Marcellus Drilling News

Accidents | CNX Resources | Energy Companies | Greene County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation

CNX Clipped $200K by PA DEP for Wastewater Spills in Greene County
November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that CNX Resources has paid two civil penalty assessments totaling $200,000 for violations at two different well sites in Richhill Township, Greene County. According to the civil penalty assessment paperwork, CNX spilled “production fluids” (wastewater, drilling mud, etc.) and didn’t clean it up quickly enough. Tallying all of the spills, CNX inadvertently spilled 2,170 gallons of production fluid at two sites, and ended up removing roughly 3,400 tons of “contaminated” soil.
Read More “CNX Clipped $200K by PA DEP for Wastewater Spills in Greene County”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA IRRC Votes to Approve Rushed Conventional VOC Regulation
November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

Yesterday the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) voted to approve the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) and its Environmental Quality Board’s (EQB) rammed-through (in a rush) regulation to control volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and by extension methane, for conventional drilling sites throughout the state (see PA EQB Rams Through VOC Reg to Control Conventional Well Emissions). The DEP had SIX YEARS to get this regulation done and missed deadline after deadline. With a Dec. 16 deadline approaching to finish up the reg or risk losing half a billion dollars in federal highway funds, the DEP tried to bully the conventional drilling industry into accepting its onerous regulation with no comment period, no feedback, no nothing. Earlier this week, the Republicans on the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee voted to send a letter to the IRRC disapproving of the EQB’s final, rushed regulation (see PA House Environmental Ctte Votes to Disapprove Final VOC Reg).
Read More “PA IRRC Votes to Approve Rushed Conventional VOC Regulation”
Accidents | Cambria County | Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Storage

“Massive” Gas Storage Well Leak in Cambria County Finally Plugged
November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

Equitrans Midstream (formerly EQT Midstream) owns the Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area in Jackson Township, Cambria County, in Pennsylvania. Beginning Nov. 6th, one of the wells at the Rager Mountain area (a depleted conventional well drilled in 1965) began leaking methane around the well casing (see Equitrans Gas Storage Well in Cambria County, PA is Leaking). The good news is that the leak, as of yesterday, is plugged. But not before the well leaked an estimated 1 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of methane into the atmosphere–roughly 10% of the gas stored at the Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area.
Read More ““Massive” Gas Storage Well Leak in Cambria County Finally Plugged”
Beaver County | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell | Statewide PA

Shell Officials Optimistic Cracker Plant Will Attract New Business
November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

Earlier this week, Shell announced its mighty ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA (near Pittsburgh) is finally, ten years after first announcing, fully operational and producing plastic pellets (see Shell Officially Launches Pa. Cracker Plant Using M-U Ethane). Part of the raison d’etre for granting the plant a $1.7 billion break on taxes for 25 years is to lure manufacturers (and investments, and jobs) to locate nearby, in PA (see Gov. Corbett’s PR Campaign for $1.7B Cracker Plant Tax Break). So far, frankly, that hasn’t happened. At least not in a big way. But don’t worry, says Shell execs. They are “optimistic” the region will attract new manufacturing plants that want to use Shell’s plastic pellets.
Read More “Shell Officials Optimistic Cracker Plant Will Attract New Business”
CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

FERC Flips – Unanimously Approves La. Commonwealth LNG Terminal
November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

In March of this year, the three Democrats who occupy and control the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sent a loud and clear signal they don’t like the Commonwealth LNG plan to erect a new LNG export plant in Cameron Parish, La. due to concerns over so-called environmental justice (see Biden’s FERC Slams New LNG Plant Proposal Over “Enviro Justice”). Their comments (in March) came as part of a draft environmental impact statement. However, yesterday, all five members of FERC, including the three Democrats who don’t like Commonwealth LNG, voted to approve an order allowing the plant to get built. What changed?
Read More “FERC Flips – Unanimously Approves La. Commonwealth LNG Terminal”
Ascent Resources | Belmont County | Education | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (OH) | Noble County | Ohio

Ascent Resources Donates STEM Program to 2K Elementary Kids in OH
November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

STEM kit drop-off in Harrison County, OH (click for larger version)

Ascent Resources, Ohio’s largest natural gas producer and the 8th largest natural gas producer in the U.S., recently donated STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) curriculum and supplies to some 2,100 elementary students in eastern Ohio, where the company works. The materials in the curriculum boxes that Ascent staff assembled came from the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP). The kiddies can now learn about the wonders of fossil energy and contemplate one day working in the Utica oil and gas industry, using STEM every day in their jobs.
Read More “Ascent Resources Donates STEM Program to 2K Elementary Kids in OH”
Armstrong County | Ascent Resources | Belmont County | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EXCO Resources | Gulfport Energy | Harrison County | Jefferson County (OH) | Lycoming County | Monongalia County | Northeast Natural Energy | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Susquehanna County | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia

26 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 7-13
November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

Permits issued to drill new Marcellus/Utica wells slipped last week, for the week of Nov. 7-13. Last week saw a total of 26 new permits issued, falling from 43 permits the week before. Pennsylvania received the most permits, just barely, with 13 new permits. Ohio received 12 new permits, and West Virginia a single new permit.
Read More “26 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 7-13”