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31 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 12 – 18

For the week of May 12 – 18, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica was up five from the previous week. Last week, 31 new permits were issued in the M-U. In the Keystone State (PA), seven new permits were issued. The top permittee was Range Resources, which was issued four permits in Washington County. Seneca Resources scored two permits in two different counties: Elk and Tioga. PennEnergy Resources received a single permit in Butler County. Read More “31 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 12 – 18”

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Epsilon 1Q: Gas Production Up Over 50% Thanks to Marcellus Wells

Epsilon Energy issued its first quarter 2025 update last week. Epsilon, a relatively small company, used to concentrate most of its effort on developing Marcellus Shale wells. However, over the past few years, the company has expanded into other plays and now owns assets in the Anadarko (Oklahoma and Texas), the Permian (Texas and New Mexico), and most recently, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (in Alberta, Canada). Epsilon typically does not do its own drilling. The company joint venture partners with (gives money to) other companies, like Expand Energy in the Marcellus, and the other company does the drilling. As for 1Q25, according to Jason Stabell, Epsilon’s CEO, “Our Marcellus business performed very well during the quarter, with all delayed turn-in-line wells now on production.” As a result, natural gas production was up over 50% from the previous quarter, resulting in a 200% increase in cash flow. Read More “Epsilon 1Q: Gas Production Up Over 50% Thanks to Marcellus Wells”

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Construction of Dimock Water System Project Begins in Northeast Pa.

In December 2022, MDN brought you the great news that Coterra Energy (formerly Cabot Oil & Gas) would be allowed to restart drilling in a nine-square-mile area in Dimock, PA (Susquehanna County) following a “no contest” plea deal with PA’s then-Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, on a misdemeanor charge (see PA DEP Allows Coterra (Cabot O&G) to Resume Drilling in Dimock). A provision in the agreement made the return to Dimock contingent on Coterra installing (paying for) a new water system for local residents. Work began with Phase 1 planning and design, which allowed Coterra to restart its Dimock drilling program (see Coterra Restarting Marcellus Drilling in Early 2Q – Return to Dimock). Phase 2, the actual construction of water pipelines, is now here. Read More “Construction of Dimock Water System Project Begins in Northeast Pa.”

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Fracking Issue Causing PA Working Class Voters to Shift Right

According to opinion researchers at Pennsylvania’s Franklin & Marshall College, the issue of fracking has deepened the schism between Democrats and Republicans in the Keystone State. Pennsylvania’s voter registration statistics have shifted rightward (from Democrat to Republican), which has been traced to shifts in the affiliation of working-class communities, particularly those located in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the state. New research offers a more direct cause for the shift: the decline of coal mining and the rise of shale gas development. Read More “Fracking Issue Causing PA Working Class Voters to Shift Right”

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Strategy Revealed for Building 3 GW Gas-Fired AI/Data Center in SWPA

In January, MDN brought you the news that TECfusions, based in Tampa, Florida, had purchased 1,395 acres in Upper Burrell (Westmoreland County), PA, for a groundbreaking data center project called TECfusions Keystone Connect (see Massive 3 GW Gas-Fired AI/Data Center Coming to Southwest Pa.). The site is the old Alcoa R&D campus and the surrounding real estate in New Kensington. The project will transform the shuttered office and industrial site into a state-of-the-art data center campus, with plans to deploy up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of gas-fired capacity over six years, using gas wells on the property (see Massive 3 GW Gas-Fired AI/Data Center in SWPA to Use Local Wells). At the Appalachian AI Energy Conference held earlier this week, TECfusions COO Mark Hamilton laid out the company’s strategy for developing the site moving forward. Read More “Strategy Revealed for Building 3 GW Gas-Fired AI/Data Center in SWPA”

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Wisconsin PSC Approves Big Gas-Fired Power Plant Near Milwaukee

The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin approved the We Energies plan to build a $1.2 billion gas-fired power plant at its Oak Creek Power Plant location (Oak Creek is a suburb of Milwaukee). Plans call for converting the facility from a coal-fired power plant to a natural gas plant that will generate 1,100 megawatts (MW) of electricity on demand (a “peaker” facility). The aim is to start the gas turbines when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. The PSC also approved a much smaller We Energies peaker plant in the Kenosha County town of Paris. Read More “Wisconsin PSC Approves Big Gas-Fired Power Plant Near Milwaukee”

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Pipeline Companies Face Expansion Dilemma: Buy or Build New?

President Donald Trump’s pro-energy policies were meant to speed the construction of the United States’ next generation of energy infrastructure, but many oil and gas pipeline operators would still rather buy than build their way to expansion due to a host of factors impeding large projects. The proposed 124-mile Constitution Pipeline from northeastern Pennsylvania into and through New York State is a perfect example. Williams canceled the project in 2020. Trump wants it revived and built. Will Williams or someone else build it? More importantly, will it get built at all? Read More “Pipeline Companies Face Expansion Dilemma: Buy or Build New?”

MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, May 23, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

NATIONAL: Senate votes to revoke California’s EV mandate; Natural gas futures flop after fourth straight triple-digit storage build; Why GE Vernova’s stock is power surging after just one year of existence; INTERNATIONAL: Deutsche Bank hits pause on new oil curbs, citing legal risk; Oil slips as OPEC eyes boost; Japan invests big in LNG despite climate-friendly promises; Egypt in talks to buy 40-60 LNG cargoes amid energy crunch, sources say. Read More “MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, May 23, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]”