Marcellus Drilling News

PA Production Data Now Complete – Astonishing Results

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012

Late last week Pennsylvania released figures for natural gas production in the state for the first half of this year (see this MDN story). At the time MDN reported—based on what we now know was faulty data—that production had increased 12% over the previous 6-month period. Boy was that ever wrong!

By Monday, it was reported that (oops) Chesapeake Energy’s data was not reflected in the numbers (see this MDN story). Chesapeake just happens to be, ahem, the largest producer in the state. A lot of finger pointing quickly ensued. Chesapeake said in essence, “Hey, we provided the data! It was the screwed-up PA DEP database that didn’t show it.” But the PA DEP quickly shot back that the data provided by Chesapeake was late in arriving and full of errors and their database rightly screened out the data as bad.

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

Former Energy Sec. Richardson Supports Cuomo Fracking Plan

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012

It seems Democrats themselves have grown tired of anti-fracking shenanigans by their own people at public gatherings. Former Sec. of Energy (and former Governor of New Mexico) Bill Richardson was in New York City yesterday speaking on renewable energy at an event hosted by the Democrat party and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. A couple of anti-frackers who had “slipped in” stood up to protest, unfurling an anti-fracking banner and making claims that fracking would poison water supplies.

Here’s what happened:

Broome County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York

Anti-Fracking Doctor Unsuccessful at Vestal, NY Board Meeting

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012

Several doctors from the Broome County Medical Society (BCMS) attended a Vestal (Broome County, NY) Town Board meeting on Monday to ask them to vote for a delay in hydraulic fracturing until a so-called independent health study can be completed. One of those doctors was Niru Anne, a cancer doctor at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton and vice president of BCMS.

For a smart person, Dr. Anne is extremely uninformed when it comes to fracking:

Ohio | Ross County | Statewide OH

Ohio Shale Drilling Starting to Expand South & West

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012

According to Rhonda Reda, executive director for the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program, interest in drilling in Ohio that started in the eastern part of the state—in the prolific Utica Shale—will soon start moving to south and west in the state. In fact, there’s already signs that drilling interest is expanding southwest to Ross County.

Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Hilcorp Energy | Ohio

Hilcorp’s First Utica Permit for Columbiana County, OH

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012

Hilcorp Energy has just received its first permit to drill a Utica Shale well in Columbiana County, Ohio. Although this is Hilcorp’s first permit, it is the 49th permit for Columbiana County.

Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Taxation

Conservative Pushback for Gov. Kasich Drilling Tax Increase

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (a Republican) continues to get pushback on his plan to “spread the wealth around” by increasing taxes on the shale drilling industry and giving Ohio residents a cut in their state income tax. The pushback is now coming from conservative groups, including the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Prosperity and Americans for Tax Reform.

Earlier this month, a tea party-backed group called Ohio Rising started circulating an anti-tax pledge among Ohio lawmakers against the Kasich plan.

Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Aug 23, 2012

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012

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