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OH Drops 1, PA Adds 1 Rig; National Rig Count Soars, Adds 7 @ 589

The Baker Hughes national rig count dramatically increased last week, adding seven rigs for a national count of 589. Note that the national count continues to be rangebound between 581 and 589 since June (except for Sep. 13, when it hit 590 for a single week). Will we break out of the rut and go higher? Stay tuned. Meanwhile, the Ohio Utica lost one rig last week, but the Pennsylvania Marcellus picked it up, keeping the combined M-U count at 35. Read More “OH Drops 1, PA Adds 1 Rig; National Rig Count Soars, Adds 7 @ 589”

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Upper Burrell Twp Makes Moves to Ban Wastewater Injection Wells

Upper Burrell (Westmoreland County, PA) town supervisors have historically been receptive (or at least tolerant) to the Marcellus Shale industry that has so blessed their town and Westmoreland County (see our Upper Burrell stories here). According to MDN’s soon-coming data service, Upper Burrell has 20 actively producing shale wells, with 17 of them drilled since 2021. However, there appears to be a distinct change in attitude, at least with respect to wastewater injection wells, on the part of the town’s Board of Supervisors. The town has between 100 and 200 abandoned conventional gas or oil wells. The supervisors are concerned one or more of those old wells might be targeted to convert into injecting brine (salty water from shale wells). The supervisors have instructed the town solicitor to draft an ordinance with stricter rules for the use of abandoned wells in the township. Read More “Upper Burrell Twp Makes Moves to Ban Wastewater Injection Wells”

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Same Guy Who Drilled 1st Marcellus Well Helped Crack Utica Oil Code

John Pinkerton

Hart Energy has published a number of articles highlighting companies and key people in the Marcellus/Utica region. Hart has an ongoing series called Hart Energy’s Hall of Fame to honor industry pioneers and the Agents of Change (ACEs) who are leading the energy sector into the future. A recent Hall of Fame article highlights one of the most important figures in both the Marcellus and Utica plays—John Pinkerton. Read More “Same Guy Who Drilled 1st Marcellus Well Helped Crack Utica Oil Code”

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Williams Sues ET Again, This Time for Blocking La. Pipe Project

Two pipeline industry titans are going after each other again. Energy Transfer and Williams previously tangled over an aborted proposed merger, a saga that stretched from 2015 until it was finally settled in 2023 (see Williams Finally Wins Case Against ET Aborted Merger – $495 Million). More recently, Williams sought permits to drill for a FERC-approved project in northern Louisiana that would have crossed under an existing ET pipeline in several locations. ET tried to block the Williams project by refusing permission to cross under its pipeline. Williams finally won the right to build, but not before a long delay. Williams recently told an Argus Media reporter that Williams brought a “very large lawsuit” against ET for the delay. Read More “Williams Sues ET Again, This Time for Blocking La. Pipe Project”

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Panic Sets In with NY’s 2026 Deadline Banning NatGas in New Homes

In January 2023, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, an extremist, floated a plan to ban natural gas hookups in every single new home and business across the “Empire” State (see NY Gov. Hochul Loses Her Mind – Wants to Ban Gas in New Buildings). She even wanted to ban gas in existing homes, but that was too much to stomach even for NY’s leftwing Democrats (see New York Legislators Block Hochul NatGas Ban for Existing Homes). As part of the 2023-2024 budget deal, Hochul got her way (see NY State has Fallen – Gas Stoves & Peaker Plants Banned in Budget). So now, beginning in 2026, new homes (or businesses) in New York State will not be allowed to connect to an existing natural gas pipeline system. You will be banned from installing a gas (or propane) stove in the house. It’s complete madness, and people are starting to push back and push back hard. Read More “Panic Sets In with NY’s 2026 Deadline Banning NatGas in New Homes”

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AI Helps Researchers Find “Lost” Orphaned Oil & Gas Wells

An Artificial Intelligence Illustration on the WallYou’ve heard of UFOs—Unidentified Flying Objects. What about UOWs? That would be Undocumented Orphaned Wells. Not to be confused with undocumented illegal aliens. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, located in Berkeley, California, have figured out how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to scan and read old maps, recognizing oil and gas well symbols on those maps to generate potential well locations that can then be verified via satellite imagery and field surveys. This may be the first practical thing to come out of Berserkely in years! Read More “AI Helps Researchers Find “Lost” Orphaned Oil & Gas Wells”

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Who Let the DOGEs Out? Proposed Energy Cuts for Elon & Vivek

Who let the DOGEs out? Who, who, who, who. (To be sung to the tune of the iconic song, Who Let the Dogs Out?) DOGE (pronounced dowzh) stands for the Department Of Government Efficiency. Yes, “government efficiency” is an oxymoron, but Donald Trump has enlisted the volunteer help of two billionaires, Elon Musk (the richest person in the world, owner of Tesla, X, and SpaceX) and Vivek Ramaswamy (founder of Roivant Sciences and Strive Asset Management) to conduct a whole-of-government, top-to-bottom review of the federal government with an eye on trimming $2 trillion of wasteful spending over the next two years. Who knows where they will start on this massive and exciting undertaking? (We can’t wait for the D.C. swamp to get drained!) Paul Driessen, a senior policy advisor for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow and author of numerous books and articles on energy, environmental, climate, and human rights issues, has some suggestions for the DOGE team related to the energy sector as they begin… Read More “Who Let the DOGEs Out? Proposed Energy Cuts for Elon & Vivek”

Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Dec 9, 2024

NATIONAL: Trump’s energy secretary pick preaches the benefits of climate change; Seven reasons to be skeptical about SMRs; ESG firms invested in coal industry they tried to reduce, while reaping big profits; Oil seen below $60 by middle of new Trump term; INTERNATIONAL: Saudis cut oil prices as OPEC+ keeps delaying output revival; RAF on alert over Putin sabotage threat to key gas pipelines; GALACTIC: Mars’s gravity pulls Earth closer to the Sun, warming our climate. Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Dec 9, 2024”