Marcellus Drilling News

Accidents | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Pennsylvania | Statewide MD

Maryland AG Sues Chesapeake Energy Over Spill in Pennsylvania
May 3, 2011May 3, 2011

Maryland’s Attorney General, Douglas F. Gansler, has filed an “intent to sue” on Chesapeake Energy because of the accidental spill of fracking fluid in April in Leroy Township, PA (read MDN’s story about the spill here). Mr. Gansler’s rationale for his litigiousness is that the fluid reached a small stream that feeds the Towanda Creek, and the Towanda Creek in turn empties into the Susquehanna River, and the Susquehanna River empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Therefore, according to Gansler, several federal statutes have been violated, including the Clean Water Act. Also, the City of Baltimore uses the Susquehanna as a backup source of water “in times of drought.”

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Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Legislation to Regulate Large Water Withdrawals in NY Waterways Makes Progress
May 3, 2011May 3, 2011

New York State’s long, ponderous, tedious road to allow Marcellus Shale drilling takes another small step forward—maybe.

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Allegheny County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation

Ohio Township, PA Supervisors Pass Ordinance to Restrict Marcellus Shale Drilling Activities
May 3, 2011May 3, 2011

Supervisors in Ohio Township (Allegheny County), PA last night voted to approve an ordinance that places restrictions on Marcellus Shale drilling in the Township. According to Township Solicitor Mike Witherel, the previous ordinance, passed in 2003, placed no restrictions on drilling. The new ordinance puts in place common sense restrictions on drilling activities.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

New Technology May Hold Key to Cleaning Fracking Fluids, Early Tests Very Promising
May 3, 2011May 3, 2011

A new technology funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory may hold the key to cleaning Marcellus Shale (and other drilling) fracking fluids. According to the press release from the DOE below, this new technology removes 99 percent of oil and grease from the water in fracking fluid, and it removes 90 percent of the nasty stuff: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. The Osorb technology uses “swelling glass”—silica or sand-like particles—to absorb the chemicals. And it can be re-used over and over again. See a video of it in action below.

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Energy Companies | Energy Services | NOVA Chemicals | Range Resources Corp

Range Resources to Sell Ethane to Canadian Chemical Company
May 3, 2011May 3, 2011

Range Resources, one of the largest drillers in the Marcellus Shale, will provide ethane to Canadian chemical company NOVA Chemicals. Methane is the primary compound that is “mined” during gas drilling, but ethane is also one of the compounds produced when drilling. And ethane is used by chemical companies as a “feedstock” or raw material to make plastics. For more background, see this MDN story.

From the company issued press release:

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