Marcellus Drilling News

Grrr: Some Marcellus Industry Companies $upport PA Dem for Gov

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

betrayal This is one of those stories that personally makes MDN editor Jim Willis very angry. We learn from an article in the Harrisburg Patriot-News, and from the odious anti-drilling group Food & Water Watch, that some of our own have given money–upwards of a quarter of a million dollars–to PA gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf. That just should not be. Wolf and his Democrat party will royally screw Marcellus drilling in Pennsylvania if they seize power in the next election. Enabling that outcome is the height of selfishness on the part of those companies and individuals contributing to his campaign. So let’s name some names of those who are donating to Wolf…
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Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Geologists Finally Get Some “Professional” Respect in NY

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

It’s taken nearly 20 years, but finally this week a bill has passed both the New York State Assembly and Senate, and will almost certainly be signed by man-child Gov. Andy Cuomo, that recognizes “geologist” as a professional occupation (complete with state licensure requirements) on the same order as engineers, surveyors, etc. That is, “geologist” in NY has now received status as a “professional” occupation…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

JLCNY “Outraged” by NY Assembly Democrat Moratorium Bill

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

Yesterday MDN told you about the third time in as many years that New York City Democrats have attempted to pass an ongoing moratorium (really a ban) on Marcellus Shale drilling in the state (see NY Assembly Once Again Passes Frack Moratorium Bill (Yawn)). The Dems are lead (by the nose) by Assembly Speaker Sheldon “sleazy” Silver and his henchman on the Environmental Conservation Committee Robert Sweeney. Disgusting politicians both. Yesterday afternoon MDN received a statement from the 70,000 member Joint Landowners Coalition of New York stating they are “outraged at the continued attempts by the New York State Assembly to stall safe, responsible natural gas development.” Indeed they should be…
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Crestwood Midstream | Energy Services

Crestwood Midstream Puts Another $500M in the Bank

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

An investors’ group that includes Magnetar Capital, GSO Capital and GE Energy Financial Services, a GE subsidiary, is investing $500 million to get “preferred units” (think shares of stock) of Crestwood Midstream Partners. Some of the money will be used to pay down debt. However, some (much?) of the new money will go to finance ongoing expansion and development projects in the Marcellus and several other shale plays…
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Energy Companies | Gastar Exploration | Marshall County | Utica Shale | West Virginia

Update on Gastar’s 1st Utica/Point Pleasant Well

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

Last week Gastar provided an update on their drilling program in West Virginia, which includes their first-ever Utica Shale well (see Gastar Update: Drilling 1st Utica & More Marcellus Wells in WV). On Monday, Gastar released yet another update on their first Utica well, the Simms 5-UH in Marshall County…
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New York | Statewide NY

NY Democrat Writes about Environmental Benefits from Fracking

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

Are there any Democrats left in New York (or anywhere else for that matter) that can still approach the issue of shale drilling and hydraulic fracturing in a calm, reasoned manner? Are there any Dems left in NY who would dare to actually voice support for Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling? Indeed there are. At least one, anyway. And he’s a former member of the New York State Assembly and a former member of the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee…
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Education | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Statewide WV | West Virginia

2 Dozen Drilling Techs from WV Program Now Make $70K/Year!

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

Want a good job that pays big money but don’t want to “waste time” on an engineering degree? Listen up! West Virginia’s Community and Technical College Chancellor Jim Skidmore recently told state lawmakers that a program offered at two community colleges–Pierpont Community and Technical College in Fairmont and West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling–has just graduated two dozen students. Each student received a certificate or associates degree, and each student got a job making an average $70,000 per year to start. Has that got your attention?…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Research

June DPR from EIA: Marcellus Production Continues to Climb

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

The latest Drilling Productivity Report (full copy embedded below) from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale continues to dwarf all of the other major shale plays in the United States. The Marcellus Shale is expected to produce 14.9 billion cubic feel per day in July. The Eagle Ford Shale will produce around 7.1 billion cubic feet per day in July, according to the report. Below we have the full report along with a couple of tables from the EIA not included in the report (but important)…
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Pittsburgh Suburb Considers New Regulations on Shale Drilling

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

A single, lying town resident in White Oak, PA (Pittsburgh suburb) has the town council up in arms by claiming the town is about to be drilled by Marcellus Shale drillers and they “will do as they please if they aren’t regulated.” Uh, just one problem there Mr. Lying Town Resident: The state Dept. of Environmental Protection already regulates the industry–quite heavily. And the town can’t regulate it without violating state law…
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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Jun 18, 2014

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014

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