Marcellus Drilling News

Baker Hughes | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Research | West Virginia

M-U Rig Count Stays @ 39 for 6th Week; Nat’l Count Adds 1 @ 544
January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

The Marcellus/Utica rig count gained 1 rig seven weeks ago in the Ohio Utica, bringing the regional total to 39 rigs. For the past seven reports in a row, the M-U has maintained that count—the most rigs it has operated in more than a year. Pennsylvania has held at 18 active rigs for ten consecutive weeks. Ohio has operated 14 rigs for seven straight weeks (its highest in over a year). And West Virginia maintained 7 rigs, which it has operated since May 30, 2025. There were 24 rigs targeting the Marcellus and 15 targeting the Utica last week. The national count regained 1 rig last week, bringing the total back up to 544 active rigs. Read More “M-U Rig Count Stays @ 39 for 6th Week; Nat’l Count Adds 1 @ 544”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA PUC Publishes Marcellus Impact Tax Hike – Older Wells Up 116%
January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

Marcellus drillers who have drilled new wells over the past three years in Pennsylvania are going to get hit by an increase in the state’s impact fee. However, older shale wells (drilled 11 to 15 years ago) will get hit the hardest by the 2025 impact fee/tax. Drillers must pay the impact fee (PA’s equivalent of a severance tax) once per year, based on the wells they drilled or operated during the previous year. The fee is a complex calculation based on (a) how long a well has been drilled, (b) the average NYMEX Henry Hub price for natural gas from the previous year, and (c) a cost adjustment for inflation. The fees PA drillers will pay this year, depending on how long a well has been drilled, range from 3.8% higher to 116.1% higher. Read More “PA PUC Publishes Marcellus Impact Tax Hike – Older Wells Up 116%”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | West Virginia

Calpine “Moving Forward” with Moundsville, WV Gas-Fired Power Plant
January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

In December, MDN brought you the great news that a long-dead natural gas-fired power plant project in Moundsville (Marshall County, WV) was back from the dead (see Moundsville, WV Gas-Fired Power Plant Project Back from the Dead). The Marshall County Commission and Marshall County Board of Education approved a Payment In Lieu Of Tax (PILOT) agreement with Calpine for a $1 billion, 500-megawatt (MW) power plant. At last week’s Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia’s 2026 Winter Meeting in Charleston, WV, Governor Pat Morrisey announced Calpine has now finalized the project and is moving forward. Read More “Calpine “Moving Forward” with Moundsville, WV Gas-Fired Power Plant”
Chesapeake Utilities | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Virginia

Chesapeake Utilities to Build NatGas Pipeline to Va. Eastern Shore
January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

Last November, Accomack County, Virginia, secured a $6.5 million state grant to expand piped natural gas to the Eastern Shore, a move aimed at stabilizing the local economy (see Natural Gas via Pipeline for Va. Eastern Shore Gets a $6.5M Boost). The project targets major employers like Perdue Farms, Tyson, and NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. It aims to reverse employment declines and lower energy costs for everyone. Analysts say that natural gas could cost homeowners 57% less than using propane, and industrial users 75% less than using electricity. The new news is that Accomack County has signed a deal with Chesapeake Utilities to build the project. Read More “Chesapeake Utilities to Build NatGas Pipeline to Va. Eastern Shore”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | DeepRock Disposal | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater

Antis Attack Ohio State Senator with Ethics Complaint
January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

Ohio Senator Brian Chavez

Ohio Senator Brian Chavez faces a sham ethics complaint that alleges he failed to disclose ownership in five natural gas LLCs while leading the Senate Energy Committee. Reports from Signal Ohio (a leftist Democrat publication) and the Athens County Independent (ditto) purport to detail how Chavez’s company won state contracts for “orphan” well capping as he advanced legislation that supposedly benefited his business interests. A coalition of environmental groups alleges these supposedly undisclosed ties create conflicts of interest that undermine public trust and environmental safety. A GOP spokesperson dismissed the allegations as a “baseless” political attack. State ethics officials are currently reviewing the complaint. Read More “Antis Attack Ohio State Senator with Ethics Complaint”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Trump DOE Cancels $30B of Biden-Era Green-Grifting Energy Loans
January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

Last Thursday, the Trump administration announced it is restructuring or terminating approximately $84 billion in clean energy projects (boondoggles) initiated during the Biden era, reflecting a sharp pivot toward “energy dominance” through fossil fuels and nuclear power. Rebranded as the Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF), the agency has canceled $30 billion in “green” loans, including major wind and solar transmission projects, while revising another $53 billion in loans. Under Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the office—which holds $290 billion in lending power—will prioritize coal, oil, and gas over renewables, marking a significant reversal of previous climate-focused infrastructure investments. Read More “Trump DOE Cancels $30B of Biden-Era Green-Grifting Energy Loans”
Industrywide Issues | Research

Top 50 Public E&P Operators of 2025 Ranked by O&G Production
January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

Enverus, a leading energy SaaS and analytics platform, has released its annual list of the top 50 public onshore exploration and production (E&P) companies in the U.S., based on gross-operated production last year. ExxonMobil leads the ranking again at 1.95 MMboe/d, followed by Expand Energy (formerly Chesapeake Energy) at 1.75 MMboe/d and ConocoPhillips, which climbed three positions to claim the No. 3 spot at 1.42 MMboe/d. Six of the top 10 companies list the Permian Basin as their primary operating region. Two of the top 10 are companies primarily operating in the Marcellus/Utica, including Expand Energy and EQT—the #1 and #2 gas-producing companies in the U.S., respectively. EOG Resources is also in the top 10. Although it’s categorized as a Gulf Coast-focused driller, EOG has major assets and drilling activity in the Ohio Utica Shale. Read More “Top 50 Public E&P Operators of 2025 Ranked by O&G Production”
Best of the Rest

MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Jan 26, 2026 [FREE ACCESS]
January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: US DOE issues order allowing PJM power plants to run without regard to air quality; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Will Governor Spanberger return to common sense and moderation?; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas adds to gains in choppy trade; Winter weather to disrupt U.S. gas production, increase prices; INTERNATIONAL: Crude closes higher on Iran, cold weather; SLB predicts worst is behind global oil market. Read More “MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Jan 26, 2026 [FREE ACCESS]”