Marcellus Drilling News

EPA’s Final Batch of Testing for Dimock Water Wells Released

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

clean drinking water On Friday the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its results of testing for the fourth and final batch of water wells in Dimock, PA. The results are the same as the first three batches: There is and has been no contamination of the area’s water supply by chemicals from nearby hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus Shale gas wells.

Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Chesapeake Energy Gets $3 Billion Loan from Goldman Sachs

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

In an attempt to boost investor confidence and boost the stock price, Chesapeake Energy received a $3 billion unsecured loan last Friday from Goldman Sachs. They also provided a quick update on efforts to sell off their assets in the Permian Basin and their Mississippi Lime joint venture, hoping to raise upward of $10 billion, part of which will be used to pay back the short-term Goldman loan.

From the Chesapeake press release:

Alternative Energy | Chesapeake Energy | Commodity Price | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues

Boone Pickens Sells Chesapeake Stock, Strange Comment on NatGas

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

Has T. Boone Pickens, Texas oil billionaire and author of “The Pickens Plan” that calls for America to use natural gas to reduce our dependency on OPEC oil and as a bridge to a renewable energy future, now turned his back on natural gas? His investment company, BP Capital Management, has sold off all of its Chesapeake Energy stock. Pickens’ comment on the reason for selling off Chesapeake was a tad strange:

CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Mahoning County | Ohio

CONSOL Starts Work on Their First Well in Mahoning County, OH

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

CONSOL Energy has started work on its first drill pad in Mahoning County, OH. And although the landowner where they’re drilling sold his mineral rights years ago and will receive next to nothing in the way of royalties or lease payments, he’s still happy about it.

Location for OH NGL Processing Plant Identified

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

We now know the specific location of a previously announced $400 million shale gas collection and processing plant being built in Columbiana County, Ohio by a joint venture between Chesapeake Energy, M3 Midstream and EV Energy Partners.

O&G Countersues Landowners Claiming Lease Slander

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

In late March, seven Beaver County, PA families (18 people) filed a lawsuit in Common Pleas Court accusing O&G Investments of Wooster, Ohio of not drilling on their land—and not paying them—for the past seven years. The leases were sold to Chesapeake Energy and at the eleventh hour, just before the leases were set to expire, Chesapeake attempted to initiate drilling to retain the leases, which prompted the lawsuit (see this MDN story for background). Late last week O&G countersued the families:

OH Judge Rules in Case on Ethane Pipeline Survey

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

MDN highlighted a story last week in which Enterprise Products Partners, the company building a new ethane pipeline across Ohio, sued a farmer to gain access to his land in order to survey it to chart a route for the pipeline (see this MDN story). The farmer offered alternative routes to avoid prime hay fields but Enterprise turned him down. A common pleas court judge, on Friday, sided with…

Frack Wastewater Treatment Plant in Blossburg, PA Expands

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

Hydro-Recovery operates a shale gas fracking wastewater treatment facility in Blossburg (Tioga County), PA. It’s just announced a $15 million expansion of the plant with plans to add an additional 20-25 employees and ramp up to 24/7 operations. Construction is set to start as soon as permits are received on a “crystalizer and six 500,000 gallon storage tanks.”

Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, May 14, 2012

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading: