Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Health Impacts | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Sleazy: PA Dem Senators Use Unpublished “Study” to Smear Shale Drilling
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

A group of PA Democrat Senators are, once again, denigrating the miracle of Marcellus Shale drilling in their state. Only this time it’s even sleazier and lower than usual. This time they’re hinting that results from a so-called “study” not released to the public supposedly show that in two Marcellus Shale counties the average number of hospitalizations among the population has gone up versus a single, cherry-picked county with no Marcellus drilling. What is outrageous is that the senators leaked that tiny little bit of information at a hearing, but have not provided any of the details–nor have they provided the study itself. So our hall of shame goes to state Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Bethlehem Township, and state Sen. John Wozniak, D-Johnstown who ran a Dem hearing yesterday to attack shale drilling. Also in the hall of shame is Trevor M. Penning, professor of pharmacology and director of University of Pennsylvania’s Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology for testifying (colluding) at that hearing providing only partial information. Penning was the Dem senators’ stooge in an attempt to bad mouth shale drilling. Also making a cameo appearance was PA’s anti-drilling Auditor General, Eugene DePasquale…
Read More “Sleazy: PA Dem Senators Use Unpublished “Study” to Smear Shale Drilling”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Regulation | Statewide WV | Trans Energy | West Virginia

Court Adds Another $600K to $3M Fine for Trans Energy in WV Case
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

A month ago MDN told you about a steep fine Trans Energy, a West Virginia Marcellus driller, agreed to pay for screwing up 15 creeks and swamps with dirt they pushed around for drilling purposes (see Trans Energy Fined $3M for Polluting WV Creeks & Swaps with Dirt). The money will be split 50/50 between the federal EPA and the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection. Trans Energy was in U.S. District Court yesterday to plead guilty to three misdemeanor charges of negligently violating the Clean Water Act. That will tack on another $600,000 in criminal fines to the $3M already agreed too ($200K for each violation). Ouch. The number that really hurts, however, is that Trans Energy will spend more than $13 million to complete the restoration and mitigation work required by the consent decree they signed yesterday…
Read More “Court Adds Another $600K to $3M Fine for Trans Energy in WV Case”
Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Research

Exxon “Shale is Worth the Risks” Report for Shareholders
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

For years now environmental activists/wackos have been “demanding” that companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron disclose the “risks” involved with shale drilling (see this 2011 MDN article: Exxon Mobil, Chevron Face Shareholder Questions about Environmental Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing at Annual Meetings). A number of left-leaning pressure groups continuously attempt to get big investors to dump their shares in fossil fuel companies, sometimes succeeding (see United Church of Christ Votes to Divest from Fossil Fuel Companies). The pressure has become intense. Earlier this year, the mafia-like New York State Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, who happens to be the sole person in charge of the enormous New York State Common Retirement Fund, brought his considerable pressure to bear. DiNapoli threatened to dump the fund’s $1.02 BILLION worth of Exxon Mobil stock unless the company writes up a report on the potential hazards of unconventional drilling (see Exxon Mobil Shaken Down by NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli). Exxon complied and has just released their report (full copy below)…
Read More “Exxon “Shale is Worth the Risks” Report for Shareholders”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | MarkWest Energy | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

MarkWest Wins Court Case to Build Compressor Station in Cecil, PA
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

Cecil Township in Washington County, PA is one of the original seven selfish townships that sued and eventually had portions of the state’s Act 13 Marcellus drilling law overturned. The portion overturned restored to local municipalities the right to establish their own zoning regulations when it comes to oil and gas related activities. Apparently Cecil thought they had a blank check to deny anything they wanted, but a recent court decision has brought them back to reality. A Commonwealth Court judge has ruled Cecil must and will allow MarkWest to build a compressor station in an area clearly zoned for it under Cecil’s own rules–a station they’ve been trying to build since 2010…
Read More “MarkWest Wins Court Case to Build Compressor Station in Cecil, PA”
CONE Midstream | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Noble Energy

CONE Midstream’s IPO Takes in $423M, Market Cap Already $1.71B!
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

A little over a month ago CONSOL Energy and Noble Energy, two otherwise competitors that often cooperate on drilling programs in the northeast, together formed a new pipeline company called CONE Midstream (see CONSOL & Noble Energy Form New Marcellus Midstream Company). A couple of weeks ago CONSOL & Noble announced they would float an initial public offering (IPO) to sell stock in the new venture, hoping to raise $423 million (see CONSOL/Noble IPO for CONE Midstream Hopes to Raise $423M). Good news: Mission accomplished. Yesterday CONE issued a press release saying the IPO of 20.1 million shares for $22 per share has successfully closed…
Read More “CONE Midstream’s IPO Takes in $423M, Market Cap Already $1.71B!”
Baker Hughes | Energy Services | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Baker Hughes Begins Full Disclosure of All Frack Fluids
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

In a welcome move, yesterday Baker Hughes announced they will now disclose all (100%) of the chemicals they use in their fracking fluids. Baker Hughes’ chief competitor in providing fracking services for drillers is Halliburton–so this move will pressure Halliburton to follow suit. Starting yesterday, October 1, Baker Hughes will not only publish a list of every chemical used on a given well to frack it (on the FracFocus.org website), they will also disclose the maximum concentration used for each chemical. It is total transparency into what they are using and where they are using it–removing any remaining claims by anti-drillers that the industry is trying to “hide” something…
Read More “Baker Hughes Begins Full Disclosure of All Frack Fluids”
CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

Dominion Accepts FERC 79 Conditions for Cove Point < 24 Hrs
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

That didn’t take long. On Sept. 29 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted Dominion final approval to build an LNG export facility in Cove Point, MD (see Dominion Gets Final Fed Approval to Build Cove Point LNG Plant). Part of the approval includes a list of 79 “conditions” that must be met by Dominion in accepting FERC’s approval. Dominion said, on the 29th, that they would need to review FERC’s final order with the 79 conditions. It only took 24 hours. On Sept. 30 Dominion accepted all 79 conditions. As part of the press release announcing their acceptance, we also learn who will build the facility for Dominion…
Read More “Dominion Accepts FERC 79 Conditions for Cove Point < 24 Hrs”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Research

GWPC Report on State Efforts to Protect Ground Water from Drilling
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

An updated study from the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) shows that the 27 states with active oil and gas drilling, which represents 98% of all oil and gas drilling in this country, are doing a very good job and getting better year after year with protecting ground water supplies. Which is a direct slap in the face of big government and federal regulators who want to do more micromanaging of the states when it comes to oil and gas drilling. The GWPC believes oil and gas regulation happens best at the state level and the study finds, “State regulators place great emphasis on protecting water resources from adverse impacts that can occur during oil and natural gas exploration and production (E&P) activities.” Below is the press announcement releasing the new study, along with a copy of the 122-page study, titled “State Oil & Gas Regulations Designed to Protect Water Resources”…
Read More “GWPC Report on State Efforts to Protect Ground Water from Drilling”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies

Magnum Hunter Sells More Non-Northeast Property for $23M
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

Magnum Hunter Resources, driller of the most-productive Utica Shale well ever (so far anyway), continues to divest in non-Utica/Marcellus plays so it can concentrate on northeast drilling. Yesterday the company deposited another $23 million from the sale of property they weren’t drilling on in North Dakota. That makes for $125 million in revenue from selling “non-core” assets this year, to date…
Read More “Magnum Hunter Sells More Non-Northeast Property for $23M”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Oct 2, 2014
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

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: Thu, Oct 2, 2014”