Marcellus Drilling News

Accidents | American Energy Partners | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (OH) | Ohio

AEP Well “Malfunction” Leads to Evacuation of ~400 Homes in SE OH
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

A mechanical malfunction at a producing American Energy Partners Utica Shale well in Jefferson County, OH caused the evacuation of about 400 area homes from Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, according to the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR). The well, near the Mingo Sportsmen’s Club, was successfully shut down by Boots & Coots International Well Control Inc. Although area residents interviewed said they didn’t feel in danger, it’s still disconcerting (and a hardship) when something like this happens. Here’s an ear-witness account…
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Accidents | Blue Racer Midstream | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Monroe County | Ohio | Pipelines

Blue Racer Condensate Pipeline Ruptures/Burns in Monroe County, OH
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

A Blue Racer Midstream condensate pipeline caught fire early Tuesday morning near Cameron (eastern part of Monroe County, OH). Condensate is lighter than crude oil but heavier than natural gas liquids. Think of it as really light oil. Blue Racer’s condensate pipeline runs from Utica wells in eastern Ohio to Blue Racer’s processing plant in Natrium, WV. According to officials, the rupture in the 8-inch pipeline burned for several hours and burned several acres of surrounding woods before burning itself out. Fortunately it was a remote area where the accident occurred and no one was injured…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lebanon County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Mariner East NGL Pipeline Begins Tests in Lebanon, PA
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

It’s funny how reading anti-drilling media reports you get the impression that projects like Sunoco Logistics’ Mariner East Pipeline may be in jeopardy. The pipeline runs 300 miles from the western edge of Pennsylvania (and beyond) to southeastern PA in the Philadelphia area–to the Marcus Hook refinery. The pipeline, which will flow ethane and propane (natural gas liquids) is already in the ground except for a few miles in western PA. The only thing needed is approval to build 18 pump stations and 17 valve control stations in 31 municipalities along the route. Some of the municipalities are resisting by throwing up legal roadblocks (see West Goshen’s Legal Shenanigans Try to Block Mariner East Pipeline). Meanwhile, Sunoco plows ahead and has started testing the pipeline, to get it ready to go. In other words, this is not a question of if, it’s a question of when…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Health Impacts | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Cuomo Staff Explains “End of Year” Deadline for Frack Report
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

In the recent (and only) gubernatorial debate held in New York State, the man-child Andrew Cuomo, someone who can’t make a decision, when questioned/pressured about the issue of the now six-year moratorium on fracking, gave (yet another) new deadline for when he’ll make a decision. Cuomo said that the report due from the state Dept. of Health, originally due in February of 2013, but delayed from unknown reasons, will be ready by “the end of this year.” If we had a nickel for every time Cuomo has lied about the DOH report and about when a decision on fracking would be made, we’d be millionaires. A few days after the debate Cuomo’s staff had to clean up Andy’s poopy mess and say that the end of the year isn’t the man-child’s deadline–oh no–that deadline is what the DOH itself has privately told the man-child. In other words, more political CYA just in case the report doesn’t materialize by “end of year”…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Wastewater

PA Dem Congressman Demands Info from DEP on Frack Waste
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

An anti-drilling Pennsylvania Democrat Congressman, Matt Cartwright, believes Washington, DC and not the individual states should be the ones regulating shale oil and gas drilling. So Cartwright, under the pretense of seeking information, has sent a letter to the acting Secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) seeking information on how the state oversees frack waste disposal (wastewater and drill cuttings). Cartwright is the just the latest PA Democrat to bash away at the single industry keeping the PA economy out of the economic crapper. Cartwright, in his letter, refers to the flawed “report” from another high profile PA Dem who is critical of the industry, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale (see Anti-Drilling PA Auditor General Criticizes DEP in “Report”)…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Spectra Energy | Statewide PA | UGI Energy Services

Spectra Energy Becomes 6th Partner in PennEast Pipeline Project
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

The more the merrier. The quintet of companies who are partnering to build the 100-mile PennEast Pipeline from northeastern PA to Trenton, NJ has turned into a sextet. Large regional utility company UGI has been/continues to be the lead company building the pipeline (see 3rd New NEPA Marcellus Pipeline Proposed, Connects to Trenton, NJ). The other original investors were AGL Resources, NJR Pipeline Company (subsidiary of New Jersey Resources) and South Jersey Industries. In September, the four original partners were joined by PSEG Power, New Jersey’s largest utility (see NJ’s Largest Utility Becomes 5th Partner in PennEast Pipeline). Now it’s partner number six: Spectra Energy…
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Energy Companies | Range Resources Corp

Range Resources 3Q14: Production Hits 1.2 Bcf/d, Big Credit Line
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

Range Resources released their third quarter 2014 operational and financial update yesterday. The report shows the company is now producing 1.2 billion cubic feet per day, on average, of natural gas equivalents–up 26% from the same time last year. The company says they continue to realize “outstanding” well results in the Marcellus Shale, which is their main focus. Range also has a new bank line of credit agreement in place that allows them to borrow up to a massive $4 billion…
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Energy Companies | Hess | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Hess 3Q14: Says Almost Nothing About Utica Operations
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

Not long ago Hess sold off its retail (gas stations) and transportation operations, completing its transformation into an E&P-only company (see Marathon Petroleum Buys the Hess Truck! What Will We Do for Xmas?). One of the operational areas for Hess is the Utica Shale in Ohio. In May of this year, the company said it was in the process of drilling 35 Utica wells this year (see Hess Likes Early OH Utica Results, Drilling 35 Utica Wells in ’14). However, when we look at the latest quarterly update from the company, published yesterday, we find the following very brief references to the Utica…
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Industrywide Issues | Sand/Proppant | Supply Chain

SandBox Logistics Begins Work in Marcellus/Utica
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

SandBox Logistics (clever name) provides trans-loading, storage, and “last mile delivery” of frac sand used in hydraulic fracturing. Sandbox’s delivery process is patented. According to the company, their delivery process and the containerization process they use increases operational efficiency by eliminating many of the logistics problems and transportation bottlenecks that can happen. The SandBox system also substantially reduces silica dust and noise pollution. Why go on about SandBox? Because drilling services company U.S. Well Services has just signed a contract with SandBox to use them in their Marcellus/Utica operations. It marks the first time SandBox has done business in our neck of the woods…
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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Oct 30, 2014
October 30, 2014October 30, 2014

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