Marcellus Drilling News

Enbridge | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

Enbridge Open Season to Expand Algonquin Pipe in New England
September 25, 2023September 25, 2023

The Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline (owned by Enbridge) transports up to 3.09 Bcf/d through 1,131 miles of pipeline. Algonquin connects to Texas Eastern Transmission (TETCO), Millennium Pipeline, and Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline and supplies New England with critically needed natural gas supplies for power generation and consumer use. Enbridge is conducting an open season to gauge interest in expanding Algonquin’s capacity to flow more gas into New England–mainly from the Marcellus/Utica–called Project Maple.
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Allegheny County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Wastewater

Federal EPA Approves 2nd Injection Well in Plum Borough, PA
September 25, 2023September 25, 2023

Penneco Environmental Solutions wants to site a second injection well in Plum Boro, next to an existing one. Penneco’s first wastewater injection well in Plum finally opened for business in mid-2021, overcoming all sorts of smears, slanders, and lawsuits by the enviro-left (see Plum Boro Injection Well in SWPA Now Open for Business!). In September 2021, Penneco announced plans to build a second wastewater injection well in Plum, located next to the first one (see 2nd Shale Wastewater Injection Well Planned for Plum Boro in SWPA). It didn’t long for Big Green to begin colluding and coordinating the attack to block the second well (see Big Green Mounts Big Effort to Stop 2nd Plum, PA Injection Well). Last Thursday, the federal EPA issued a final permit to Penneco for its Sedat #4A wastewater injection well located in Plum.
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Braskem | Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Processing Plants | West Virginia | Wood County

Now-Dead Parkersburg Cracker Site Finally Records Deed Transfer
September 25, 2023September 25, 2023

The former SABIC/GE site, near the Washington Works plant, had a deed of sale filed in early August. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in Latin America (headquartered in Brazil), and its parent company Odebrecht were, at one time, hot-to-trot to build a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker near Parkersburg, WV. Back in 2015, Braskem purchased the 374-acre site that was formerly the SABIC/GE property from Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise for $10.9 million. Then things went on hold when Odebrecht got mired in a scandal in Brazil (see Odebrecht Pushes the Pause Button on WV Ethane Cracker). In 2016, it appeared the project might be rekindled (see A Pulse! WV Ethane Cracker Project Comes Back from the Dead). But by 2019, it was clear Braskem had given up on the cracker plant project and was shopping the site it had purchased (see Braskem Gives Up on WV Cracker – Parkersburg Site for Sale).
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Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Research | West Virginia

Dead Cat Bounce? U.S. Rig Count Cut 11 @ 630, M-U Stays Even @ 39
September 25, 2023September 25, 2023

Two weeks ago, the U.S. rotary rig count rose nine after rising by one the week before that (see Hit Bottom? U.S. Rig Count Up 9 at 641, M-U Stays Even at 39). We’re suggesting those two weeks of increases were, perhaps, the proverbial “dead cat bounce,” meaning even a dead cat will bounce a little when hitting the ground after falling from a great height. Why our pessimism and sarcasm? Last week, the U.S. rig count erased all of those gains, dropping 11 rigs from the total, sinking to 630 active rigs — the lowest count since February of 2022 (19 months). The active count in the Marcellus/Utica remained at 39 last week (for three weeks running), which is the lowest count in the M-U this year.
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BKV/Banpu | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania General Energy | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Repsol | Seneca Resources | Southwestern Energy | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Tioga County (PA)

SRBC Approves Water Permits for 34 Shale Well Pads in NE Pa.
September 25, 2023October 28, 2024

In August, the Executive Director of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) approved 34 water-use permits for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Tioga counties. We’re just learning of the action via an official notice published in the Sept. 23 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The approvals, which are NOT subject to public review according to SRBC regulations, are general water permits. Each site will be required to receive a specific water withdrawal approval at a later date.
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CNG/LNG | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

Toby Rice Still in Love with LNG, Wants New East Coast Exports
September 25, 2023September 25, 2023

Toby Rice, CEO of EQT

The CEO of EQT Corporation, Toby Rice, spoke at a recent University of Texas symposium hosted at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center. EQT is the U.S.’s number one natural gas producer, with current production hovering around 5.5 Bcf/d. Among Rice’s comments and predictions: The world is “still one event away” from another energy event. Volatility is still a reality “until we get more infrastructure built.” Rice said while adding solar and wind to the grid is “not a problem,” it needs a backup. Without natural gas, solar and wind are unreliable energy sources.
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Carbon Capture | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Washington County, PA, Makes a Play to Attract Carbon Capture
September 25, 2023September 25, 2023

click for larger version

Diana Irey Vaughan has been a Washington County, PA commissioner for almost 30 years. She’s learned a thing or two about anticipating economic trends and understanding what’s likely to happen in the future. Vaughan was an early supporter of the Marcellus industry in her county, the county with THE most Marcellus wells drilled in the state. Something new is appearing on Vaughan’s radar: carbon capture and storage. She thinks now is the time for Washington County (and for Gov. Shapiro and the legislature) to pursue landing new CCS projects for the Keystone State.
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Best of the Rest

Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Sep 25, 2023
September 25, 2023September 25, 2023

OTHER U.S. REGIONS: EV battery factory in Kansas powered by coal energy; NATIONAL: Roundhill Investments launches LNG ETF; Ponds release more greenhouse gas than they store; Goldman Sachs predicts $100 oil as renewable transition falters; Shale tycoon Hamm wants end of ‘roller coaster’ US energy plans; Clean ammonia projects proliferate; INTERNATIONAL: EU opens third round of matchmaking for potential gas deals; Sacrifices needed at the altar of the green gods.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Sep 25, 2023”