DC Court to Rehear Atlantic Sunrise Pipe Eminent Domain Decision
Here we go again. In August a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had the right to approve Williams’ Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project, including the right to use eminent domain to build it before details are finalized over compensation to landowners (see DC Court Upholds FERC Authority in Approving Atlantic Sunrise Pipe). The Sierra Club and other Big Green groups, with endless mountains of money from people like Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, kept pushing and finally convinced the entire DC Circuit (all of the judges, call “en banc”) to rehear and reconsider the case already decided by three of their number.
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Last week Equitrans subsidiary EQM Midstream Partners (formerly EQT Midstream) canceled a contract with Texas-based Trinity Energy to build portions of the now-stalled Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project. You may recall that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) stopped all new construction on MVP in October, until a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit that passes muster with the courts can be issued (see 
Masquerading as a nonpartisan, independent nonprofit, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) reportedly “conducts research and analyses on financial and economic issues related to energy and the environment.” The Institute’s stated mission is “to accelerate the transition to a diverse, sustainable and profitable energy economy.” In other words, they’re anti-fossil fuels. We spotted an article appearing on OilPrice.com that quotes a new “study” issued by IEEFA. The article opens by saying, “drillers in Appalachia are in particularly bad shape.” Is it true? Is the end near? Is it a shalepocalypse?
Scrum master. Agile coach. Data scientist. Cloud architect. Those are jobs young people typically seek in Silicon Valley, working for companies like Google, Apple and Facebook. However, those are jobs available *right now* in the shale oil and gas industry. There is a perception that oil and gas does not use high tech. Not so!
Our favorite government agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, brings us news that (so far) the lamestream press refuses to share. In September the United States exported 89,000 barrels per day (b/d) more petroleum (crude oil and petroleum products) than it imported. That’s the first month this has happened since monthly records began in 1973! The first time in recorded history! But not a peep from the press or their Big Green overlords. This is ALL due to the miracle of shale drilling.
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Future of oil and gas in Ohio Valley looks bright; NATIONAL: Analysis: US oil, gas rig count falls by 4 to 691, Permian totals slide; N. American shale primed for growth despite possible oil price declines; Gas lobby group goes on attack to halt move to ban new hook-ups; Natural gas outpaced renewable energy in reducing greenhouse gases; Moore’s Law misapplied (video); INTERNATIONAL: As Lopez Obrador focuses on oil, U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico soar; Europe was favored destination for US LNG in November amid activity ramp-up.