Yesterday the Pittsburgh Business Times broke the news that Range Resources, one of the Marcellus/Utica’s biggest drillers (and in fact the very first driller to sink a Marcellus well, back in 2004), has laid off 40 employees–roughly 5% of its workforce. The layoffs are split between the company’s Pennsylvania and Texas operations.
Read More “Range Resources Lays Off 5% of Employees – PA Affected”
In mid-December there was an explosion at a MarkWest Energy natural gas processing plant in Chartiers (Washington County), PA, injuring four people (see MarkWest Plant Explosion in Washington Co. Injures 4; 1 Critical). Unfortunately one the workers later died (see Sad Postscript: Man Dies of Injuries from MarkWest SWPA Explosion). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the incident and has just fined MarkWest and a contractor (that employed the workers) a cumulative $98,508.
Read More “MarkWest, Contractor Fined $98K for SWPA Gas Plant Explosion”
Yesterday, over the shrill objections of THE Delaware Riverkeeper, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) approved a plan put forth by New Fortress Energy to build a $96 million 1,600-foot-long pier on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River at the former DuPoint dynamite factory site. The purpose of the pier? To dock and load two ships at a time–loading them with either LNG (liquefied natural gas) and/or NGLs (natural gas liquids, like propane, butane and ethane).
Read More “DRBC Approves New Fortress LNG/NGL Shipping Dock on Dela. River”
On Monday, Toby and Derek Rice (the Rice brothers) sent an open letter to EQT shareholders to “set the record straight on EQT’s misleading comments” about the Rice boys and their plan to take over EQT. In fact, the Rices’ say EQT has made “a number of false claims” and engaged in “personal attacks.” On Tuesday, EQT issued a response to “correct the Toby Rice Group’s false and misleading statements” about what EQT said, and to “highlight significant omissions and errors” in the Rice analysis of EQT’s recent performance (see Rice Brothers, EQT Accuse Each Other of “Misleading” Statements). Yesterday, EQT issued yet another letter to shareholders to talk up their own board nominees, and to bash the nominees put forward by the Rice brothers.
Read More “EQT Issues Another Letter Bashing Rice Board Nominees”
The hits keep coming from OOGEEP, the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program. In May we brought you OOGEEP’s top notch new resource to help workers discover new careers in the oil and gas industry (see 75+ Gas and Oil Related Careers in the Marcellus/Utica). Now comes word that OOGEEP has just parceled out 65 scholarships ($1,000 minimum award) to students pursuing careers in the oil and gas industry.
Read More “OOGEEP Hands Out Another 65 Oil & Gas Scholarships”
It’s always better for an industry, like the oil and gas industry, to self-regulate rather than wait for the heavy hand of the government to do it. Case in point: There’s a coalition of upstream (drilling), midstream (pipeline) and downstream (utility) companies that formed an industry group called ONE Future, begun back in 2014. The aim of the group is lower methane emissions across all aspects of the natural gas infrastructure system nationwide to emit (lose into the atmosphere) no more than 1% by 2025. The group began with eight members and today has 17. Many of the members have major operations in the Marcellus/Utica. ONE Future’s newest member is pipeline giant Williams.
Read More “Gas Group ONE Future Scores Important New Member: Williams”
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: ODNR approves 11 permits in Utica shale; Gov. Justice blasts anti-fossil fuel campaign; Exxon stripped of most defenses in NY AG’s climate case; State AGs’ climate cover-up; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: North Dakota makes small bet on natural gas infrastructure company; Low natural gas prices drive up generation share in US Midwest; NATIONAL: U.S. Senators call for equal tax treatment of LNG fuel; From goats to glory: The monster oil discovery nobody is talking about; FERC Dems make climate change case in house hearing; INTERNATIONAL: U.S. ‘freedom gas’ aims to loosen Russia’s grip on Europe’s market.
Read More “Energy Stories of Interest: Thu, Jun 13, 2019”