Marcellus Drilling News

Belmont County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Omni Energy Services | Regulation | Wastewater

ODNR Issues Permits to 2 Belmont Injection Wells to Allow Startup
November 8, 2021November 8, 2021

We have some exciting, and exclusive, news to share with the MDN audience. We previously told you that the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) was behaving like a child, dragging its collective heels to prevent two side-by-side injection wells in Belmont County developed by Omni Energy from beginning operation (see Omni Energy Sues ODNR 2nd Time for Blocking 2 Injection Wells). Omni had to sue the ODNR, for a second time, in Ohio Supreme Court, over ODNR’s refusal to issue the permits and attempts to add new conditions not found in the regulatory code. The good news is that ODNR, under intense pressure, relented and on Friday issued permits for both wells to begin operations.
Read More “ODNR Issues Permits to 2 Belmont Injection Wells to Allow Startup”
Allegheny County | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation

Anti Groups Challenge Permit for Invenergy Gas-Fired Plant in SWPA
November 8, 2021June 30, 2023

In January 2016, Invenergy announced its intention to build a natgas-powered electric plant in Elizabeth Township, in Allegheny County (see Invenergy Eyes SWPA for Second Marcellus-Powered Electric Plant). It took a few years, a lawsuit, and a new location, but eventually Elizabeth commissioners approved Invenergy’s plan in December 2018 (see Elizabeth Twp in Allegheny Co. OKs Invenergy Gas-Fired Plant). In June of this year the Allegheny County Health Department’s permitting section held a hearing to discuss potential emissions from the plant (see Proposed Gas-Fired Plant Near Pittsburgh has Neighbors “Fired Up”). The Health Department subsequently issued the necessary air permit. A mish-mash of Big Green groups has just sued to block that air permit.
Read More “Anti Groups Challenge Permit for Invenergy Gas-Fired Plant in SWPA”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | PennEast Pipeline | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA

THE Delaware Riverkeeper Continues to Sue Dead PennEast Pipe
November 8, 2021April 20, 2022

PennEast Pipeline, a 120-mile, primarily 36-inch pipeline that would have cost $1 billion to build and run from Dallas, Luzerne County, in northeastern Pennsylvania, and terminate at Transco’s pipeline interconnection near Pennington, Mercer County, New Jersey, is as dead as a doornail (see PennEast Pipeline Throws in the Towel – Project Won’t Get Built). In late September the partners in the project announced “PennEast has ceased all further development of the Project.” And yet THE (deluded) Delaware Riverkeeper is convinced PennEast will rise from the dead like Jesus Christ. So Riverkeeper is suing to keep on suing–to keep PennEast dead and buried. We’ll explain.
Read More “THE Delaware Riverkeeper Continues to Sue Dead PennEast Pipe”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

New England Elec Grid Seeks to Cancel CT Gas-Fired Plant Contract
November 8, 2021November 8, 2021

We were encouraged in September when the Connecticut State Supreme Court upheld the Connecticut Siting Council’s approval for NTE Energy’s proposed project to build a 650-megawatt natural gas-fired electric plant in Killingly, CT (see CT Supreme Court Rejects Anti Lawsuit re Killingly Gas-Fired Plant). The plant would be fed by Marcellus/Utica gas. Our encouragement has turned to discouragement. Last Thursday ISO New England’s lawyers filed a request with FERC (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) for permission to terminate a previously-award contract to the plant to supply electricity during the 2022-23 supply period, claiming there’s no way the plant will get built in time. Is this the end for the Killingly project?
Read More “New England Elec Grid Seeks to Cancel CT Gas-Fired Plant Contract”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

Energy Transfer’s Warren: Calls for the End of Fossil Fuels “Insanity”
November 8, 2021November 8, 2021

Kelcy Warren

During a question-and-answer session at a Texas Oil & Gas Association conference in Dallas, TX, Kelcy Warren, founder and executive chairman of pipeline giant Energy Transfer, said that oil and natural gas are not going away any time soon–if ever. Commenting on an editorial from the lefties at the Dallas Morning News who claim so-called net-zero carbon policies would ultimately mean oil is no longer needed, Warren said, “It is insanity for them to even say such things.” Finally! A major oil and gas figure of a publicly-owned company who is unafraid to stand up and say irrational anti-fossil fuelers are truly insane.
Read More “Energy Transfer’s Warren: Calls for the End of Fossil Fuels “Insanity””
Industrywide Issues | Research

Biden So-Called $1.2T Infrastructure Bill Passes Thanks to RINOs
November 8, 2021November 8, 2021

Democrats, who are truly desperate and hoping that massive theft of some people’s money to use in bribing other people to vote for them, finally passed a $1.2 trillion so-called infrastructure bill last Friday. It’s a “Hail, Mary” move aimed at trying to retain some of their power, which they will certainly lose in the 2022 election. Here’s what to know about the bill, which tries (but ultimately fails) to reduce the use of fossil fuels: Of the $1.2 trillion allocated over the next five-plus years, only $110 billion (or 9%) of it will actually be used for infrastructure–roads, bridges, etc.
Read More “Biden So-Called $1.2T Infrastructure Bill Passes Thanks to RINOs”
Best of the Rest

Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Nov 8, 2021
November 8, 2021November 8, 2021

NATIONAL: Oil has staying power for years to come; Biden admin considering shutting down another pipeline; More climate finance, less coal could send US natural gas exports skyrocketing; Midstream conundrum threatens gas production growth long term; INTERNATIONAL: Russian gas flows via Yamal-Europe pipeline to Germany halted again.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Nov 8, 2021”