Marcellus Drilling News

Marcellus Drill Cuttings Set Off Radiation Alarm at SW PA Landfill

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

A truck with Marcellus Shale drill cuttings entering a landfill in Westmoreland County, PA triggered a radiation alarm last Friday. The truck was quarantined and after finding that yes indeed, the cuttings were a tad too radioactive for disposal at the landfill, the truck was sent back to the drilling site in Greene County.

The details:

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Public Opinion

Pew Research Poll: Only Half of US Adults Know What Fracking Is

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

A new national poll just released yesterday by the Pew Research Center and Smithsonian magazine quizzed the Americans public on their knowledge of science and technology with questions on current topics and basic scientific concepts (see the full report embedded below). One of the questions on the quiz was this: Which natural resource is extracted in a process known as “fracking”? The multiple choice answers given: Coal, Diamonds, Natural gas, Silicon.

Readers of MDN know the answer—you have a keen interest in the topic of natural gas. How many in the overall general public of adults 18 and older know that fracking extracts natural gas, even with Gasland and FrackNation? A pitiful 51%.

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

IOGA of NY to Cuomo: Your Indecision is Killing ALL NY Drilling

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York (IOGA of NY) executive director Brad Gill and hundreds of other signatories sent a letter (copy embedded below) to Gov. Andrew “Ditherer” Cuomo yesterday to inform him that not only is his indecision on the fracking issue preventing new jobs and new companies from coming to New York, it’s also causing the existing drilling industry in the state to leave.

Gill says the industry is “in crisis” and although it has been operating in NY for decades, it’s 5,000 direct and 50,000 indirect jobs are leaving the state in droves. Hey Andy, there is a cost to indecision…

ODNR Awards 2 New Forced Pooling Orders in OH – to BP

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) recently issued two new “unitization” (or forced pooling) orders, bringing the total number of unitizations to four that they’ve issued in the Utica Shale. Both of the new orders were issued on behalf of BP and both were in Trumbull County. Here’s the details of the two orders, including how much the reluctant landowners were awarded as a bonus and how much they’ll make in royalties:

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Anti-Drilling Eco-Nuts on Parade in PA for Earth Day

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

In honor of “worship Mother Earth Day,” small groups of anti-drilling eco-nuts paraded themselves in front six different Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection offices around the state yesterday (see Protesters Rally Outside DEP Offices On Earth Day To Fight Marcellus Shale Fracking). They apparently don’t have jobs and do have lots of extra time on their hands to do such things.

In contrast to the intentional know-nothings who oppose fracking, in honor of Earth Day, the American Thinker (great site by the way) published the account of an air pollution meteorologist who recently visited actively drilled well sites in southwest PA. Here’s what someone with a brain reports about what he witnessed:

Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Utica Angst Continues – A Close Look at the Utica Tea Leaves

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

An article from the Warren (OH) Tribune Chronicle tackles the thorny question of whether or not oil and gas drilling in Ohio is now passé…an also-ran…washed up…kaput.

It begins this way…

ShaleNavigator Expands Again: Adds New Areas to Online Mapping App

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

Although technically not in the purview of MDN’s coverage, we want to alert you that MDN partner ShaleNavigator—the top-notch online mapping service that brings you those marvelous maps in the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook—is expanding. ShaleNavigator founder Ed Camp has added the Collingwood and Antrim Shale plays in Michigan to his coverage.

Here’s Ed’s press release announcing the expansion of his excellent service:

Energy Companies | Gastar Exploration

Gastar Sells East Texas Assets, Will Concentrate on Marcellus

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

Yesterday, Houston-based Gastar Exploration Ltd announced they’re selling their East Texas “assets” (land, wells, etc.) to Cubic Energy, Inc. for $46 million. Why? So they have more money for Marcellus drilling…

Chesapeake Opens New Regional Office in Belmont County, OH

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

Chesapeake Energy has just opened a new field office in Belmont County, OH at the Fox Commerce Park, just west of St. Clairsville:

Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Apr 23, 2013

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

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