Marcellus Drilling News

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA

Fracking Comes to Amish Country – Will They Allow It?
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

Contrary to common belief and misconception, the Amish are not bumpkins and naive when it comes to the ways of the “English” world. Far from it. Take the issue of shale drilling on and under the land. While the Amish have a deep and healthy respect for the land, they’re not green zealots who worship it. They know Whom to worship and it’s not trees and grass. The land is here to be used wisely and circumspectly. Many Amish families in Ohio and Pennsylvania are deciding it’s just fine with God if their land is used for fracking…
Read More “Fracking Comes to Amish Country – Will They Allow It?”
Energy Companies | Noble County | Ohio | Rex Energy | Utica Shale

Rex Energy Production Numbers for 3 Utica Wells in Noble County
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

Rex Energy has just released production numbers for its first three Warrior South Prospect wells in the Ohio Utica Shale (Noble County). Rex’s CEO, Tom Stabley, called the results “strong” and “impressive,” and indeed they are good numbers. The wells produced on the on the order of 4.2-4.7 million cubic feet of methane per day, 724-763 barrels of natural gas liquids per day, and 228-247 barrels of condensate per day. While we’ve seen better methane flow rates from other Utica wells, all three production metrics together (methane, NGLs and condensate) make these wells very profitable indeed.

The full Rex announcement from yesterday:
Read More “Rex Energy Production Numbers for 3 Utica Wells in Noble County”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crime | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

12 Protesters Arrested for Shutting Down NC Chemical Plant
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

It seems the Hardees fries and ketchup (and patience) finally ran out and officials from the Momentive resin plant in Morganton, NC, a fracking chemical manufacturer, had protesters who were blocking the plant’s entrance arrested. Yesterday, MDN told you about the dunderhead protesters who laid down in the middle of the road and put themselves in harm’s way (see Protesters Try to Shut Down NC Frack Chemical Plant). The protesters knew what they were doing crossed the free speech line into criminal activity by shutting down a business, but when the police started arresting them, they said (our interpretation): “Duh. What’s goin’ on dude? Why you arrestin’ me man? I was jest leavin.”

Twelve protesters in all were arrested and carted off to the clink…
Read More “12 Protesters Arrested for Shutting Down NC Chemical Plant”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

JLCNY: New Fundraiser “Scrap the Moratorium” & Lawsuit Update
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

If you think pro-drillers living in New York State are depressed and have given up the fight to see drilling come to the state–you would be dead wrong. Nowhere is fight more alive than with the 77,000-member Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY). Two recent emails from the JLCNY illustrate it’s full speed ahead in the fight for property rights and freedom in the Empire State…
Read More “JLCNY: New Fundraiser “Scrap the Moratorium” & Lawsuit Update”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

Gasland 2 Inspires MD Delegate to Offer Up New Frack Ban Bill
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

Man they really know how to pick ’em in Maryland. A Maryland State Delegate, A. Shane Robinson (Democrat from the Washington, D.C. suburb of Montgomery County), performs his legislative homework and gets his up-to-date, cutting-edge research on the fracking issue by watching HBO. That’s what our generation has descended to. Del. Robinson tweeted during Gasland 2 on Monday night that he’s so worked up over fracking, he’s going to introduce another statewide ban bill when the legislature next meets. Thank God the Maryland legislature only meets for a few months at the beginning of each year.

Here’s more of Del. Robinson’s brilliance:
Read More “Gasland 2 Inspires MD Delegate to Offer Up New Frack Ban Bill”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Eureka Midstream | Ohio | Washington County (OH) | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Magnum Hunter 2Q13: 1st Utica Well Drilled, WV Marcellus Continues
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation, both a driller and a midstream (pipeline) company with operations in the Marcellus and Utica Shale region, released their company wide operational update yesterday for the second quarter of 2013. Among the highlights: Magnum Hunter has just completed drilling its first Utica Shale well (Washington County, OH) and the well will be fracked in late July; the company continues to actively drill Marcellus wells in Wetzel County, WV in a 50/50 joint venture with Stone Energy; and Eureka Hunter is active across both the Marcellus and Utica with new pipeline and compressor station construction projects.

Relevant portions of the update below…
Read More “Magnum Hunter 2Q13: 1st Utica Well Drilled, WV Marcellus Continues”
Carroll County | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Ohio

New NatGas Powered Electric Plant Coming to Carroll County, OH
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

Carroll County Energy in Carroll County, OH–a subsidiary of Advanced Power Services–announced Monday they plan to spend $800 million to build a new 700-megawatt natural gas electric generating plant in the county. The new plant will create 500 temporary construction jobs and 25-30 permanent jobs when completed. It will supply electricity to 700,000 homes by using low-cost Utica (and Marcellus) Shale gas to generate electricity–made necessary because some 5,800 megawatts of coal-fired plants are due to retire in Ohio by end of 2015. Look for more announcements like this one to come along in the near future…
Read More “New NatGas Powered Electric Plant Coming to Carroll County, OH”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Processing Plants | Statewide MD

Enviro Groups Once Again Ask FERC to Refuse Cove Point LNG Plant
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

A small group of individuals pretending to be large groups of many people yesterday sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) asking them to reject the Cove Point, Maryland LNG (liquefied natural gas) export facility Dominion is planning to build because they, said groups, believe in scary climate change fairy tales (oceans rising, tornadoes swirling, hurricanes churning), and so, because they believe these fairy tales, FERC should refuse a permit to Dominion. Uh, right.

Bonus observation from the press release below from said so-called “environmental groups”: any time you see the word “Riverkeeper” in a group name, run the other way. Any time you see “Sierra Club” in the name, run the other way. They are radicals and frankly, off their collective rocker. Here’s the letter they sent yesterday:
Read More “Enviro Groups Once Again Ask FERC to Refuse Cove Point LNG Plant”
Crude Oil | Industrywide Issues

“Peak Oil” Website Hits its Own Peak – Closing Down
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

This one is kind of funny. The Oil Drum website–founded and devoted to the concept that the world had reached “peak oil,” that there are no more major oil plays to be found and economically mined and that each year oil production would decline–reached its own peak and is closing. Apparently they can’t find enough true believers in peak oil to keep it going. It’s funny because the naysayers are now saying the same thing about natural gas…
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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Jul 10, 2013
July 10, 2013July 9, 2013

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
Read More “Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Jul 10, 2013”