the M-U will produce 34 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natgas this month (see EIA DPR: Feb. NatGas Production Drop Everywhere Except Haynesville). The thing is, we (in the M-U) can’t use all of that gas in this region, where it’s produced. We need to get it to other markets. According to RBN Energy, it’s easy to predict another coming pipeline shortage to move our gas to the other markets that need it.
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CT Gov. Lamont Caves to Radicalized Kids, Opposes Gas Power Plant

Artist rendering of proposed Killingly Energy Center (click for larger version)

Here’s one you can file under the “good things to know” department: It looks like if you’re in a gang of spoiled rotten children and you visit the governor’s mansion early in the morning, banging pots and pans together, and follow it up a few weeks later with behaving like two-year-olds by dropping to the ground and pretending to be dead, you can actually get a (weak-willed) governor to change his mind. That’s what has happened in the “great” state of Connecticut where the governor has changed his mind and now does not support building a critically-needed gas-fired power plant in Killingly.
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NYC Pension Funds Vote to Divest from Fossil Fuels Within 5 Years

Two of New York City’s five retirement pension funds, representing 70% of the $239.8 billion retirement system, announced yesterday they will divest their portfolios of all investments in fossil fuel companies. The two pension funds together own roughly $4 billion worth of fossil fuel securities. The divestment will take place gradually, over the next five years. A third pension fund with $7.8 billion under management is expected to do the same, soon.
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Methane Detection Drones in M-U Too Pricey for Small Drillers

One of the aims of both drillers and environmentalists is to reduce the amount of methane escaping from pipelines and well pads into the atmosphere–so called “fugitive methane.” Environmentalists make wild claims that methane molecules floating around in the atmosphere are a gajillion times more potent in causing mythical global warming. Whatever. Drillers and pipeline companies want to capture and keep captured every last molecule so they can sell it! Thing is, there is a cost beyond which it doesn’t make sense to try and capture stray methane molecules.
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Venture Global Proposes a New La. LNG Export Facility to FERC

This is an early test for how the Biden administration, specifically Biden’s pick to run the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Richard “Dick” Glick, will respond to requests for additional infrastructure related to fossil fuels. Last week Venture Global filed a “pre-filing” request with FERC ultimately looking for permission to build a major new LNG export facility next door to another facility (Calcasieu Pass Project) Venture Global is currently building. The new project is dubbed CP2 and will come with a (gasp) 87.5-mile greenfield pipeline.
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Cornell University Drilling Wells Similar to Natural Gas Wells

click for larger version

We don’t know much about geothermal heating and heat pumps. We do know the technology is often touted by people like Andrew Cuomo as one of the solutions that will allow us to magically quit using fuel oil and gas for heating. We were intrigued as we began to read about an experiment Cornell University is running to drill (yes drill) two geothermal wells. As we read about what they are doing, it dawned on us, what they’re doing is literally no different from drilling a natural gas well!
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Other Stories of Interest: Tue, Jan 26, 2021

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Biden environmental moves show tension between WV enviro advocates and congressional leaders; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Gov. Inslee wants all homes converted to electric heat and water by 2050; DTE Energy launches program allowing customers to reduce their carbon footprint; NATIONAL: President Biden follows through on his promise (implications on energy markets going forward).
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