Marcellus Drilling News

Hess Net Marcellus Shale Acreage 80K, Mostly in Wayne County, PA – Will Drill 5-10 Test Wells in Second Half of 2010

April 29, 2010

An update from Greg Hill, President, Worldwide Exploration and Production with Hess Corporation, about their activities in the Marcellus (from a recent earnings call):

“We’re continuing to build our position in the Marcellus. We’re at about 80,000 net acres now in the Marcellus, primarily in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. About 50,000 of that is Hess operated and the balance is part of this joint venture we have with Newfield. Our plan this year are to drill five to 10 wells during the second half of 2010 in order to evaluate the resource potential on the acreage.”*

*Seeking Alpha (Apr 29) – Hess Corp. Q1 2010 Earnings Call Transcript

Energy Companies | Penn Virginia Corporation

Penn Virginia Marcellus Shale Acreage Stands at 35,000 – Looking to Invest $48 Million in 2010 to Add More

April 29, 2010

We get the following details on Penn Virginia Corporation’s Marcellus drilling activities from their quarterly operational report:

Marcellus Shale – [PVC spent] approximately $17 million, or six percent, to drill five (3.8 net) horizontal and vertical wells primarily to test our acreage position in Potter and Tioga Counties, Pennsylvania.

During the first quarter of 2010, we drilled one (0.8 net) Marcellus Shale vertical exploratory well which was recently stimulated with approximately one million pounds of sand. The well is currently cleaning up and being evaluated. We continue to add to our acreage position in the Marcellus Shale, increasing our acreage position to approximately 35,000 net acres, and we expect to spend up to $48 million in 2010 to add leasehold acreage in our existing and new prospect areas.*

*Penn Virginia Corporation Press Release – Penn Virginia Corporation Provides Operational Update (PDF file)

Marcellus Shale Companies in Pennsylvania Looking to Fill Jobs and Contract with Local Businesses

April 29, 2010

Companies involved in drilling, processing and transporting Marcellus Shale gas in Pennsylvania are looking to contract with local businesses and hire local people to work for them. On the list are…

Contractors for:

clearing land
constructing well pads
setting up rigs
running wirelines
hauling waste
hauling dirt
mechanical work
civil work
electrical work
environmental surveyors
installers

Real estate/office space
Drilling crews
Frac crews
Right-of-way agents
Suppliers for:

drilling mud
frac fluid
steel pipes
valves and fittings
natural gas compressors

Engineering firms
Environmental firms
Professionals:

geologists
geophysicists
environmental engineers

The companies looking to hire include:

East Resources
Chief Oil & Gas
Laurel Mountain Midstream
MarkWest Energy
Talisman Energy

For more details, along with contact names and inside tips for submitting a bid or applying for a job, see the article linked below.

*Pittsburgh Business Times (Apr 29) – The Marcellus Shale: How your company could get in on the action

CONSOL/CNX Gas Will Drill Two Dozen Horizontal Marcellus Gas Wells in 2010, Now Holds Leases on 760,000 Acres

April 29, 2010

Highlights from the CONSOL Energy quarterly earnings report as it touches on their operations in the Marcellus Shale:

On March 15, CONSOL Energy announced a $3.475 billion acquisition of the Appalachian gas exploration and production business of Dominion Resources. We expect to close the transaction tomorrow. The assets include approximately 1 trillion cubic feet of proved reserves and approximately 500,000 acres of Marcellus Shale. Additional assets include an overriding royalty interest from farm-outs, 300,000 acres of Huron Shale, and extensive Utica Shale acreage.

On March 22, CONSOL Energy announced its intention to acquire the approximately 25 million shares of CNX Gas that it does not already own for $38.25 per share. We commenced the tender offer on April 28. As previously announced, T.Rowe Price has already agreed to tender the 9.47 million shares held for its investment advisory clients into the offer at the offer price of $38.25 per share.

During the quarter, CNX Gas achieved record initial production from one of its latest Marcellus Shale wells. Well GH 2B CV, has averaged 5.0 MMcf per day for the first 47 days of production. It peaked at 5.7 MMcf per day. This well has a lateral of 2,300 feet.*