M-U Rig Count Adds 1 @ 40; Haynesville Adds 2 @ 52; Nat’l Count Even
Wow! What a week for rigs last week. On Friday, Baker Hughes reported that the national count remained unchanged at 551 active rigs. However, the Pennsylvania Marcellus picked up another rig and now operates 20 rigs, the most it has operated in well over a year. Both Ohio and West Virginia remained at 13 and 7, respectively. The combined M-U count was 40 rigs last week, the most in well over a year. The M-U’s primary competitor (for attention and money), the Haynesville, added another 2 rigs last week after adding 7 the week before, for a new modern high of 52 rigs (12 more than the M-U, bummer). It’s probably too early to declare a trend, but the upshot is that more gas drilling is underway in the two largest gas plays in the country. That’s a good sign. Read More “M-U Rig Count Adds 1 @ 40; Haynesville Adds 2 @ 52; Nat’l Count Even”
Another new gas-fired power plant is on the way in West Virginia! FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison have selected a 35-acre site in Maidsville (Monongalia County), West Virginia, for a new 1,200-megawatt natural gas power plant. Located adjacent to the existing Fort Martin Power Station, the facility is designed to provide reliable, affordable energy for approximately 500,000 homes. Pending approval from the WV Public Service Commission, construction could begin in 2027 with operations starting in 2031. 
Antero Resources Corporation has reached a proposed settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the state of West Virginia to resolve Clean Air Act violations at 242 oil and gas facilities in West Virginia and Ohio. To address unauthorized volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, Antero will invest approximately $5.8 million in system improvements and monitoring, reducing annual emissions by over 1,100 tons. The company will also pay a $3.8 million civil penalty and spend $1.5 million to permanently plug and remediate abandoned wells in WV. Total price tag: $11.1 million. 
About six years ago, Dominion Energy announced the River Neck to Kingsburg project, a short 15-mile 16-inch natural gas transmission main line that would run in an existing right-of-way alongside another pipeline along Old River Road near Pamplico in Florence County, SC. It was supposed to be built and flowing in 2022. Dominion still hasn’t built a square inch, thanks to the lawfare launched by the anti-fossil fuelers of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. Earlier this month, we told you that the South Carolina Supreme Court finally cleared the last legal roadblocks (see 
Last week, MDN told you that Maryland State Senator Kevin Harris (Democrat) had recently introduced legislation allowing Big Utilities, such as Exelon, to build and operate power-generation infrastructure using ratepayer funds. We also presented the counterargument to re-regulating what is now a deregulated power market in Maryland (see 
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, U.S. natural gas production is projected to reach record highs of 120.8 Bcf/d in 2026 and 122.3 Bcf/d in 2027. This growth is primarily driven by the Haynesville, Permian, and Appalachia (Marcellus/Utica) regions, which together account for 69% of the total forecast output. Haynesville expansion is fueled by rising prices and proximity to Gulf Coast LNG terminals, while the Permian region’s growth stems from increasing gas-to-oil ratios despite falling oil prices. Meanwhile, the M-U region will see modest gains following new pipeline capacity additions, maintaining its status as the country’s leading producer. 
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Ohio’s manufacturing resurgence powered by oil and natural gas industry; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Mamdani’s new Chief Climate Officer wants to make NYC a ‘better place to live’; LNG facility planned to support manufacturing growth in Valdosta-Lowndes County; New England receives another LNG import cargo as winter takes its toll; Aramco commits to 1 MMtpa for 20 years from Commonwealth LNG; NATIONAL: Potential for mild winter ahead sinks natural gas for week; Another climate pipe dream – capturing carbon out of thin air; New book ‘Climate Porn’ targets phony science; Would less competition really lead to lower electricity prices?; INTERNATIONAL: Oil posts second straight weekly drop; Some OPEC+ members see scope to resume hikes in April; Japan creates first engine to generate power via 30% hydrogen; Renewable blackouts?; We don’t need any more renewables; Naftogaz seeks USA funds to renovate destroyed plants; UK North Sea oil production plummets 77% since 2000.